i'm talking serious scrap!

These are the shoes...

2011-09-28T14:28:00.000-07:00

...that my husband ALMOST got!

We do a few races each year (Breast Cancer, MS) and John happens to love New Balance shoes. While I was perusing the daily deals I ran across one for Blair.com where these shoes would be $29...with free shipping.

yes please.

I'm all excited, planning how I would buy two pairs so he'd have one when the first wore out. Once I placed the order, I see a pop up screen: Congratulations! Because this is your first order, you qualify for $10 off of your next order! This is AMAZING! See, I only ordered one pair at first. I was going to have one sent here and one sent to my parents' house so my husband didn't know about them. So, I thought I would end up with two pairs of New Balance for less than $50...awwwwwesome!!!!
When I clicked on the link, it took me to a page that says, "SCREW the $10...you're getting FIFTEEN!" Well, I'm ready to start jumping up and down! FINE PRINT: JUST JOIN OUR REWARDS CLUB WHICH AUTHORIZES US TO DEBIT THE SAME CREDIT CARD YOU JUST PAID WITH THE LOW LOW PRICE OF $15 MONTHLY!

WHA....?????

Nah, I'm straight...just give me the $10...click. SIKE! I then get the "thank you for your order which is processing" message. I try going back...nope. Oh well...I'll just call customer service. And here's where the devil stole my husband's shoes right outta the box!

The customer service representative was an older lady...aww she's like my grandmother...LIES. I was all like, "Good day, kind lady...might I bother you for a replacement code for the one the website swindled me out of?" She was like, "No". HUHN???? "Ma'am, I don't have access to the code so there's no way I can give it to you."

SILENCE.

SOOOOO, I just don't get a code? "Nope". Ok, my nerves are bad now. "Well, can I speak to a supervisor?" "She doesn't have the code either." NOW I'm praying for God to slow my breathing down. I KNOW God doesn't want you to hurt babies and the elderly but THIS....this LADY is not my favorite person right now! I asked, "Can I speak to a supervisor?" {{{SIGH}}} I'll SEE if one is available to speak to you." WT....???? So, she puts me on hold and after she (obviously) played "This Little Piggie"...TWICE...she comes back to the line, "Ma'am the supervisor said she doesn't have the code." NO, I asked you if I could SPEAK TO a supervisor. "I'm telling you what she said and she cannot come to the phone." This right HERE...this is RIDICULOUS! "OK, can you just cancel my order?" "Ma'am I can't cancel..."

I LOST IT.

I didn't curse her. I didn't raise my voice. I just repeated, "Cancel the order" over and over. It may have been about 320 times...I'm not sure. But then this...this LADY HANGS UP ON ME.

OH.NO.SHE.DIDN'T

Yeah...she didn't. Well, my breathing slowed down to a STOP. I was like a stealth Ninja at this point. I called back and when another representative came on the line, I was SYRUP PACKED IN SUGAR. "HIIIIIII...I'd like to cancel an order please kind lady." Because she really was. I regret that she didn't answer the phone THE FIRST TIME I CALLED. While she was "processing my request" I kindly asked for their mailing address which she kindly provided to me. You see, while I was smiling sweetly and talking to her, I had the Better Business Bureau open in another window. You'll be pleased to know that they HAVE been reported. Because play with me about MY MONEY???? NO THANX! Oh, and if any of you are looking for New Balance at a decent price check out joesnewbalanceoutlet.com . They have a better selection and I've ordered from them before. The customer service was MUCH better than what I experienced today.

You're welcome!.

I've been letting ...

2011-09-25T22:58:00.000-07:00

...my eyebrows grow.

I normally have EXTREMELY thick eyebrows and I like 'em that way! I mean, I like them LUSH...not Al B. Sure-ish! (For my R&B-challenged peeps...PLEEEEASE Google "Al B. Sure"...you're in for a treat 'cause I REALLY look like that if I let my 'brows go untamed!) But because I'm not a professional, I have times when I cut one too thinly and then have to cut the other to match. So, I've been letting them grow for the last month so I'll look cute in my sister's wedding pix! Plus, my 40th is in November and I'm gearing up for a big celebration. TODAY, I got to the point where I just COULDN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE! Bushy brows bring me back to high school when the only taming I was allowed to do was a spit-and-slick! Plus, I needed to take a picture for the aforementioned event. So, I prayed real hard...used a SLOOOW and steady hand and got to cuttin'! It's STILL not a professional job but I think it's decent

I think I'm still gonna go and try the threading (has anyone else tried that?) before the wedding. I just saw on the Today show Friday that reapplying lip gloss is an addictive behavior...Kathie Lee said she wakes up from a DEEP SLEEP to reapply it! She's a LIIITLE more obsessed than me but like my brother-in-law says...my lip gloss be POPPING!!!!

Do you know we can still smell it? Marsh fires my BEHIND...there's something much more sinister going on out there...DUN DUN DUHHHHHH!!!!!

I've had these two projects

recently featured over at Platinum Scraps. We don't do the whole trick or treating thang but we do dress up and go to the Children's Museum. Kea 1st wore the doggie costume right before he turned two and he was LIVID! He didn't want that CRAP on his head...his hands...he wanted OUTTA THERE!!! We took advantage of the fact that he could still fit into it last year so we recycled it. Man, what a difference a year makes! When I asked him to pose for pictures, he really hammed it up...he was HEElarryous!!! With the double page spread, I happened to be going through our family box of pictures and ran across several different photos of me and my older boys. We used to take pictures a few times a year. I thought for sure that once my family was complete we would go like ONCE A MONTH for pictures but that hasn't happened...my littlest hasn't taken pictures since his christening a year ago; BAD MOMMY! I've been kinda holding out because I wanted to take some on location shots. But, since Sears sent us a coupon for a free photo session plus $50 in pictures, I broke down and made an appointment. Hopefully I'll still get my outdoor shots before my birthday!

Lastly, if you like scrappy stuff hop on over to Kreatorville for the opportunity to win a prize valued at over $200!!!! Don't miss out!!!!

For dinner tonight...

2011-09-10T20:27:00.000-07:00

...I made sandwiches. I used a 100% wheat bun with sesame seeds and filled it with turkey cold cuts, raw spinach leaves, tomatoes and pickle slices. The condiments I used were mustard and mayo. Maybe 10 minutes after finishing my sandwich, the sides of my lips and tongue were tingling and slightly numb. Plus, I had a bitter taste in my mouth. My husband (who ate in another room) came into the bedroom and told me he had the same symptoms that I did! Both of our little boys had the same dinner...with NOOO problems! This was about an hour ago so the numbness has pretty much worn off. I've researched salmonella and E.coli and gratefully it doesn't seem to be either of those. I'm just wondering: have any of you experienced these symptoms before?

Thanx to all of you...

2011-09-04T02:12:00.000-07:00

...who were so concerned about our well-being due to the marsh fires! Even though it's rained consistently for two days, we're still keeping a low profile because the smell is still pretty bad. My husband said he heard it's actually remnants from the BP oil spill burning and it DOES kinda ring true; if you could SMELL this crap you'd understand what I mean! The great thing was that we got to just laze around yesterday...talking, laughing, NAPPING! John couldn't get the grill cranked up in the rain so he made an assortment of chicken wings for us in the oven. Ahmad is a chicken FANATIC...remember the page I did as an ode to his seasoned fowl obsession??? Well, one of his favorite ways to eat it is swimming in hot sauce. A lot of places call them Buffalo Wings...we just call 'em HOT WINGS!!! We normally buy him a large bag from Wal-Mart for about $11. In the last month, that price has risen to almost $15! That, coupled with the fact that Wal-Mart had packs of chicken wings on sale last week prompted our experiment today. I mean, the sauce is WAAAY too easy to make for us to keep throwing money at the millionaire Waltons when Mahd is craving them! And did I mention that the teenaged ~~disposal~~ dude can eat an entire bag in TWO sittings???? YEAAAAAAH! So the hubbs did a large batch of wings (like close to forty) and left some unembellished (HOW YOU LIKE THAT, my scrappin' sisters???). He put BBQ sauce on some and made hot wings with the others. The guys had fries with their wings but I ate mine with a spinach leaf salad. They were DEFINITELY yummy for my tummy! Have you ever been in a situation where you KNOW one more bite will make your belly POP all over the furniture but your mouth is still watering from the yumminess you've just experienced???? YEAH...that's how I felt last night! I'm proud to say that I resisted...there's always today,right??? ;)

I still can't access my beloved Kreatorville (SIGH) but I'll survive! I've been busy playing with the September kit. I actually have three pages that I've finished...I just have to print the pictures to put on them and do the journaling. Is that weird...sometimes I design the page first and THEN stick pix, a few more embellishments and journaling on them. There's some GORGEOUS Fake Bake Shimmerz Enamelz in the September kit! I haven't used embossing powder in YEARS! My issue is this: I love when an artist has used it and it's all thick and LUSCIOUS looking! And I didn't know how to achieve that effect...so I moved on to the next technique. Well, out of the blue my girl
sends me a package with one of her beautiful handmade cards with a HUGE jar of this

included!! The card said that she noticed that I ~~gushed about~~ commented on her using this on one of her cards so she decided to send me some. Yeah...that's the kind of heart she has! So I HAD to up my embossing game then! Through trial and error I've realized that, if I add more powder to the embellishment while it's still warm and reheat (and repeat...and repeat...and repeat!) I can achieve that thick look I love SOOO much! I can't wait to share how I used the embossing powder on my September projects!

I see that the September Page Maps newsletter has gone live! 'Member I was telling you that I'm one of the featured artists this month? I was TOO excited to see my double 8.5x11 layout on this page!

Didn't like that my name is misspelled at the top. I've been called "Kendra" soo many times in my life...don't like it, though! It IS right further down

I laughed when I looked at the actually layouts next to the sketches. I think I had the ONLY project that isn't identifiable as having been inspired by the sketch!

I PROMISE you that I DID use the sketch to kreate it...even though you may not be able to see it! OH WELL!!! Becky told me to make the sketch my own...and ya KNOW I did! I'm obsessed with origami hearts right now so I thought the center of the life preserver we were photographed with was the perfect spot to stick one!

I've had this piece of Hambly transparency

for about FOUR years...glad I finally got to USE IT!! Here you can see the cluster of STUFF I ~~threw~~ loving placed on the left side

along with my VERY SCIENTIFIC tear at the top of the page and the cluster of stuff on the right side

I don't know WHAT was on my mind when I put the collage of these two pages together because I actually cropped the ENTIRE right side OFF! Here's the right page and a closeup

in case you want to read ALL of the journaling

OH! I actually found the picture that was missing from THIS page...here's the revised version:

(To me, it's just 100% better with those beautiful eyes staring back at you!!!)

I HAVE to get some rest...I've gotten maybe 12 hours in the last three nights! I have layouts to finish today and a little painting to do...IF my husband can stand it! And of course...some chicken to eat!!!!

Just AWFUL.

2011-09-01T21:24:00.000-07:00

It's bad enough that we're thinking about Katrina right now. Yeah...I KNOW it's been SIX years and other places have experienced weather disasters since then. BUT...when you don't have a hospital, WalMart, movie theater near your house...you can't HELP but think about the cause of these things not being around any more! I THOUGHT my focus would be on praying for those affected by Irene this week. But here we are...dealing with crap again.

When I awakened Monday morning, our house was filled with the smell of smoke. I went around smelling all the outlets but I couldn't figure out where it was coming from. This was about 7AM and I don't normally turn the TV on when it's just me and Kea (he watches TV in the back). I was SOO scared that I called my husband at work to tell him he might have to come home because something was on fire. That's when he told me about the marsh fires. When the little and I went out Tuesday I realized that the ENTIRE city looks like this

There's no escaping it. I could smell it in Wal-Mart; everyone in the Social Security office was coughing Tuesday because it was coming in through the vents. To make matters worse, we live about a mile and a half from where the fires are actually burning. Thank God John and Ahmad have awesome immune systems and haven't really been affected. The littlest has been plagued by congestion, coughing, vomiting and fever all week. There's no where that I can even take him to get him into clean air except almost 100 miles away! I've been coughing and looking at so much vomit all week has my belly feeling wonky. John saw somewhere that a vinegar and lemon mixture helps to dissipate the smoke smell. I placed a bowl of it in almost every room. Don't get it twisted...THAT crap doesn't smell like roses either. It helps though so I guess it's more like the lesser of two evils!!! It did rain today and should rain for the next few days so prayerfully we can get back to normal next week! The teen's second football game is tomorrow. I doubt that the littlest and I will be able to go if the smoke is still thick...SUX!!!!

THEN I try to view Kreatorville's blog (kreativity.kreatorvillekraft.com) and I kept getting a "Server Not Found" error message...wha???? After several hours of back and forth I was told that the confusion should be cleared up in about five days...{{{SIGH}}}

On a positive note, I had a card

posted on the Platinum Scraps blog. This is the card I made for Ahmad for his birthday. His favorite color is red...a boy after my own heart!!! And my last project as Guest Designer for Color Combos Galore

has been posted. These are pix from my sister friend's 40th birthday celebration. I really loved being challenged by the combos...I'm sure I'll play along again soon!!!

Well, gotta make the donuts! NAH...but I DO need to sleep so I can get up early. I have a list of 73 items to finish before next month!

In the last twenty days I've...

2011-08-28T10:18:00.001-07:00

...enjoying talking to/spending time with the teen. He just got an Iphone from his father so I've heard a LOT of "C'mon Ma!" in the last few weeks

(You KNOW I'm lovin' that!!!!)

*been playing around with party decor

My sister is getting married in October and we're celebrating my 40th in November. I was soo excited when Ray told me that she wants a vintage feel for her reception decor! Add to that the fact that our celebration colors are almost the same! I'm decorating Mason jars for her party and with a few changes, I'll use them the next month...can you say WINNING???

*Speaking of winning...this sweetie peetie has given me this

If you've never met Cindy...go on over! She is the CUTEST lil lady I've ever seen!!! To answer the twelve questions:

Favorite color: Red
Favorite song: I love SOO many songs! One of my faves right now is I Give Myself Away by William McDowell
Favorite dessert: Oreo cookies WITH Lay's Original chips! Yep...TOGEEEEETHER!!!!
What wizzes you off at the moment?People who make promises which they don't keep! Just tell me "I MAY be able to" DON'T say you promise...TICKS ME OFF
My favorite pet: Somebody else's
Black or white? Both,please!!!
Biggest fear: Not using up every ounce of my kreativity!
Best feature: My kreativity!
Everyday attitude: Don't ever look back and regret that you didn't live each day to the fullest
What is perfection? Good food and good times with good folks
Guilty pleasure? Pinterest, scrapbooking
When you're upset. . . it shows all over my face!

So, I have to give this award to six peeps who interest me and {{GASP}} they're not all scrapbookers!!!

Charity who has a beautiful blog design with beautiful pages displayed there!

Amy who works like a ROCKET LAUNCHER to churn out beautiful kreations!

kidtropolis. They continuously inspire my desire to give my boys rooms like movie stars' kids!

Pinterest. I'm continuously ~~caught up and forget to feed my family~~ inspired by this site!

Miche who amazes me EVERY.TIME. with the versatility of her art!

Milla and Kahli. I don't know these ladies...I just ran across their blog yesterday. But I love their blog design and the CONTENT...these ladies can wring a thrift store DRY!!! Plus, I think they're beautiful (IDENTICAL TWINS!) and sweet as 7up cake!!! I've been so inspired by their decorating already!I guess they ACTUALLY count as two people, bringing my count to 7! Oh well...this IS my blog!

If you can, check out these blogs and let me know if YOU think these ladies rock as much as I do! And thanx for the award, Cinds...love you, lil lady!!!!

*I FINALLY finished stenciling the walls in our bedroom and bathroom. The teen was soo amazed he asked me to do his walls too! I'm not sure I like ANYBODY enough to do more stenciling right now!!!

*We've been celebrating a few birthdays. My niece

turned 20 a few weeks ago and we celebrated my sister's 40th with a dinner last night.

*Of COURSE I've been kreating!!! You can GO HERE to see some of the projects I made with the August Kreatorville kit. But I also made this page

for the vintage sketch challenge. I love that I was able to incorporate one of the handmade titles

from the July kit! Remember you still have two days to crank out a page to participate in the challenge and be in the running for a scrapbook.com gift card! C'MON...you can DO IT!!!

*I've had a few pages and cards showcased over at Platinum Scraps; my last page (as August Guest Designer) was revealed this past week at Color Combos Galore; I finished the two page spread

which will be featured in the September Page Maps newsletter. I'm also preparing some pages because in October, I'll once again be MASTERFUL!!!!

Today I'll be twisting the teen's hair...his dreds have to be FRESH for school tomorrow (ahhh...the life of a high school football player!!!) Afterwards, I'll do a little cleaning before turning in early. After my sister gets married in October, she and her husband will stay with us for a week. My goal for the next few weeks is to completely clean/decorate/organize before that time. I have a party and the holidays to prepare for at the end of the year and I want that to be my sole focus...pray for me PLEASE!!!!

My teen is back...

2011-08-08T23:57:00.000-07:00

...in the place to be! We're off early in the morning to get a few more things for school (he'll be starting his sophomore year on the 15th). And even though I COULD focus on some SERIOUS negativity right now (like blah blah BLAH...it's the same ole SAME OLE!!!) I won't even go there. Too many blessings right now to let the same foolishness stress me...ya feel me??? This first page was the first I completed as part of my guest designer stint at Color Combos Galore and was actually posted a few days ago

The combo this week really lent itself to a boy page. And the inspiration picture just BEGGED me to scrap a beach picture!!! This shot was taken on a beach in Biloxi (Mississippi...I just LOVE spelling that really quickly!!!)about three years ago. Those stars? The envelope that the stamps are in when you leave the post office! You should REALLY go and visit the site! There are some VERY talented kreators over there...check 'em out!!!

I have two new projects posted over at Platinum Scraps too:

This page was inspired by the sketch last week. Even though I normally do 12x12's for my and my husband's scrapbooks...I love the idea of switching it up and having different sizes all thrown in there together! And EVEN THOUGH my chin makes me look like Jay Leno's love child here, I love this picture SOO much because of my husband's amazing smile. This was taken early on in our relationship when he was still trying to impress me. Now I just get the "men don't smile" look most of the time! I also took advantage of the card sketch this week to kreate a card

for one of my classmates who just turned 40 a few weeks ago. That piece of patterned paper is actually one of my all times faves from SEI...I may cry when I use the last sheet! It has this AMAZING texture and beautiful shimmer to it...what were we talking about again? Seriously...go check out the challenges at Platinum Scraps; they're sure to get your mojo rolling...get cha motor runnin'...head out on the highway...lookin' for adven...it's like 1:30 in the morning...I can be crazy if I want to!!!

My Chary threw down the gauntlet over at Kreatorville...she challenged us to scrap vintage pix this month. I...ummm...~~stole~~ borrowed a few from my mom...one when I was 1 1/2...one of me at seven and the third with my sisters (I was ten). You have to go over to Kreatorville and check that one out...our expressions have always made me laugh! If you decide to take Char's challenge and/or work with the sketch this month, there's a linky tool at the end of this post...share a peeky to your projects there and you could win a scrapbook.com gift card!!!

I was JUST telling Mahd that we would go to the thrift store tomorrow after we go to Wal-Mart. When the baby boy and I stopped in last week, I was able to get a Dean Koontz hardcover that I never owned for $3. I have a literary crush on him but most of my books were lost...so I'm LOVIN' being able to rebuild my collection with some $3 finds! I also got a few baroque frames that I'll spray for the living room wall once we decide on the color. The boys get soo excited about visiting thrift stores because they know they're about to score new books! I have no problem checking out the books and home goods...it's the clothes that I just DON'T have the patience to go through!!! I'm not a secondhand snob...I feel the same way in Dillard's...Macy's...I don't have the patience! My Mom looks at me like I was switched at birth because I will online shop...just no in-store visits for me, thank you very much! She can stay in one store for HOURS...who does that??? Well, when I visited the SEI blog a few minutes ago, guess what I found? Sarah Larsen is guest blogging for them this week and she hasn't talked about paper crafting yet...just thrifting!!! Click on the SEI link to see the cuteness her and her kids have scored from thrift and secondhand stores. Will I woosah and check those racks tomo...umm...later today? {{{I GUESS!!!!}}}

It feels good to know...

2011-07-31T20:53:00.000-07:00

...that there are people who understand and support what you're going through. In addition to the great comments from you, I had the Man's support. I was typing the last post when he walked in the back to check on the littlest. I finished the post...burst into tears and the Man walked back into the room simultaneously. I fully expected to hear, "What the hell????" but he walked over, hugged me and asked, "Are you thinking about your Dad?" Now THAT'S love!!!

I decided to keep myself EXTRA busy this past week to push away the blues. In addition to projects the hubbs and I are completing around the house, I found a FEW minutes to get kreative! Sassafras' design team sponsored a few "we're at CHA but don't forget about us" challenges and I did pages for a few (of COURSE I forgot to post these in time to be in the running for any PRIZES but it's all about the PROCESS...right???):

For Megan's challenge to focus on the journaling I kreated this page

of myself and my aunt last summer. I LOVE when I'm able to get an older picture put away in the books! I'm not sure if this counts as focusing on the journaling since I still added circles and STUFF around the page!!!

Kimberly's challenge was to scrap your summer traditions which was EASY AS PIE!!!

We don't visit the same vacation spots every summer; we don't always complete the same activities. But two things are GA-RON-TEED to happen EVERY summer: the Man steps up his barbecue'in and as SOON as they're in season we partake of the crawfish! We love to eat...don't judge! BONUS: I got to utilize one of the handmade embellishments from the July Kreatorville kit...SCORE!!!!

Michelle challenged us with a color palette which inspired me to scrap these older pix of Kea:

I found an entire pack of these 35mm pix while transforming my studio into Kea's bedroom a few weeks back. I'm glad because a lot of Noonie's baby pictures were lost on an old computer. I LOVED-ED that bouncer when he was a wee tot because it knocked him out ALL.THE.TIME.

I also scrapped some of those same 35mm pictures using the last palette from Color Combos Galore. I started off making the base of the page first...I didn't know what pictures I would use. But when I looked at those sweet cheeks and little teeth peeking out...I couldn't resist scrapping my baby boy. Hence the girly colors!

I'm not too pleased with myself right now. There's actually a front facing shot that I left room for where you can SEE those little teeth...you know...so you get the full effect of all his cuteness! But, I've misplaced it! Guess I'll repost this once I add it to the page!

My twin is giving birth to a little girl right now so I used those same colors for a congrats card

I'm practicing my card-making skills. I have a sister who'll be married in October, another whose having a baby in February and 90% of my friends will turn 40 this year...lots and LOTS of cards in my future!!!

I have a cool post up at Kreatorville on a stash-busting technique I use a lot on my kreations. In other scrappy news, my webinar has finally been posted on Masterful Scrapbook Design...you should really consider signing up to hear all my wit, charm and sage advice! (I'm a comedian...what can I say???)

I've saved my best scrappy news for last: Debbi just announced that I'm the August Guest Designer over at Color Combos Galore...say whaaaat???? I'm soo excited...I've already finished two of the pages! Here's a sneaky peaky for you:

I'm hot as a cat on a tin roof right now!!! Keep it coming, Lord...keep it coming!!!

Every year for the past five...

2011-07-23T01:25:00.000-07:00

THIS has been the hardest week I endure all year. My Daddy was born on July 15th...and died on July 22, 2006. Normally, I'm soo down during this week. We couldn't really fully enjoy Daddy's last birthday because we KNEW his time was short. I start working myself up in June, dreading what's coming. But...it didn't happen this year. I mean, I still felt down in June. I always think about the fact that Daddy never got to meet my husband or youngest son so every time they (or the older two boys) accomplish anything my first thought is: Daddy would have LOVED to see that! As I type this...is the first time I've cried this week. My Daddy was an awesome artist and I always think about how he would be the only one of my family (beside my husband) to truly celebrate my kreative accomplishments. Before this week arrived I prayed: "God...please...give me strength to focus on the positive during Daddy's week so that I'm not soo down in the dumps. In Jesus' name...Amen." And it worked! I had soo much goodness in my life this week that I only smiled when I thought of my Daddy...thought of how proud he would be of me. When I read this comment from Debbie

It hit me...HE DID IT!!! My Daddy had a lil discussion with God: "Say Big G...I was thinking: why don't we give Face (what Daddy called me!) a break this year. Nothing but goodness this week." And that's why I've had such a blessed week. Thank you, Daddy...and God for such a spectacular week...and for helping me hold back the tears until it was over

Was I Masterful?

2011-07-21T12:00:00.000-07:00

The webinar yesterday started off like a train wreck but I ended up feeling like a lottery winner!!! I was SOOO nervous and my heart was pounding. I've never done this before and I was worried...would something go wrong...of COURSE it did!!! I put the headset that Debbie sent to me on top of our freezer to make sure the littlest boy didn't destroy it before I got the chance to USE them...I thought that would be the crux of my problems...FOOL!! My discussion was scheduled to begin at 8:30...my computer froze at 8:05. Hubbs and I decided that he would take the boys and leave for an hour. When the technical difficulties began, I ~~demanded~~ asked the teen boy to stay home to be my audio technician...needless to say, I was NOT his friend! He wanted to go with Dad to do something fun. WhatEVER, dude!!! Have you ever watched Royal Pains? This doctor lost his job because he chose to save a (nobody) kid over a billionaire hospital board member and his brother encourages him to become a concierge doctor. Hank's the doctor and Evan's the brother. Well, when Evan and Hank are having a phone conversation that Evan doesn't particularly want to hear, he pretends that there's static on the line and he's going through a tunnel. Well, that's what Debbie sounded like. I had to laugh to keep from crying. First MY computer and then Mahd's? God WHY have You to led me to this webinar with faulty equipment??? When Debbie said, "You can just call in"...well, I REALLY heard angels singing. I was having a good time...explaining my techniques to people who really care...and then the pages we were discussing disappeared from the screen. I pray EVERY day, people...mostly for patience. I have LOTS of love and empathy...which I OBVIOUSLY exchanged for patience! At this point, my chest started tightening up and I almost started hyperventilating! It's a good thing I've looked at those pages about a thousand times over the last few months and I could see them in my sleep because I was able to visualize the elements she was asking about until Mahd was able to unfreeze his screen. I really enjoyed it a GREAT deal!!! I made a few new scrappy pals...what UP, Mary?? Get those HATS ready for our pictures in Vegas!!! And Tams and I laughed but not so much that Debbie won't ask me to come back...right, Debbie? PLEEEEASE??? I want to share a few (or SEVEN!) of the pages that I kreated especially for Masterful Scrappers:

I HAD TO share this page first (and separately!) because (in my humble opinion) it's the best one I've kreated lately. Kea broke my Daddy's glasses and then cheerfully walked up to me to SHOW me that he broke them! God was with him THAT day, because the idea for this page IMMEDIATELY popped into my head and I was too excited about kreating to choke him!

Those are some GORGEOUS young men! (This is my space...I can gush if I wanna!!!)

The "One with the 'Fro" page is another that came together rather quickly. The picture on the left is of me and my Daddy Ernest in front of our church on Easter Sunday when I was 7. When we took a picture together in the SAME SPOT this year, I knew that I had to scrap them together!

I REALLY enjoyed this webinar and hope I inspired some artists (OTHER than Tami who MIGHT just buy stock in Sharpie!!!)

And it MUST still be rainin' on me!!! I participated in Color Combos Galore blog hop a few days ago and when I logged on yesterday I saw that I won a set of handmade butterflies from Kelly!!! I PROMISED her that I wouldn't hoard them so I'll show some kreations using them soon! THEN, I find out that my page had been chosen as the gallery fave on Color Combos on the 19th!

AND an email today saying the same page has been added to the Featured Pages gallery!!!

I logged into Pinterest and saw this:

(one of my FAVORITE older pages had been pinned!!!) and I got a message from Natty saying, "Congrats on being featured in the Two Peas newsletter!" Wait...WHA...???

HUHN...MIGHT NOT be such a bad time to try out for this team...you know, strike while the iron's hot!!!

Also, I received a blog award from my main chica, Pam!

So I've been instructed to thank the person who gave the award to me, tell you 8 things about me and pass this to seven others! Thank you my sister ...you know I love you like Hot Tamales!!! And speaking of Hot Tamales, that's fact number one!
1. They are my favorite EVA candy!!! I would eat them when I was
pregnant with my middle and little boys and I could smell the
    cinnamon in my breast milk...I thought that was the coolest!!!
(Don't worry...I tasted it to make sure I didn't burn the
    kids' mouths!!!)
2. No matter WHAT I DO...what I'm feeling is written all over my
    my face! I try SOO hard to disguise it...especially when I'm
    thinking "UGH!" but it doesn't work!
3. I always wished my first name was Kelly. In elementary school
    I would write my name as "Keandra Rachelle Kelly Theresa
    Perkins" (Theresa is my confirmation name...I started out
as a good Catholic school girl!)
4. My favorite color is red. Maybe that's why I have a jones
    for Hot Tamales...hmmmm
5. I always wanted daughters. I bought all girl clothes with son
    one and cried as I exchanged them. I bought SOME girl clothes
    with son two and DIDN'T cry when I exchanged them. I bought
    some girl clothes with son three. Then, I got a teenaged
    stepdaughter. I happily skipped to the store to exchange the
    girl clothes. And just like that...I was cured of EVA wanting
another vagina to reside in my house. Sorry...just sayin'
6. I'm EXTREMELY sensitive. I cried while watching America's Got
    Talent the other day because the homeless dancer made it
    through to the semi-finals
7. I always root for the underdog (see number 6)
8. I love HARD. If I'm down for you there's almost NOTHING I
    wouldn't do to see you happy.   But if you cross me...

I actually have fun doing those "getting-to-know me" posts! And I have seven ladies who ABSOLUTELY deserve this award:

1. Chary

2. Natty

3. Tami

4. Cinds

5. Chal

6. Laura

7. Miche

And I'll ask that you spread some love: click on each name to be taken to that chica's spot. Be nice...leave a comment! And tell 'em Keandra Rachelle Kelly Theresa Perkins Willis sent ya!!!

Do you ever get that feeling...

2011-07-19T00:02:00.000-07:00

...that when it rains it pours? I don't mean in a Katrina-sweeping-away-lives rain. I mean a warm, gentle "wanna-put-on-my-rain-boots-and-play-in-a-puddle rain. So, I logged into Facebook the other day and saw the following poem on my son's wall:

One day when I get to your kingdom
and finally understand the true meaning of freedom,
I will only have one question to ask
Please allow me to look at my childhood past
to finally and truly see
that the truth will set you free
and that evil is only within the mind
that we must leave the faulty errors behind
for when we see Your rod
we know it is You,
our only hero,
God.

I like it. So I asked who wrote it and he responded, "me". I am SOO proud of my kreative kids!!! I love that he said it "just came to me and I had to write it down!" and I was INSTANTLY inspired to ~~scrap~~ document this! The current challenge at Color Combos Galore was the perfect palette for me to quickly complete this layout:

This is the one I made for Mahd to keep...I'm still working on ours. He smiled when he saw it today...I don't know if that really means anything since he smiles when you LOOK at him! I also happened to visit Sassafras' blog and saw that the July challenge is to mix and match different Sass lines. RIGHT UP MY ALLEY!!! Those letters on the page above? They're Sassafras circa 1914!!! I exaggerate but they ARE at least five years old! I've been doing really well with using my stash this year and letter stickers for journaling helps me out quite a bit! My goal is to attend summer CHA next year with a clean slate! I mean, I have some papers and embellies that I'm just stocked up on (like Scenic Route graph papers and alphabet stickers!) But I wanna do away with the stuff I'm HOARDING! Someone else can use them and I can use the SPACE! I'll get off my soapbox now and show you the page I made:

This picture was taken during one of Mahd's football practices. I almost always take the camera because I never know what memories I might capture! This particular day, Kea had tried several times to run out on the field and join the practice and I kept reeling him back! I guess he wore himself out (it WAS about 95 degrees!) and sat down on my lap in submission and I pounced with the cam! I LOVE messy pages so this really makes me happy! I just saw that Sass has a few challenges going on this week while they're away at CHA so maybe I'll get to play some more with them...IF I get two minutes to rub together!!!

The July kit has been revealed over at Kreatorville (go SEE!!!)and two of the pages I completed were featured in the post. But, this kit inspired me so much that I actually did about TWENTY pages, some cards AND some home decor items! I know having a trillion pix from the Man's birthday party inspired me and I did a few 8x8's for his book:

But I just also loved the papers and colors SOO much! Crate Paper ALWAYS makes me swoon and the Campy Trails line by American Crafts...ahh, the MASCULINITY of it...LOVE! Coupled with the AWESOME handmade Aptly Kreative embellishment for the July kit they're PERFECT for this Mahd page:

My son LOVES chicken! It's kinda like Bubba from Forrest Gump with fowl instead of shrimp. He'll eat it any way; he'll eat it any day. He'll eat it on bread or standing on his head. It's late...the Dr. Seuss comes out in me! I actually took these pix one day to time him and he finished EVERYTHING on his plate in THIRTY ONE MINUTES! DAAAYYYYNG!!!! Dude is serious about his chicken! I'm glad I was able to use those corrugated Rusty Pickle numbers too. I love them...a lot...but since I scrap mostly 8.5x11, they tend to overwhelm most pages I do! I also got to use bits and pieces from vintage Kreatorville kits so this page makes me REALLY happy!!!

I'm soo excited but NERVOUS about tonight! Remember when I told you that I was asked to participate in Masterful Scrapbook Design's July webinars? Well, my show is scheduled for tonight (Tuesday, 19 July) at 9:30 EST...which is 8:30 my (Central Standard) time. You can go HERE to subscribe to the webinar. It's really an awesome deal: for $12.50 you have access to my webinar as well as the other three teachers for July (Celeste Smith, Vee Jennings and Lynnette Penacho) as WELL AS a free 12 lesson e-class!!! I mean, I'm excited about dissecting my work with like minded individuals but what if I choke...literally. What if all I can remember is "Hi my name is Kean". Debbie will ask, "so on this page, what inspired you to tear the paper in that manner?" and I'll be like giggle, giggle "did I tell you my name is Kean?" It's just that I kinda have stage fright around peeps I don't know. Here's my confession: when I was a little girl, I had an EXTREMELY raspy voice. The doctor told my parents that when I was learning to speak, I obviously got a cold and started speaking with my false folds instead of the true vocal cords. (Did you know you have false folds? I didn't either. And this has been your medical lesson for the day...you're welcome!) So I was teased a lot when I was younger. My Daddy would call me Whispers which would have been cute if my classmates and the dude I had a crush on when I was six weren't telling me I sounded like a man. Don't worry...I'm TOO cute to still be bothered by what some idiots said to me in 1865! I'm not that little girl...dude, if God allows...I'll be forty in a few months! It's just that I always get that twinge when I have to talk to people for the first time like, what will they think??? I'm sure it'll be fine because this lady (who makes me cry real tears when I laugh and this chica (who I happen to think is sweet as honey) will be there for support so I should be FINE...riiight???? I'll be back tomorrow to share some of the pages I kreated especially for Masterful Scrapbook Design!

The $5 Buffet.

2011-07-01T16:19:00.000-07:00

No...not Chinese! Though I could go for some steaming won tons right now...I digress! I mean buffet...like

buf·fet¹ (b-f, b-)n.

1. A large sideboard with drawers and cupboards.

a. A counter or table from which meals or refreshments are served.

So, even though we don't have a hospital or Wal-Mart in my neighborhood, we have a cool thrift store.  It's actually in a strip mall and spans three store fronts.  I always dream of finding a $3 dinette set to refinish like all the thrifty divas out there so I try to visit this store a few times a month.  A couple of months ago I decided to stop in before dropping Mahd at football practice and I stopped breathing for a minute.  Whether it was from the beauty of this buffet

or all the dust emanating from it...I don't know. And when Ms. Annie (yeah, baybee...I'm on a first name basis with her...what????) told me, "Oh, baybee...you can have that old thing for $5!"...I had to restrain myself because I almost shoved the money at her and pushed her down on the way out! I'm glad I had the 5'11" teen with me because it took all three of us to get this into the back of my truck! I had to rush home like the wind to get started on it! See, I have that "startnotfinish" illness and I couldn't stand to see the disappointment in hubbs' eyes when he saw another incomplete project! I opened it up and found the bottom was wrapped in this YUMMY Christmas wrapping paper from 1852 and there were two white wire shelves

(which I bleached and placed in another cabinet to organize our canned goods). I tried to remove the hardware which was actually STAPLED on and I had a mishap

What's sad is that I'm used to accidents like this...if you look closely at the tip of my index finger you'll see ANOTHER cut just starting to heal.  UMMM...so IXNAY on the EMOVERAY!  I decided to just cut around those pieces with my paintbrush and have a wipe handy for quick clean ups!!!

I didn't prime it...'cause I lost the primer and didn't want to explain to the hubbs why I needed more so soon.  Remember when Valspar gave out free samples a few months ago?  I got a couple of VINTAGE GREY (EB48-1) and it only took one full jar plus a DAB from another to achieve this:

Hubbs was even wowed...I added storage to our kitchen for $5 and a LITTLE BLOOD and sweat?  Who's the woman???  I'm linking up to these parties:

I can't BELIEVE...

2011-06-29T12:11:00.000-07:00

...that I forgot to share this with you!!! I got this

in the mail last week and I MUST admit...I squealed like a girl!!! I submitted pages for this book over a year ago and it just felt soo good to know that I finally get to see my work in print! Not that I've been published hundreds of times or anything but I just NEVER see me getting tired of it! Wanna see?

Oh...you wanna see a closer view of each? Pleased to oblige!!!

BARBERSHOP DUET: These are pictures that John and I took after the first time I visited the barbershop to have my 'fro shaped up

LAKE LOVERS: Just pix of the hubbs, me and the littlest hanging out at the lakefront one day

SOLEMN FAMILY FOURTH: These pix were taken a few years ago at my parents' house. Even though it was the 4th of July, I was soo sad because my grandfather passed away that morning.

hello DOGGIE. This is one of my parents' in Florida's dogs. They were protection and company for my mom after my Daddy passed away. Stripe got really sick but he didn't leave this earth until his son was old enough to look after "Mom"...that's dedication!!

This being published thang is soo addictive...I'm really gonna make some time soon to submit more of my work!

SOOO the man

had a birthday at the beginning of the month and I had the BEST time pulling together a celebration for him...because he said not to! There are people who do soo much for everyone else and never expect anything for themselves. My husband is that kinda dude...and I appreciate his selfless spirit. So, every opportunity I get to celebrate him I do. We had a small party at my parents' house and I made mustache props for the pix...here's the littlest boy trying them out for me:

One of his godmothers took Kea to a kids' party for a couple of hours to give me some time to set up

We had some yummies

and I even made my husband's birthday cake and muffins!

I decorated the top with a chocolate 45 and I think it took about two HOURS for my family to figure out why...GENIUSES!!!! It was really awesome before the heat melted the wording but Blogger's being a butt right now and I can't upload the picture...I'll show you once I've finished scrapping the pix! I'm not Betty Crocker yet but it was pretty tasty!!! I'll be on the BALL once I get a decorating class under my belt!!!

My husband had friends drive in from out of town to celebrate with him and a few of my friends and family joined us.

My brother and law

and sister were there celebrating their future little one! I'm pretty sure she's having a girl the way Kea was hovering around her all day!

They started playing cards which always ends up loud and long...I can't really play spades so I just laughed as they talked trash and drank (thanx to the Lindseys for the Amaretto daiquiri and Diletia for the Heinnies!!!).

The best part was that everybody had fun with the 'staches:

but my Granny just TOOK THE PRIZE:

(sometimes she's hilarious without even knowing it!!!)

I think the man really enjoyed himself because he's already talking about NEXT YEAR'S party!

UHHHN!!!!

OK...now we're off to celebrate Mahd's day!!!

There's just never...

2011-06-27T12:12:00.000-07:00

...any rest for the weary mommy!!! About two weeks ago, one of my aunties had surgery. John and I visited her the day after and I promised to check on her again in a few days. A couple of days later, Kea had a dentist's appointment so I decide to get the most outta my gas tank and combine trips. After we left the dentist and took care of a few errands, we dropped Ahmad at football practice and utilized those two hours to visit my aunt. We sat with her for about an hour and a half and went back to the field. Mahd still wasn't finished when we arrived so I settled in to talk to my sister in Texas while we waited. Kea climbed on my lap and I remember telling my sister that he felt like a hot box. Now, I wasn't alarmed because his body temperature is naturally high (hence one of his nicknames...HOT DADDY!)and it WAS 100 degrees out that day. Plus, he never stopped playing...he wasn't lethargic like you'd expect. Well, we got home and he was zonked out and I just thought he was TOO CUTE so of COURSE I snapped a picture:

Well, we got inside and he was still warm so I stripped him naked...that's how he normally rolls anyway! After we had been here for about twenty minutes, he climbed into my lap and he was STILL a hot box and I knew. He either caught something from one of the kids at the dentist's office or at the hospital and his temperature was 102.8. So, we did what we normally do and alternated Tylenol and Motrin. He never stopped playing but he woke up a couple of nights soo congested and once his nose was running all over the pillow...niice!!! But, the fever subsided and we were just dealing with the congestion and cough. Well, I fell asleep on the sofa Friday night and John awakened me around 3am with Kea in his arms and said, "Listen". When Keanohn coughed he LITERALLY sounded like a puppy...or a seal barking. It scared the HIZZIE outta me. I took it for as long as I could...about 30 minutes...and then we packed him into the truck and drove to Children's Hospital...where the doctor told us he had croup.

Croup (or laryngotracheobronchitis) is a respiratory condition that is usually triggered by an acute viral infection of the upper airway. The infection leads to swelling inside the throat, which interferes with normal breathing and produces the classical symptoms of a "barking" cough, stridor, and hoarseness. It may produce mild, moderate, or severe symptoms, which often worsen at night. It is often treated with a single dose of oral steroids; occasionally epinephrine is used in more severe cases.

The doctor told us he has a very contagious virus which brought on the croup. So, we've kept him inside as much as possible which means...of course ...Mommy is all caught up! I HATE being sick...especially because I'm in the middle of painting our house and reorganizing. It's a good thing that I recognize how busy the devil is when you're trying to accomplish something so I just keep pushing on!

I can't believe this

is one of my final assignments for the Examiner.com!!! I have an assignment to turn in today and then one next week...THAT'S IT!!! Irene has been SUCH a pleasure to work for...I'll really miss it! But, where one door closes...yada yada yada!!! You can check out some of my work on the Platinum Scraps challenge blog (this

is my latest project for them)and of COURSE HERE. I haven't forgotten that I promised to share pix of my hubb's birthday celebration but it'll have to wait a little longer...Mahd's birthday is this week and I have another celebration to plan...told ya...no rest!!!!

My husband turned...

2011-06-06T01:41:00.000-07:00

...45 on the 2nd. As I do with for every holiday or event, I pulled out my craft yummies and made a card for him from his wife as well as from Kea. When my boys were babies I took great joy in putting the pen in my right hand and writing messages "from them". But, John told me for Mother's Day he wrote a message on a sheet of paper and Kea wrote it inside my card himself. So, I decided to do the same for Daddy's card. I gave Kea this

card that I made using the May and June Kreatorville Kraft kits and told him we would be writing on the INNNNSIDE! That was cool with him. But then I gave him this

and told him we he would be writing these words and he said, "No...I'll write an H!" I'm like fo REAL OCD when it comes to stuff like this but my mind was like, "Chill. Let him attempt the H and if it doesn't turn out right...THEN you beat him!!!" But GUESS WHAT??? He SAID he would write it and HE DID!!! I started thinking, if he can write an H from memory MAYBE he can write the other letters, too!!! So, I took the cheat sheet away and just told him which letters to write and he produced this

We had some kreative differences over placement as the HAPPY extends down into the BIRTH and the D in DAY somehow got sent to the end of the line...and WHAT in the HIZZIE is going on with that E??? I THINK he heard OCTOPUS instead of E! But...it CLEARLY says Happy Birthday KEA and I'm TOOOO stoked!!! I like this lil kid...I like him a LOT!!!!

In scrappy news, I got an email last month where THIS lady asked if she could interest me in teaching an online webinar. UMMM...dude? SERIOUSLY??? For future reference if anyone out there has similar endeavors for me you DON'T NEED TO ASK!!! Send me an email telling me what's due and WHEN...I am SOOO there!!! I'm pretty excited to see my name all up on the Get It Scrapped site

in conjunction with all those hard hitters! Does that mean I rock as hard as them? Why, yes...I think it DOES!!!(Go to the website if you're interested in getting some great ideas to jump start your kreativity!!!) I was also asked to join a scrappy team which is near and dear but I'll wait until THEY tell you before I DO!!! I guess since it's 3:30 am I should LAY MY BOOGIE DOWN!!! Be back soon with some new scrappiness and pix from the hubbs' birthday barbecue!

Don't disturb this groove.

2011-05-07T02:33:00.000-07:00

PLEASE! I'm REALLY enjoying this kreative streak that I've been on. I'm relieved to look at pictures and have a title magically materialize in my brain. I kreated these for a swap we have coming up (maybe I need to do a few more smaller items to REALLY kick my kreativity into gear!!!). And I never stopped kreating my pages for the Examiner...gotta make the donuts!!!! But, I'm loving that I'm seeing challenges and I'm up to participating again!!! I've seen a couple that I plan to use to jump start some projects by the end of the month but I completed this

and this

which were both inspired by the current sketch at Creative Scrappers. The first page is just me and the littlest...doin' what we do when we're home alone!! The second page is a few of the pictures that we took Easter Sunday. My husband and I always joke about our "OUTlaws!" so I thought I'd scrap about the GOOD ONES!!! Since it's National Scrappy Day AND tomorrow is Mother's Day maybe I'll get some stuff DONE!!! What's on your plate for this weekend?

I'm sure you've already heard but...

2011-05-01T22:46:00.000-07:00

...how do you feel about this man's death?

WAIT...before you talk about what a monster he was and how many lives were lost on September 11th...I'm just thinking about the backlash. He DOES have lots of supporters...people who I'm sure are pretty ticked right now. Is this gonna turn into one of those "We're gonna getcha back" situations? I listened to the President's speech a few times but it wasn't until I heard Tom Brokaw that the possibility of retaliation was mentioned...what do you think? OH! In the spirit of full disclosure, I DID finally get the child support!!! I'm really just prayerful that it starts coming regularly because I feel that it's time out for foolishness; there's too much drama out there for me to invite it into my home! If it's late again...ya KNOW I'll probably TELL YOU!!!! HAAAA!!!

What did you do...

2011-04-26T22:44:00.000-07:00

...for Easter? I have to keep it real with y'all...I thought I was TOO cute!!! I have an affinity for linen & lace so I feel EXTRA diva-ish when I'm wearing either!!! I happened to have a linen dress and jacket that I bought last year for Kea's christening. But when everyone else couldn't find outfits to coordinate...I wore something else. And I had THESE SHOES

'cause ya KNOW how I feel about the animal print. So, I'm prancin' all up in da chu'ch house with ma cute self and I look down and see these BLACK CHUNKS all around my feet...what the HIZZIE???? At first I thought Kea dropped a few crayons on the floor...until I saw the chunks FALLING FROM MY SHOES!!! HAMMERCY!!!! I'm not by ANY MEANS shallow but my nerves were TAUT thinking about parts of my shoes under the pew!!! I really had to admonish myself to concentrate on the word and the meaning of the day...but I kept imagining my shoes just IMPLODING when the entire congregation walked out!!! Kea had diarrhea the day before so when he asked during service to use the bathroom I had to take him HOME!!!! I have a thing about other people's toilets!!! While he was occupied, I ran around like a headless chicken looking for another pair of khaki sandals. I found ONE shoe to at LEAST three pairs...the DEVIL!!! And I KNEW I couldn't put THESE

back on!!! Yeah those ROCKS melding with my soles...NOT SEXY!!! I finally got it together and just threw some casual sandals on and returned to chu'ch...'cause it was about the Lord not me!!! Seriously though, I was glad I got back in time to take pix with my in-laws who THOROUGHLY enjoyed their visit to our worship place

and because my mother-in-law and I share a love for plants they gave me a beautiful Easter present:


God, please give me the strength to NOT KILL THIS PLANT. In Jesus' name...Amen.

I got a shot of the two littlest grands

and my parents got a shot of all the kids and most of their grandsons (my two oldest boys were off on their own adventures!)

My Mom had three girls and FINALLY a boy so MAYBE she'll finally get a granddaughter one day! Do you know my Daddy and I took a picture by this SAME pole in front of our church on Easter Sunday in NINETEEN SEVENTY EIGHT???

and I HAD TO take a picture of him alone...no really... he MADE ME!

my Daddy will be SIXTY NINE in September and he's still gangsta sooo...he GOT THAT!!!!

John and I decided to take the littlest to see

before visiting my Granny's for dinner. We were the only ones in the theatre until the previews started so Kea had the BEST TIME running around

and

around!!! I must admit...I love children's movies but this was one I thought I would just tolerate so that Kea would have a good time but I REALLY enjoyed it! Like I'd buy it on DVD enjoyed it! And the theatre was remodeled after Katrina so we stopped for a few shots

And I ALWAYS have fun talking, laughing...eating with my extended family!!! I got to see my cousin

who's moving home for the first time since Katrina. And my big baby and his little brother

came over because Jamani was looking for his Easter basket fix! WHAT? You thought because he turns TWENTY in a few months that he no longer wants a basket? LIES AND GARBAGE!!!! My Mom made a basket for me until I was WELL into my thirties!!! I REALLY need to get with her to find out WHAT MADE HER STOP!!! My siblings got baskets from me until about TWO YEARS AGO...and they're STILL mad about that!!! I think you're NEVER too old for an Easter basket!!!

Speaking of which: I pulled the older two boys' baskets out of the closet

and they made me smile. I was SOO anal when Jamani and Ahmad were little that whatever I did for one I did for the other. So we often had a problem with them knowing what was for whom. Munchkin's favorite color is blue and Mahd's is red so the little ribbons tied around the handle were so I didn't have to referee if one ate every piece of chocolate in two hours and then claimed the other basket was his!!! AHHH...sweet memories!!!

I love holidays and celebrations but sometimes they can be SOO stressful!!! The next extravaganza will be for my husband's birthday in June when he turns 45. I'm working on everything right now so that I'm not pulling my hair out!!! What are you looking forward to?

I always try to warn you...

2011-04-13T11:24:00.000-07:00

...when the post may be long or have no pictures. Consider yourselves warned because this is both!

When my husband and I first got together, he would tell me horror stories about being dragged to court for more child support on a woman's every whim: OHHH...you've gotten a new girlfriend? I need more money! You bought a new tire for your car? You must have too much spare money! His comment to me was that the child support system is set up to ONLY benefit the mother and for years I've VEHEMENTLY opposed that statement. Going to court for child support for ME was demeaning. My son's father "mistakenly" left his W2 home so they just GUESSTIMATED what his contribution should be. And when I took him back to court because the child support wasn't being paid on time, he was ordered to pay TWO DOLLARS more than he already HADN'T been paying. Now, I think anyone who knows me can attest to the fact that I'm not a money hound. I just want enough to give to God, pay some bills and enjoy time with my family...with a new pair of shoes sprinkled in here and there. I pursued this child support case because I felt why should YOU get the BENEFITS of being a parent without taking the RESPONSIBILITY of being one??? But, if I knew then what I know now...I would have let him ride. This is just TOO MUCH CONFUSION FOR NOTHING.

My teen is his father's first born. He has two younger sisters with a third on the way. Now I'm all for loving adults raising as many littles as their hearts desire...but don't have more if you can't care for the ones already here. You can't IMAGINE how it's twisted my heart for my son to tell me, "Ma, my dad said that I may be cut short because there's another baby on the way." Naw...I couldn't EVEN make something like that up. Before my husband and I decided to have my littlest, we discussed whether it was feasible with all the other kids we had. I can remember being pregnant and getting calls from my husband's daughter in South Carolina: "my friend's birthday is coming up and I need money to buy her a gift." or "The dance is next week...can you send me money for shoes and pictures?" I would go straight to the bank and deposit the money in her account because John and I are in this together.

A couple of weeks ago, I got the following text:

Hey,I'm txting u 2 say that I checked out ur site & I think it's pretty cool & really shows ur creative side. Even after I read ur blog from 09 that had

the not so flattering things n it about me :-) Lol. But do u do personalized bday cards or things of that nature? Adia's 4th bday is April 27 & I may w

ant to patronize u for something unusual & unique. Are u interested in having my business? & that blog did sting a little but it's all good. For real

Well, I finally went back and found the post he referred to...it's HERE if you haven't already seen it. But, back to the text message...I really got upset so I decided to pray first and respond later. I REALLY prayed hard on what to say to him. I don't have that text because I've sent soo many since that day a few weeks ago but I do remember the gist of it:

I normally pray on important situations in my life and then go to my husband for his advice. This time, God revealed the answer to me and I didn't even need to bother John. I can remember being a BEAST when I was younger...I wanted things to go my way. Now that I'm trying to be better, I try to avoid situations where I'll be brought back to the person I used to be. I got really angry thinking about you wanting me to do work for you because I can't even get the CHILD SUPPORT on time. All I want to do now is encourage and see my son through his 18th birthday so that we can have as little contact as possible.

Because the child support, which I'm supposed to receive twice a month? Well, I hadn't gotten it since JANUARY 24th!!!! So here is HIS response...all ELEVEN TEXTS:

I've actually never thought of you as being as bad of a person as you seem to think you were. I hope and I pray that the anger that you still harbor can

one day subside. I want to understand it so that I can do or say the right thing or things to help you get over it. Well maybe I do know what to say. Kea

ndra, I apologize to you for hurting and disappointing you. I mean it from the most inner part of me. I'm sorry that I could not be the other half of

the puzzle that you wanted us to put together. If I ever mislead you, I'm sorry. As far as what you or Ahmad think that I said regarding him, he is my f

irst born and only son. You nor he, can quantify what that means to me. But I guess I've failed miserably in getting him to begin to understand that. As

far as my Child Support goes; I have been in a legal battle with Lionel and Angie for almost a year. According to the Temporary Restraining Order that wa

s granted to me, my Child Support should not be interrupted or late. If it is, please let me know. And I too, prayed to God. And I asked that he forgive

you and me. I asked that he give us peace and understanding. I asked in earnest and he delivered me from the anger towards you a long time ago. I know th

at I've tried to make peace with you sincerely and I've given you what I would want most. Forgiveness and understanding. So I'm at peace now with me and

with you. I wish you no harm as a person and the mother of my son. I have love for you for those reasons as well. I still think your site is very creati

ve. Good luck with it.

When I read this, it just made me sad...sad that OBVIOUSLY God also delivered him from the responsibility of paying child support when He didn't deliver US from having to feed this 5'8" joker EVERY DAY!!!! I asked my husband: why is it that whenever a woman comes REAL with a man he equates that with "I'm sorry I can't be with you"? I thought for SURE he got the memo that any feelings I had for him were dead along with MY WEDDING INVITATION!!!! I feel nothing for him for several reasons starting with what he did when my father was DYING.

I had to drive from Jacksonville to New Orleans alone, which is about an 8 hour drive. I explained to my son's father that my father had cancer and was not going to live (my daddy passed away two weeks later). I explained that I didn't have a car charger for the phone and that I needed to stay off of it in case of emergencies. I EXPLAINED that I wouldn't be answering his calls for that reason. I BEGGED HIM to not call and upset my father who by that point was wearing TWO MORPHINE PATCHES to tolerate the pain. I promised that when I got to Mobile (where I was more familiar with the area) I would stop and buy a car charger. I thought he understood...why then did my dad chew me out later? He say that Ahmad's father had called him and said I was ignoring his calls. All I could do was cry. Something really died inside of me that day. I really understood the depths of this person's selfishness. How SELFISH are you to ask me to notify you EVERY TIME the payment is late??? When you're late with a mortgage payment, the company may give you a courtesy call; once you're late with so many...THEY LABEL YOU. It's the same with ANY BILL YOU PAY. Why should I continue telling you about YOUR RESPONSIBILITY??? I've told HIM before...I've told HIS MOM...I'm TIRED. And understand that the payments didn't just START coming late for the past year like his text suggested...this has BEEN going on. It's the reason we went back to court the second time. Oh and by the way...the last child support payment is STILL JANUARY 24th...it STILL hasn't been paid! You see, soft hearted ME thought: ok, I've mentioned not getting the support so I KNOW his pride won't let that go on much longer (because he does NOT like to be called out!) Guess I was wrong! So, I called yesterday to see what steps could be taken. I was told that there is a lottery attachment in place. HUH? Did he hit the bigs???? No, but just in case he DOES happen to play and DOES happen to win a substantial amount, we'll collect the child support arrears then. BAYBEE...that was the BEST LAUGH I have had in a MINUTE!!! REALLY??? That's what you're going with? The representative said, "He has a 30 day grace period"...ummm...30 days from WHEN??? 'Cuz...I'm not SURE...but I think it's been OVER SIXTY!!!! Then she said, "After NINETY days, the court will decide whether or not further action should be taken." LAUGHABLE!!!! I'm through with this, though. I'm obviously dealing with a person whose understanding is limited. You tell me that you just want peace between us...pay the child support and don't put my child behind your other responsibilities. You think that I've harbored anger for you. Let me tell you something about me, peeps: I have to CARE about you in order for you to bring my temperature to boiling. My husband...my kids...my girls...they all make me simmer every once in a while. When I love you, you get the entire GAMUT of emotions. But my feelings for Ahmad's father are stuck in neutral. My anger EMERGED a few weeks ago because you're affecting my child! I WOULD put him out if he were on fire; I WOULD call 911 if he were in danger. But, the only hurt I would feel if something DID happen would be the sadness for MY HURTING CHILD. The ONE lesson that I've tried to instill in my two older boys and will drill into them and their baby brother until I'm no longer able is this: don't LISTEN to what a person says...look at his ACTIONS. All the energy put into sending those text messages sounds like blah, blah, blah, blah because the child support office STILL has no payment and even when one DOES come...the next won't come on time. If I'm wrong, I'll definitely let you know because I'm a STRONG proponent of people changing...or being so ticked off by what I said that they'll do whatever it takes to prove me wrong! ;P

OK enough...

2011-03-23T18:54:00.000-07:00

...already!!! I've been gone for a LOOOOONG time and even though I try not to worry about what people think, I have been wondering. You all matter to me. Especially those of you who have emailed, CALLED and left messages on SB.com and Facebook screaming WHERE ARE YOU??? I didn't want to disappoint you but I did anyway. I really started experiencing something at the end of last year that I can't explain. I had to step back from everything and get my mind right. If it wasn't for God and my husband I really think I would be in St. Gabriel right now. But I'm getting better and I thought I would just jump back into things...I THOUGHT. The devil starts creeping around and telling you that things won't be the same...that no one is paying attention anymore. And that really started to gnaw at me and, even when I was ready to return...after I promised my girls that I would...I still didn't. I know I've angered some people because my sabbatical included not sending some packages out on time. But I had to tell myself: all I can do is apologize and DO BETTER. So after I uploaded my assignment for SOC tonight I decided to just DO IT...type a quick blog post and go to sleep. Tomorrow I'll see if there are welcomes or a lynch mob. But for tonight, I'm kinda glad to be back!!!

My very first...

2010-12-07T22:59:00.000-08:00

...post is up at Scraps of Color HERE. This is one of the pages highlighted in my post.

Make sure to read the post to find out the story behind my cross dressing son and to see my other page. You can read HERE to find out how YOUR kreations can grace the pages of the Scraps of Color ezine and if you haven't already...sign up HERE for your free subscription!!!

I'm SOO excited...

2010-11-15T10:54:00.000-08:00

...to say I'm a Creative Team Designer for

..a celebration of creative women of color and the many shades of brown which reflect our rainbow.

The other awesome ladies include:

Creative Team Designers:
Tiare Smith
Wendy Morris
Karen Jiles
Thomisia Francois
Rani Shah
Qadirah Gomez
Keandra Willis
Lorie Moses
Sherry Goodloe
Kenyatta Thomas
Samara Joseph
Lisa Sanford

Publication Staff:
Tiare Smith, Editorial Director, Vendor Relations
Cheryl Hepburn, Editor
Lisa Renee Young, Vendor Relations Assistant

In honor of this special day, you can save on a 1 year subscription to Scraps of Color E:spire! Don't miss a single moment of ideas, inspiration and information from this wonderfully, creative team! Hurry, offer good this week only, November 15-21, 2010.

Congrats to everyone! I can't WAIT to get started!!! I'll be back soon with pix from the littlest's boy's 3rd birthday celebration!!!

God and Google Saved My Marriage.

2010-11-06T11:50:00.000-07:00

Anyone familiar with me knows that I don't listen to messages on the home phone daily. My sister talks about me SOO badly that I've really tried to do better....so I've been listening to them every OTHER day. A couple of days ago I was listening to the voicemail, pen in hand, when I got a huge shock. A special investigator called and said there had been a complaint filed against my husband. This man recited the complaint number and a phone number that John needed to call in order to respond to the complaint within 48 hours. And by the way, the message went on to say, there's a restraining order against you associated with the claim. I won't lie...my initial response was to flip OUT. That lasted for about three minutes. I took a deep breath and started thinking. My husband is just NOT THE TYPE. We've NEVER had this kind of drama (just BABY MAMA drama!!!;P) He really doesn't go anywhere without me and/or the kids...when would he have had TIME to harass anyone? ANOTHER deep breath. I called John (who was at a play with Ahmad) and HE flipped out. I tried to calm him down and told him that I would listen to the message again and write down the information. Before I did that, I knelt by the sofa and told God that I knew He would make it turn out right. God in return told me to research the number that the "investigator" left online. This is what I found:

This individual isn't real. This call...which could have brought on HUGE problems in my marriage if I hadn't had the foresight to investigate is a scam. I'm SOO angry right now that these people, these GREEDY B@$!@&*$ caused us even TWO MINUTES of anguish. I'm trying to convince my husband to call the police or at least the local news team...see how THEY like being investigated!

About a month ago, I was talking to Princess. She asked if I knew that there's a Fleur de Lis Cuttlebug embossing folder. Princess knows that I'm a New Orleans girl and I BLEED Fleur de Lis! I told her that I don't own a Cuttlebug and that was the end of it...I THOUGHT! Yesterday I got this in the mail

The stickers on the left are metal...GORGEOUS! I couldn't ( AND DIDN'T!) wait to use them

That's not the end of her generosity, though. I also received this

I didn't fan the entire stack out for the picture but it's ENORMOUS! I PROMISE YOU there must be about THIRTY sheets of this yumminess

Can you IMAGINE how long it took her to emboss all those sheets??? I'll be using these lovelies for a LOOONG time! I'm SOO appreciative for people who do things like this JUST to be nice! Thanx, Princess! I love you, Mama!!! OH! And check out the CA-UTE card I got with my package

Hawt Mama in the red and white...SOOO me in 20 years!!! Have a great weekend!

I feel like...

2010-10-27T14:45:00.000-07:00

'cause KREATORVILLE KITS ARE FEATURED ON THE SASSAFRAS BLOG TODAY!!! OH MY MERRRRCY!!! I KNEW Sass was one of my faves for a REASON!!! WHY are you still HERE??? GO SEE!!!!

SOOO excited...

2010-10-21T22:30:00.000-07:00

...that Anam asked me to be a part of this!

Sign up to follow on the blog and on Facebook to check out the awesomeness from all the artists as soon as the app is available!
And Nitasha and Jaime...since it was just the two of you who commented on this post...I'll send you EACH one! Just send me your addresses!

We FINALLY did it...

2010-10-19T00:17:00.000-07:00

...together!! When I was in my early 20's, my Daddy would take me all the time. I really didn't appreciate the value of it then. Now that I'm nearing 40, I've learned to appreciate the value of vintage...of getting BETTER WITH TIME, BAYBEE!!! Saturday, my husband and I let the littlest boys sleep in while we went walking. We decided to treat ourselves to a Smoothie and saw an estate sale sign. I thought the hubbs would roll his eyes at me...'cause sometimes he just doesn't see the vision...but he was ALL IN!!! I'm SOO glad we didn't miss it because we SCORED! Anyone who knows how much I stitch on my layouts will understand how I felt when I saw this

I was trying to be all COOL so they didn't jack the price up because I was DROOLIN'!!! The tiny skeins are an arm and a leg in the store...can you IMAGINE how much these THIRTEEN rolls would have been??? I'm SURE I would have had to part with a child or a lung! And I love the wrappers with the original prices on them

I already have a special page in mind for some of them! I don't think I'll have to buy much floss for the next FEW years...unless I run across more at another estate sale!!! I do plan on hoarding these...but I CAN be convinced to part with one! If you want one of your own to hoard, just leave a comment on this post (and make sure you're a follower!) I'll pick a random krafter to send one to!)

My Mom turns 60 tomorrow and the hubbs and I are having a small get together for her this weekend. We're cooking the majority of the food...including the Man's awesome Spinach Dip! Spinach makes my head spin around like Linda Blair in the Exorcist but I LUUUUV the Man's dip! We planned to use a large chafing dish to keep it warm until we saw this

at the estate sale!! Isn't he CUTE???

I was like, "WE.HAVE.TO.HAVE.IT! Now that I've seen it, nothing else will DO!" It really IS the perfect size AND the perfect price

But WAIT! The Man talked the peeps into taking $10 for the fondue pot AND the floss...AWWWWESOME!!!! That's DEFINITELY in the budget! At first, I researched ways to polish copper. But, I like the vintage look better so I just cleaned it up. Can't WAIT to put it to use!!!!

*The October kit has been revealed HERE and I love THIS page that
I was able to kreate with all the Sassafras goodies!

*I have a new page up that I kreated for the Examiner.com that
you can check out HERE

* I have 32 items on my TO DO list this week and all I wanna do is SLEEEEEEP!!!!

When does life...

2010-10-16T13:17:00.000-07:00

...start to get really busy for you? I know the holidays are crazy for most people but the insanity comes EXTRA early over here!!! My Mommy turns 60 on the 20th and I'm scrambling to finish party plans for her.

The baby will be christened the next day and we're having a small dinner for his godparents.

We don't celebrate Halloween but my husband decided to do a "Hallowed Be Thy Name" celebration for his Sunday school class...and WHOO did he put in charge of decorations and games I wonder!!! Plus, my niece will turn 10 on November 7th and she's having a party (I'm ALL UP IN THURE!!!) and Kea's party will be the NEXT WEEK!!!! My husband asked what I want for MY birthday (which is the 21st)...has anyone bottled SLEEP yet???

I'm still finding time to make memories with him

in the mornings, him

in the evenings and HIM

in the middle of the night! (Insert evil laugh and wiggling eyebrows). I'm still doing assignments like THIS, THIS and THIS. I even found time to do something SOO awesome with my husband today!!! Minds outta the gutter...I said toDAY!!!! Tell you about it soon! And if anyone wants to donate some sleep, send it to keandra@feelinlikeacrackhead.com. And thank YOU for your participation!!!

My truck...

2010-09-20T00:47:00.001-07:00

...goes into the shop this morning for an at LEAST $500 repair.

My son made a D on a quiz I BEGGED him to get help with.

My old friend insomnia has been visiting me QUITE a bit this week.

Does anyone have an extra umbrella because OBVIOUSLY the storm

HAS ARRIVED. I'm off to pray!

Did you know...

2010-09-17T22:20:00.000-07:00

...that Michael's is offering a 40% off ANY regular priced Martha Stewart craft item through Sunday? I've NEVAH seen a coupon specifically for an MS product...as a matter of fact, most coupons normally EXCLUDE them! THIS is the link to the coupon. In case you've had too many beers tonight and can't get it to work, just go to the Creating Keepsakes website and you should see the link in the left column. I'm gettin' one of those around the page border punches with mine...what are YOU gettin'?

By the way, the link to Eb's Etsy shop is
http://www.etsy.com/people/dezigner07

My girl...

2010-09-16T11:44:00.000-07:00

...Eboness, who I've known since high school has dipped her toes into the etsy pool!

If you have girls or you'll a girly girl yourself, you might wanna check out her shop, SHEER BLISS DESIGNS...I bet you'll fall in love!

I am...

2010-09-13T11:53:00.000-07:00

...the September guest designer over at

YEAY!!!!

But, you'll have to wait a few more days to see my first project...

AWWWW!!!!

Have you ever been in love..

2010-09-09T11:57:00.000-07:00

...with a company? A love that's not obvious at first but develops gradually? I mean, I have a crush on American Crafts...mostly fueled by my Thickers addiction. But, there are some companies where you see a piece of patterned paper that blows your mind. You check out the manufacturer and say to yourself, "HMMM...niiiiice!" Then those alphabet stickers catch your eye.

Again, you look for the maker, "HMMM, ANOTHER great product from _________!" Pretty soon, whenever you see great supplies you come to anticipate that ________ has made them. You begin to excitedly look forward to new release time because you KNOW this company is coming WITH IT!!!

SEI is one of those companies. I know that I hoard use a lot of their newer supplies but when I really began delving into the DEPTHS of my crush, I realized that this obsession has been present for a WHILE!!!

I've scrapped travel pictures of my little guys

AND a picture of my family

on Mother's Day. I've made a page for my teenager to tell his Daddy

just how much he appreciates him...as well as a page to show that
same teenager

just how much we appreciate him coming home safely at summer's end. My addiction also extends to

books I make for others. I guess you understand now why there's SOO much SEI in Kreatorville's kits, too!!! SOO, can you figure out the THIRD company I HOARD???

I was talking to...

2010-09-08T17:21:00.000-07:00

...this girl about the current challenge over at "These are a Few of My Favorite Things". Until September 13th (which IRONICALLY is Char's birthday!), they're asking scrappers to share their favorite manufacturers. And, although we differ on some of the companies (she IS more of a girly girl, after all!!!) there are a couple of manufacturers that we're both drawn to. We love them because they aren't frilly nor are they completely boyish...they manage to strike a balance. Sassafras is one of those companies. I can scrap pictures of Mardi Gras

or make a page for Kea's "@ Two" book.

I can use it to kreate pages of my cutie pie niece

As well as a picture of my cutie pie kid!

(I just LOVE pictures of Mahd when he had the chubby cheeks...just the EPITOME of cuteness!!)

I love that I can use Sassafras to kreate elegant pages (like this one of my brother and me at the Zulu ball almost ten years ago!)

as well as fun party pages

(like the page of the Husband's cream cheese birthday cake that I made to document how GOOOD it was...I had just baked a disastrous cake for Mahd about a week before and THIS was my redemption!)

I use Sassafras to kreate fun pages for our family book

as well as awesome holiday pages!

NOW you all know WHY you all see SOO much Sass in Kreatorville kits...

It's because I'm OBSESSED!!!

Like a few of the design team members at Favorite Things have said, I don't know too many scrap manufacturers that I don't like! But, there are two more companies that I have an extra affinity for like Sassafras. There's something VERY ironic about those other two companies...something they have in common with Sassafras. If you guess what they have in common, you'll know what the other two companies are!

Don't you just LOVE...

2010-09-04T17:42:00.000-07:00

...learning new techniques?? I get SOO excited when it's Charity
or Jenneke's turn to showcase a favorite kreative technique on the blog because I know I'm gonna add something visually stunning to my repertoire! When Jenneke introduced the September technique to us, I couldn't help rubbing my hands together in glee (think evil scientist!) I've wanted to try this on my projects for a long time and just never realized how easy it is! I've used it on the first two pages I completed with the September Kreatorville kit:

Can't you see it? It's....NAH! You gotta GUESS!!!
By the way, date night was a ROARING success! It felt WEIRD, though because I got to go to the salad bar WITH my husband. One of us normally stays with the kids. We got to SIT together, too! These are things you REALLY take for granted when you don't have kids!!! And the dessert? WELLLL, when was the last time YOU had a BAD DESSERT??? ;P

Anyone need...

2010-09-01T23:03:00.001-07:00

...some VIRUS complete with explosive diarrhea??? Are you SURE...'cause we have PLENTY enough over here to share!

Do you ever awaken...

2010-08-29T13:33:00.000-07:00

...with God speaking in your ear? This morning, my first thought was a message from God: how can I bless you with more when you're not properly caring for what I've already given you?" So, I've been catapulted into action. I've been praying for a long time for Him to help me with my procrastinatin' ways...and that ONE QUESTION did it! I don't know if it's permanent but it was enough for me to dub this week "Hump Week"...we're GETTIN' IT DONE up in hure this week! From my husband to my littlest, we're getting as much done as possible from this day to next Sunday...but, with a break tomorrow. School has started and the majority of our energy has been dedicated to the big boy. Driving him to and from school, tryouts for a school play, getting the 750 supplies that WEREN'T on the initial lists...it's been about him. My husband has been really great about taking a backseat but I have a surprise for him tomorrow. I've asked my parents to keep the two littlest boys for a few hours. I'm gonna take the Husband to dinner and then have him for dessert (did I say that aloud???) He deserves it...and he's overdo! When you have as many kids as we do...time for two is almost nonexistent! For obvious reasons, there won't be pix! Be back soon!

The big boy...

2010-08-14T16:39:00.000-07:00

...is home!

(Don't you SEE how excited his brother is????)

The end of his summer visit with his B.F. (biological father) always signals the end of my leisure (HAAAAA!!!)time...it means it's time to get back to the bump and grind! I'm up for the challenge AND excitement! Because isn't THAT what high school's all about...working hard and playing harder??? I love high school football and pep rallies and DANCES...oh, I can't WAIT to see Mahd dressed up for his first dance and asking for a gazillion dollars to pay for five packs of pictures (because he HAS TO take a set by himself, one with his date, two with...you know, he HAS TO HAVE a MILLION wallets to trade with his friends!) I'm STOKED!!!!

The August Kreatorville Kraft kit has been revealed! I had SOO much fun getting messy this month...I LOVE splattered, creased and torn pages...they make me feel like I need to smoke a CIGARETTE after all that work! I didn't wanna stop playing! I kreated a couple of pages starring my baby brother. This one

is called "Growning Skills" because I took these shots (PAT ON THE BACK!!!) I try soo hard to improve my photographic skills that I get excited when I do well! Everything on this page is included in the August kit!

I kreated another page this month to celebrate my husband. Do you remember THIS day? Well, I made this

page to document it...and hopefully to soften my husband up enough where he won't be TOO ticked that I abandoned ship! ;P

Check the Kreatorville blog to see a few other projects Nat, Chary and I kreated this month!

THIS is what...

2010-08-08T09:49:00.000-07:00

...life is all about! All the times we struggle to do our best, to be a blessing to others with no recognition...I've had a week where I KNOW God is pleased with me because I've received SEVERAL blessings! I mean, in ADDITION to waking each day under my OWN roof with food and running water...SPECIAL blessings!

I was asked this week to participate in TWO awesome scrappy projects...which I can't share yet! I'll tell you about one in about a month but the other will be in the works for a LEETLE longer! The first made me squeal like a school girl...they like me...they REALLY like me! But, the second is SUCH a unique opportunity...something I've NEVER seen explored before...MIND BLOWING! I can't wait to share!

A scrappy pal of mine made two pages for me...just because. I didn't ask her to and I didn't BRIBE her. She saw some pictures that inspired her and decided to kreate this:

I love them SOO much but I mentioned them for another reason. You NEVER know when your SEEMINGLY small act of kindness is gonna have a HUGE impact on a person. Pam didn't know how these pages would lighten my SOUL when she made them. There's a lesson here: be nice to people. You can't imagine what it may mean. I have a DAUNTING week ahead of me...something I've been constantly praying for God to successfully see me through. But today...I remember that I'm an inspiration to someone.

And I'm glad.

Just because....

2010-08-06T01:31:00.000-07:00

...I need to get rid of some of the supplies I've been hoarding:

(AND honestly...it just FEELS GOOD to kreate!!!)

This conversation...

2010-08-04T20:06:00.000-07:00

...just took place:

KEA: A baby's coming!
ME: WHAT????
KEA: A BABY'S coming!!!
ME: From WHERE???
KEA: Right THERE! (pointing to the front door). A baby brother!

God if you have ANY love for me...

(By the way, if anyone has any questions about investment options, let me know and I'll ask the two year old!

He seems to know it all!!!)

Have you met...

2010-08-02T23:22:00.000-07:00

...Kreatorville's Kontributing Kreator??? NO??? Whatcha waiting for...go on over and leave her some love!

I am SOOOO freakin'...

2010-07-30T21:54:00.000-07:00

...EXHAUSTED! I awakened the other morning and both of my eyes were bloodshot in the inner corners like this

(You KNOW I must be tired...I don't even have my shiny lips on in this picture!) I just need about two days to veg out and SLEEP! But, I have to twist my nephew's hair in the morning, check out Old Navy's sale with my sister, clean, cook...do you HEAR THAT??? That...that...WHIP CRACKING!!! That was a nice fantasy for a moment...two days with nothing to do...back to work!

The Serious Scrap!

2010-07-29T13:41:00.000-07:00

PUBLISHED IN:

Basic Grey Newsletter-June 2008
Rusty Pickle Newsletter-November 2008
Somerset Memories-November 2008 issue
Sketches 2 Scrap IPHONE APP-November 2010
Memory Makers The Big Book of Scrapbook Pages-June 2011
"Barber Shop Duet"-Page 48
"Lake Lovers"-Page 78
"Solemn Family Fourth"-Page 117
"Hello Doggie"-Page 238
2Peas Newsletter-July 2011

DESIGNING FOR:

Kreatorville Kraft kits-November 2009 to Present
Aptly Titled Handmade Embellishments-November 2009 to Present 
Platinum Scraps-June 2011 

Examiner.com-June 2010-June 2011
Buzz and Bloom:January 2009-August 2010
Tally Scrapper:April-June 2009
Lotus Paperie: June-November 2009
ScrapNArt.com:May 2008-November 2008

GUEST DESIGNING FOR:

Color Combos Galore-August 2011
Masterful Scrapbook Design-July 2011
These Are a Few of my Favorite Things-September 2010

Coordinates Collections-September 2009
Kraft Girls Kits-October 2008

TRADE SHOWS:

Summer CHA 2009

5 Layouts for Buzz and Bloom

CONTESTS:

ScrapScene's Truly Trendy Contest-Honorable Mention May 2008

CHALLENGES:

Scrapbook.Com-U Crack Me Up-June 2008
Dreamgirls' Clearly Yours Challenge #21-February 2009
Tally Scrapper/Category Stories- What I Love About (Alone
Time): February 2009
American Crafts "All About Me" challenge-August 2009
Crate Paper Sketch Challenge-November 2010

I have to give it up...

2010-07-22T00:18:00.000-07:00

...for my husband (and men like him) who hold it down by doing manual labor. My husband is a welder but he also does lawn care.

Normally, Ahmad will help his Dad with our yard and on Saturdays. But since he's gone during the summer, it all falls to John. Did I mention that I used to cut the grass myself when I was single? I feel SOO sorry for my husband because he comes home SOO tired. So, I decided that, because I AM WOMAN (don't you HEAR ME roarin'??)that I would go out and help the hubbs cut our grass. Our next door neighbor cuts the front yard when he does his own so it actually looks really nice and uniform. The downside is that we can prolong cutting the back because you can't see it. THIS is why the yesterday the grass was 5 feet high...and I'm SURE I spotted a few chimpanzees running around but John said that was the heat. ANYWHO, I thought I was just gonna go out there, cut the pretty straight rows in the grass, flex my biceps and go run a 5K...LIES!!! John was like, "Just go around in a circle"...huh??? What about the pretty rows??? He said, "Nah, you're just knocking it down first". So, I made the first round with no problem (wellll...not TOO MUCH of a problem!). By the fourth time, I was praying that God not let my heart jump outta my chest in the grass where it wouldn't be found. John took pity on me and insisted that I take a break.

After about ten minutes, my roar was up to a healthy meow and I decided to forge on. Into my SEVENTH go round, I decided that the best thing for my husband would be for me to put an end to my grass cutting for the day. After all, how FAIR would it have been for him to have to carry me inside once I collapsed???

This was just another example of how out of shape I am! I promised my husband that I will start going out more with him (what can I say...I just LUUUV the man!) but I'm working on getting into shape, too. John GENUINELY has a love for making a lawn look great...I'd HATE to spoil that for him by having my CHEST implode!!!

I'm having SOO much fun kreating for GONE SCRAPBOOKING! I get to scrap WHAT I want, using whatever supplies I decide...what's NOT to love about that kind of freedom??? Hopefully I'll make a dent in my ~~hoard~~ stash in the next year! Last week, I did a page about John teaching Kea about bugs at the Insectarium a few months ago.

I hear SO much how well spoken Noonie is and I always think it's because he has TWO parents willing to teach him at every turn! This week, I kreated a mini album for my assignment. It hasn't been posted yet so I can't show it to you here (AWWW!) but keep watching the site...it'll be posted soon!

We have a nephew who has played basketball since he was two years old...well, it's more like he would run AWAY from the action back then. But, in the last few years he's really developed his skill and passion for the sport. And every year, his team has played in the championship. I guess it helps when your father's the coach and your mother is on the booster committee. Well, this is the week the team travels to Orlando to play for the gold...but of COURSE the devil had to put his two cents in! The money that the team raised to pay for their trip...some CRACKHEAD idiot stole it! There are not TOO many things I hate WORSE than a thief. Everything we have...we've worked and SCROUNGED for it. And YOUR job is to scheme on how to take that away...REALLY??? So, the team has set up a Paypal account and is asking for donations. Here's the message Arianne posted on Facebook:

Arianne FrazierJuly 21, 2010 at 8:18pm

Re: Please Help!

I just want to thank everybody for their prayers and donations. The phone calls, text messages, and e-mails have been rolling in all day of friends and family showing their support in a time like this. Tomorrow is our last day of practice before we head to Orlando Sunday morning.

I was asked again to send this message out because people thought it was spam mail. So here it is! The paypal account e-mail is larazorbacks@yahoo.com. Thanks Again from the LA Razorbacks. We love y'all and appreciate everything that y'all have done.

Even if you donate FIVE dollars it would be a blessing. And I'm grateful for any consideration you give to contributing!!!

When one door closes...

2010-07-08T06:03:00.001-07:00

...another opens. I've heard this saying for as long as I can remember and it's always SOO true!!! BUZZ AND BLOOM has announced it's impending closure. I LUUUV Buzz and Bloom...the owners, the products, the camaraderie! I had planned on NEVER leaving the team (I was already in my second year). But, the scrapbook division is only a small portion of the business and an illness in the family has forced Div and Mark to focus their energy on the business on a larger scale. I continue to keep them in my prayers and hope that I get to work with them again when they revamp...because I'm CONVINCED that Buzz and Bloom will rise again!

SOO, even though I DO have Kreatorville, I wondered if it would be enough to keep me busy all day, especially when school starts again. I think Kea will be in preschool starting next month and after the cleaning and cooking, I spend my days KREATING! Well, I'll wonder NO MORE because I just found out that I'm a part of the inaugural Gone Scrapbooking Creative Team for the National Examiner.com!!!! The Examiner is a national magazine but the creative team's projects will be published in the online edition. We get to kreate WHATEVER we want once a week for the next year...how SWEET is THAT??? Congrats to the other eight ladies who I'll be working beside:

Tanisha Long
Kathleen Summers
Jackie Anderson
Pat Yahner
Beth Moore
Karen Garbacik
Ashley Hamm
Amanda Sevall

WOO HOO!!! OK, enough celebrating...my first assignment is due soon!!!

The Serious Scrap

2010-07-08T06:03:00.000-07:00

PUBLISHED IN:

Basic Grey Newsletter-June 2008
Rusty Pickle Newsletter-November 2008
Somerset Memories-November 2008 issue

DESIGNING FOR:
Kreatorville Kraft kit klub: November 2009-PRESENT
Gone Scrapbooking Creative Team:July 2010-July 2011

Buzz and Bloom:January 2009-
Tally Scrapper:April-June 2009
Lotus Paperie: June-November 2009
ScrapNArt.com:May 2008-November 2008

GUEST DESIGNING FOR:

These Are A Few Of My Favorite Things-September 2010

Kraft Girls Kits:October 2009

Coordinates Collections: September 2009

CONTESTS:

ScrapScene's Truly Trendy Contest-Honorable Mention May 2008

CHALLENGES:

Scrapbook.Com-U Crack Me Up-June 2008
Dreamgirls' Clearly Yours Challenge #21-February 2009
Tally Scrapper/Category Stories- What I Love About (Alone
Time): February 2009
American Crafts "All About Me" challenge-August 2009

I'm very easily....

2010-06-13T07:35:00.000-07:00

...pleased. I love when my husband and kids hand-make cards for me. I love being given an entire day to kreate. Love looking back at pictures I've taken of time with family and friends and reminiscing...the little things make me happy. So, when I got this unexpected yummy

in the mail , I was giddy! Something SOO small, right? But, I didn't pay for it and I had no idea it was coming...just a great surprise! And, it inspired me to kreate IMMEDIATELY!

I made this page as a tribute to God because he NEVER stops showing us that His way is BEST and that we don't have to understand...just have FAITH. Let me tell you why my husband and I are SOO great together on road trips: we have that "Just wanna GET THERE" mentality! We make as few stops as possible and we pack food so we can eat on the go. If it wasn't for my Mom getting sick a couple of years ago, we'd probably NEVER stop! (Mommy had a blood clot break free from her leg and travel to her lung during a road trip. The doctors have cleared her to take long rides again with the stipulation that she stop every two hours to avoid having more clots form) All of that will help you to understand how I felt when we left Orlando late recently. It's already a TEN HOUR ride and WE left late. THEN, we ended up going the wrong way...GRRRR!!!! My mind kept saying, "OK, THAT added another hour to the trip!" When we finally stopped for directions, the guy sent us on an unfamiliar course. It got us home but it took longer. Because he was a Florida native, he figured he would give us directions which didn't put us in the heart of traffic (it WAS Memorial Day!). I was FURIOUS!!! At the end of vacations, I'm SOOO ready to get HOME...don't add MORE time to my arrival time. Well, so that I don't blow a gasket, I have to talk to/encourage myself. I told myself that there was a reason we left late and had to take a different way home. I encouraged myself to know that, though I didn't understand, this was HIS will and that He knows best. That helped me calm down and I exhaled and decided to read. MAYBE ten minutes after I had my epiphany, we heard/felt a LOUD thud that made us all scream...well, all except Kea because he slept through it! John slows dramatically from the 80 m.p.h. we WERE doing to about 40 and pulls onto the shoulder from the left lane. When we discovered this

my knees LITERALLY got weak...I had to sit down. A HUGE piece of rubber popped off of the tire. Now, all of you SPEEDSTERS know that the rate of speed we were traveling REALLY should have caused the ENTIRE tire to blow and we REALLY should have flipped over. We REALLY should have caused a major pile up because of all the OTHER speedsters traveling 80 behind us. But, because GOD was in control.....there was NO CAR IN SIGHT ON EITHER SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY!!!! On Memorial Day??? REALLY??? I was SO humbled! I kreated the above page because I ALWAYS want to remember that the most IRRITATING things happen NOT to aggravate you but because they fit into His plan...can I get an AMEN???

WHEW!!! Now that I've taken y'all to CHU'CH up in here, I'll share another page I kreated with my Webster's Bloomers! My brother is a professional model but most of the time I look at him as JUST my baby brother...I used to change his diapers...what do you EXPECT??? But, there are times when I see him and he TRULY takes my breath away because he really IS beautiful. I checked his Facebook page recently and stole...ummm, scored some great shots
and I used my Bloomers to scap them. I have about two more projects in the works and then I'm just gonna hoard the rest (admitting you HAVE a problem is the first step, right...RIGHT???)

I recently had this project featured over on the Buzz and Bloom blog (yeah...you have to go THERE to see the entire thing!) We were asked to show the world our kreative process...LAUGHABLE!!! I NEVER do it the same way (ummm, we ARE talking about SCRAPPING, people!!!) Make sure to check out the other's girls' projects because NONE of us do it the same way!!!

So, have you visited KREATORVILLE recently? You HAVEN'T...WHAT??? Then, you MISSED The Husband's projects when he guest designed for June? AND you don't know that some of the older kits are being offered at 50% off of their original cost??? AND you're missing the fabulous Ms. Nat's Kreatorville week over at her blog??? PLUS, you're missing out on the opportunity to enter a project into this month's sketch contest??? I did this
page but of COURSE I can't win...ummm, what are you still doing HERE???? Get on over THERE!!!!

What is random?

2010-06-12T02:31:00.000-07:00

Main Entry: ¹ran·dom

Pronunciation: \ˈran-dəm\

Function: noun

Etymology: Middle English, succession, surge, from Anglo-French randun, from Old French randir to run, of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German rinnan to run — more at run

Date: 1561

: a haphazard course

— at random : without definite aim, direction, rule, or method at random>

REALLY???

Then, how is it that my Daddy, husband and me were all chosen to do jury duty...at the SAME TIME??? And my summons went to my parents' house...along with my Dad's! Random my BEHIND!!

You know...

2010-05-29T18:01:00.000-07:00

... my family and I are supposed to be enjoying the last night of our vacation and I just finished bawling. I decided to check my emails and saw this Facebook update

Kendall told us at our reunion last May that the doctors had given him 11 months to live...that the brain tumor he had successfully fought as a child had aggressively returned. He vowed that he would fight but God decided that it was time for that fight to end. This guy graduated with me from high school...I called him my brother...and yet I didn't make it to the hospital to see him before we left home. I told John, "We need to visit Kendall before we leave" and even though he agreed, packing...paying bills...cleaning...EVERYTHING got in the way and time ran out. And I said to myself, "As SOON as we get home..." and now there is NO MORE TIME. DANG! WHY do I keep doing this to myself???? I know part of it is that I can't STAND to see someone in pain/dying. But, I HATE the guilt I feel after NOT seeing that person even more. I have a severe headache because I ache for his young wife and young son who have to continue on without their king. I cry because of the laugh I'll never hear again. And, I promise to never again get caught off guard by time. When my God and my mind are telling me to act NOW so time doesn't screw me again...I will. And I promise to use the time I have to love on the ones I care for. In your name, Kendall....because I love you.

I promise.

This was...

2010-05-16T01:29:00.000-07:00

...dinner

Friday AND Saturday...
DOUSED in ketchup
and eaten on toast.

And you wonder why I'm 872 pounds?????

REALLY???

Let's see...

2010-05-14T02:15:00.000-07:00

...I'm
1. packing kits
2. spring cleaning
3. getting ready for vacation
4. reporting to jury duty this morning for my schedule
5. finishing up this month's BUZZ AND BLOOM assignments
6. doing custom orders for the etsy shop
7. getting ready for Mahd's promotional ceremony
....and that's just today! I can't pray for life to slow down because I don't want God to stop blessing us! I just pray that I'll have a wonderful, relaxing vacation with my family where I can recharge.

Since I'm up at four-crack-o-dawn am, I decided to check out the BUZZ AND BLOOM blog...lo and behold, my page is featured...yay! We had to do a project based on the colors red, aqua and green. Go check out my page...pretty sweet, if I say so myself!

I thought I was gonna die.

2010-04-30T23:24:00.000-07:00

This monster toothache started a few days ago. Just the regular achin' where Orajel relieves it. Within a matter of hours, it progressed to my face being swollen and my neck and head stiffening. I tried DRINKING Orajel (for those of you who don't know my sense of humor...that's a joke...but I thought about it!) I tried hot compresses, ice, hot tea...and still I suffered. Hubbs decided that we would just go to the dentist's office Friday morning. Dr. PJ took one look at me and told me he'd fit me right in! He had to drain the infection from around the tooth and he packed it with medication. I have to take antibiotics for about a week and then have more work done. Thanx for those of you who checked on me and were concerned but I'm better...and back to KREATING!
I got a little ambitious with the April Kreatorville kit and made TWO mini albums! Ahmad's promotional exercise is in a few weeks and I wanted to make an autograph book for him.
That Sassafras patterned paper was perfect for the cover because it SCREAMS guy to me! The vintage Making Memories brads were in the March kit and the mini wooden pencil is from my stash; everything else is part of the April kit.
I made an inside page with Mahd's Easter picture, which I laminated before gluing down. (After all the work I did, I'd HATE for one of his friends to decide that he would look CUTE with a green mustache. THEN, I'd have to cut somebody...THEN I'd be in jail...THEN would entertain you all???) Please excuse my binding work. I haven't used my Bind-It-All in a few months and it looks like I need to go back to BindItAllagarten because I SUCK at it now!!!! Anywho, the book is finished except for one special element: I plan to add a picture of Mahd with family members. So, when his Dad autographs his book, he'll sign on his special page
I also decided to use the April kit to house all of the food pictures we take. I don't know why but LOTS of times John and I cook meals that I look at and say, DANG! I have to take a picture of that! So, I already have this
ready to house them! The first page
has shots of the salads my husband made for dinner one night. And, they WERE just as good as they look! I can't WAIT to fill this book up! The pancakes are an example of the embellishments available in my etsy shop and the rolling pin and doily are stash; everything else is from the April kit!
The last project I kreated for April is a page

called "Two November Ladies". My sister friend and I both celebrate birthdays in November...as a matter of fact, we're two days apart. Last weekend, we had an impromptu photo shoot at the park. These colors are SOO perfect to scrap spring pix!!! I used a scrap of Jillibean paper to punch some of the butterflies but everything else is from the April kit!
Happy National Scrapbooking Day to you! We have some great challenges going on here, on Charity's blog and at Kreativity!!! ANYONE signing up to follow all three of the blogs will be in the running to win this
Charity is hosting a card challenge on her blog;the winner will receive
and the Kreatorville blog has a sketch challenge going on with a great prize involved...check it out!

PLEASE...

2010-04-27T19:58:00.001-07:00

...watch this video I found on Gwen's blog...hiLArious!!!

The April Kreatorville kit...

2010-04-21T21:50:00.000-07:00

...has been revealed! Hop on over next door and see an amazing page kreated by Leeann! Also, don't forget to enter to win the AWESOME BUZZ AND BLOOM treats!!!

What have I been doing...

2010-04-19T08:47:00.001-07:00

...in the last 20 days, 10 hours and 21 minutes? WELLLLL,
*Right now, Kea is sick. We spent a few hours in the emergency room Sunday morning. He's had a temperature off and on for about a week and a half. We thought he was just cutting teeth, as the Tylenol would make the fever dissipate. Well, Saturday night the Tylenol stopped working...
COMPLETELY. I stayed up from 8pm until 4am, continuously taking his temp. When it reached
102.4 we took him to Children's Hospital. After he kicked four nurses (in triage and x-ray) and
one doctor, they determined he PROBABLY just has a virus and could go home (ya think they
were just tired of the ABUSE??) It took about a day for the temp to completely break but we
haven't seen hide nor hair of it since Sunday around 9pm. So, I'll make a deal with you: YOU
keep praying for Kea and we'll keep plugging him full of meds and juice.

*I found out last week that I'll be published in the latest version of this book. WAIT! The best
part is that I submitted six projects for their consideration...FOUR of them are scheduled to be
included in the book! BAYBEE....I'm moving UP in the world!

*I've been updating and adding to the etsy shop
*I've been working on some Buzz and Bloom assignments
Make sure you join us on the blog or our Facebook page to see what the other girls are up to!
Also, BUZZ AND BLOOM has graciously agreed to sponsor KREATORVILLE this
month...our FIRST sponsor! (Go KREATORVILLE...it's ya birthday!) Jump over to
Kreativity to get in on the fabulous Buzz and Bloom giveaway!
* Speaking of Kreativity, it's gotten a facelift in the last few days
Hop on over and take a look around. Let me know if you like it!
*My friend turned 29 a couple of weeks ago (for the 10th time!) so we had a small, impromptu
celebration for her at our house
Chicken, red beans and rice, ice cream and cake and US...THAT'S what a New Orleans
celebration is ALL about!
*The boy
has just finished taking the L.E.A.P. (Louisiana Educational Assessment Program) exam. This standardized test determines whether students advance to the next grade and is given each year
to 4th, 8th and 12th graders. Ahmad can't attend Lusher...or ANY school, for that matter, unless he aces the L.E.A.P. test. So, we've spent a lot of time helping him.
*I've been kreating a WHOLE lot, including these Easter bags
for my husband's Sunday school class. I KNOW they're not the cutest things in the world! I
asked John to bring home some CUTE bags and he brought these...ummm, OK! So, I had to
work with what I had. Plus, I made these at 1am...give me a break, people!
*We attended the annual Ponchatoula Strawberry festival a couple of weeks ago.
Bena and her kids came along and we really had a good time...it wasn't GREAT because Kea
cut up a LOT. The ONLY reason I didn't sell him for a flat of strawberries is that I knew he
wasn't feeling well. OTHERWISE, you would have been asking, "What ever happened to
that cute lil kid you used to scrap so much?"
*Ali is holding her annual "Week in the Life" project...and KREATORVILLE is one of the
sponsors! Go on over and check us out! There's a PRIIIIIZE involved!

As you can see, I've been a busy bee. But, I'm home now and I'll TRY not to run away again anytime soon!!!

Dear God...

2010-03-29T00:25:00.000-07:00

...would you find it in your merciful heart to give me a break for a while? It's bad enough that we buried my Grandmother Friday and I vomited and had a KILLER headache all that evening. When we decided to check on my OTHER Grandmother Saturday, we found out that an aunt on my MOM'S side died WHILE WE WERE BURYING Grandma. Lord, I'm strong and my faith in You is strong. But, I'm only human and I don't know how much more suffering I can endure. So, if you could allow me a few months to heal before springing something else on me...I would be SOO appreciative! I ask this in Jesus' name.
AMEN.

We don't curse....

2010-03-24T11:59:00.000-07:00

...around here...except for the occasional "what the HELL???" Is it Murphy's Law that "what the hell?" is now Kea's favorite phrase? And, is it so wrong that I think it's FUNNY??? Just thought I'd share that with you...back to working on the program!

Death...

2010-03-18T21:17:00.000-07:00

...does something to me. I go through life just like everyone else: angry with that driver who cut me off in traffic (STUPID HEIFER!!!); SPITTING mad at Ahmad for bringing home a bad test grade; ready to SELL Keanohn for using my last bottle of glue as moisturizer....and BAM! You get this call that while you were holding onto this FOOLISHNESS...another of your loved ones has slipped away unnoticed. And, I always ask myself, "Lord, WHY am I expending my energy being angry instead of enjoying these FLEETING moments with those I love???"
ALL of my life, my paternal grandmother was sick...my Mom just told me that when she FIRST met my father, my grandmother was sick...FORTY years is a LOOOONG freakin' time to hurt. She was one of the FUNNIEST ladies I've ever known. She told me once, "Kean, I'm getting ALL of my teeth pulled out!" "WHY, Grandma?", I asked. "Because they're RAGGEDY!" She DIDN'T mince words, I tell you that!!!! And, I LOVE that I inherited that from her. I remember playing at her house during the summers when I was young but I kinda lost track of my Perkins family for some years. My parents divorced and I had to deal with all the BS that children of divorce DEAL with...the children should ALWAYS be made to feel love from Mama, Daddy, NEW Mama, NEW Daddy...they should NEVER have to endure the adult foolishness...but SOMETIMES I did...and my family relationships suffered for it. Fast forward to me being a grown woman. It's sad to say that I DO have a connection with my Perkins side...but somehow not as close as I do with the family I grew up with. At 38, I can't blame WHATEVER my parents did or didn't do...it's all on me now. That, combined with the fact that I STILL haven't recovered from my Father leaving us four years ago AND the blow of my grandfather dying eight months ago...in case you couldn't tell...I don't DEAL WELL with sickness...let ALONE death. So, this last time my grandmother got sick...I COULDN'T. I couldn't stand to see her suffering...I didn't want to see her going down. So, instead of visiting, I tried praying her well from home. Because, I could visit her when she was well...I just don't DO WELL with sick. When my Dad got sick, the doctors gave him 6 months to live...he didn't make it to five. And, I drove that 8 hours from New Orleans to Jacksonville SEVERAL times, trying to take in that last bit of him before God reclaimed him. The last time I saw him, which was three weeks before he passed away, I knew that it HAD TO BE the last time. In life, my father was 6'2" and about 190 pounds. The last time I saw him, he had CLEARLY shrunk; I'm 5'7" and in the picture we took that day, he looks to be about 4" taller than me. Ahmad still has the t-shirt that my Dad wore in that picture...it's too small for Ahmad...my Dad HAD to have been 130 pounds that day. I KNEW I couldn't take seeing him again. So, I'm well aware of my limitations and I don't try to go beyond them. That's why John and I were on our knees 3 o'clock this morning, praying for God to strengthen my Grandmother...because that's what I COULD do.
We got the call this evening: "Grandma is on life support...you need to come." We dropped the boys by my Mom's and went to the hospital. We hugged all 15 of our family members sitting in the waiting room and my cousin, Rick took us to the room. I'm SOO grateful for two kindnesses: right before we walked into the room, Rick turned and said, "She's already gone, Kean" and I was grateful for the warning. Now that I've had time to think about it, I'm glad that we got there after they removed her from the ventilator. I may have been pushed over the edge by seeing the harsh, artificial rise/fall motion of my Grandmother's chest. She's at peace now...she never has to be sick again. I kissed and rubbed her still warm cheek and I thanked God for her. I'm glad for her offspring which allowed ME to exist; I'm grateful for that sense of humor and the good looks I inherited from her. And, as I said goodbye to her, I thanked God for accepting her soul into His fold...and for another opportunity to get it right with my family.

This sister...

2010-03-11T23:12:00.000-08:00

...has been doing it for herself...ummm, minds OUTTA the gutter now, kiddies...I mean KREATING! Sometimes I get tired of making THIS project to submit to a magazine or THAT project to try out for a design team...I even get weary when preparing layouts using kit components...I KNOW...blasphemy, right?!? But, I do! And when I need to recharge...why, I kreate some more!!! But, it's different when it's PERSONAL! I don't have to worry about using perfect picture or composing the perfect journaling...I can just DO IT...ummm, I thought we discussed the GUTTER! Here are some of the pages I've just completed:

Me as an itty bitty!!! Don't you want to BITE those cheeks!?!

Mahd and Kea in the airport a few months ago. Kea can have fun ANYWHERE...he's his very own entertainment!!!
Kea and the doctor who delivered him. Since I've lost the original image, I had to settle for scrapping this small print...not ideal but this is for ME so...WHO CARES????
This is our 18 year old when she was younger. I just realized that the majority of the pages I've completed showcase older pictures...maybe I'm subconsciously wishing for a simpler, bygone period in my life! OR, these could be the first pictures I picked up! Anywho, it's almost 2am, John just knocked Kea outta the bed and went RIGHT BACK TO SLEEP so, I not ONLY have to put him BACK to sleep, I have some dishes and dusting calling my name (I get LOTS of chores done when the testosterone level around here isn't so high...and ACTIVE! In other words...time to get back to (my) life...back to reality. But, I'll be back soon because I have a question to ask you all.

I have a confession...

2010-03-03T17:18:00.000-08:00

...to share with you: I squeeze a LOT because I love the smell. Dis h liquid, baby powder, lotion, detergent....I always use WAY too much. I know this seems random to you but my husband's snoozing next to me while I change Kea's stinky butt and I'm praying that John doesn't turn over and see how much powder I've sprinkled on this little booty so he doesn't blow a gasket. He's had to disassemble the washer because I use too much detergent; we have to keep LOTS of dish liquid because...ummm...I use TOO much. But, my motto is: if it doesn't smell good...it's not clean. Just thought you'd like to know. So, if I ever do a post telling you that my husband is divorcing me...just know that the biggest issue is that he got sick of running to Wal-Mart for Dawn.

I was taking a bath...

2010-02-24T19:48:00.000-08:00

...today the way I normally do: I turn the water on, drop bubble bath in and close the door and concentrate on some of the OTHER fifteen thousand chores I have to do daily while the tub fills. Baths are not just a cleansing for me...they are an OCCASION. A chance to read, an opportunity to meditate...sometimes even a break from Kea. Not today, though. As is the case 90% of the time, when the little homey hears the water running, he strips. But, that's fine...I'm enjoying these last months of bathing with my little one because when he turns three, the community baths stop. Because three was the age that Ahmad pointed at my breasts and said, "WOO HOO!"...which was when OUR group baths abruptly ended...but I digress. So, when Kea and I got into the tub today, the water was cold. Not "BRRR! My teeth are chattering" cold but tepid. I LOVE extremely hot water. One of the biggest struggles I had being pregnant was that I couldn't take hot baths. So, my mind was telling me to just get out of the tub until the hot water built up enough but that would have meant dragging Kea out kicking and screaming (I think he was a diva in a past life because he can stay in the tub longer than Mommy!) So, I waited...and waited...and waited for about twenty minutes. Why am I sharing this with you?? I have ALWAYS been one of the most impatient people that I know. I'm like the JG Wentworth commercial, "It's MY money and I need it NOW!" So, my prayer...EVERYDAY...for the last few YEARS...is for God to bless me with patience. I would get frustrated at first because...well, it wasn't happening fast enough. But, now I see great improvement. I ask God to guide my words every time I feel like telling someone off and I praise Him for every little step I take towards zendom...like NOT turning that hot water handle with my toes just to CHECK (one of my MANY varied talents...turning the water on and off with my foot...what??! YOU can't?!) Give me another 20 years...you all will be calling me "Big BUDDHA Kee!"
So, Kreatorville was featured on ScrapScene and a couple of people contacted me to subscribe (PRAISE HIM!) One of the ladies, Sharon lives right here in Louisiana! Not exactly in New Orleans...but too close to split hairs! I was getting all excited thinking about having someone close enough to scrap chat with and then I had a visit from the crazies. Not the movie...the memories. I started thinking about some of the CRAZIES I've run across in my life so I sent up a quick prayer ("God, PLEASE don't let this lady be crazy and decide that I look better as dinner than a scrappy pal...in Jesus' name...Ahmen!") and then John and I went over to drop her kit off. Sharon turned out to be...

...one of the SWEETEST ladies I've met in a while! (scared you, didn't I?! Sorry, no stories of human sacrifices tonight!) She was so warm and welcoming! And she's definitely my kind of girl because the scrap room I saw was filled from ceiling to floor with supplies...and that was just ONE of them!!! You read right...I think Shar said that she has about fifteen other rooms filled with supplies...I can't be sure because my eyes were filled with tears and I was hearing angels!!!! Can you imagine playing with all that yumminess???? To top it off, Kea was soaking wet and she told me to come in and change him...right in her bedroom. ANY one whose not afraid of a little Kea pee is GOOD in my book! I'm excited about kreating with Shar because I've only had that experience one other time. Hopefully, we'll be able to get together sometime this weekend. Now, if she just HAPPENS to offer me some GUMBO while we're kreating...well, I might NEVER leave!

The February Kreatorville kit...

2010-02-18T22:42:00.001-08:00

...has been revealed! This is one of the pages I kreated using it:

Everything but the dress form is included in the February kit... The silver and rhinestone heart
also!!! Go over to kreativity.kreatorvillekraft.com to see the full reveal...you WON'T be disappointed!!!

Please keep my husband...

2010-02-17T19:13:00.000-08:00

...in your prayers. There was an older lady in his life named Mrs. Christmas. She is actually a friend of his Mom's but he was closer to her. She had cancer and was in remission. Mama Christmas had to have surgery about a week ago but she was on the mend and scheduled to go home when she took a turn for the worse. John got the call last night, so he went to the hospital today and spent a few hours talking to and praying with her. At first she wasn't responsive but she eventually acknowledged that she knew who he was with a series of hand and eye signals. He came home to eat dinner with his family and had been here for about 10 minutes when he got the call that she has passed away. I'm so grateful that he got to spend a significant amount of time with her before she left us but I'm SOOO grateful that he wasn't THERE when she left us. He's hurting and I just ask that you lift him, as well as her blood relatives up in prayer.

Let me warn you...there will be sex...

2010-02-14T11:57:00.000-08:00

...talked about in this post! But, first...let's talk about why I felt like this

all week long. Well, for my foreign readers and for those of you who have generally been residing underneath a rock this week...

THE NEW ORLEANS SAINTS BLEW OUT THE COLTS IN THE SUPERBOWL!!!!!

You have to understand how we celebrate here in New Orleans. Every year, my Daddy hosts a playoff party and the next week, my uncle Gerald hosts the SuperBowl celebration. My Dad and Uncle Gerald are not blood related. But, they HAVE been friends since they were FIVE so he's as much my uncle as the ones my Grandmother gave birth to! Soo, every year our families get together and party for the playoffs, Super Bowl and Mardi Gras. We have our off screen entertainment

our family photo ops...

...these three men who have collectively waited over ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY YEARS for the New Orleans Saints to win a Super Bowl...

...my three cheesin' guys...

and just generally a WHOLE LOT of SCREAMIN'!!!!

(Winning the Super Bowl brings the ghetto out of me!) Our family celebrated for two days and we've had a TIME trying to catch up on the tasks that went undone during our celebration! THEN, it's Mardi Gras time here...we probably won't fully recover until NEXT weekend!!!!

I know you're probably wondering why I'm blogging on love day...well, my WONDERFUL husband gave me the biggest part of my present YESTERDAY! BAYBEE, I put my cute shoes on

and we drove to Biloxi to see this man

MR. JEFFREY OSBORNE!!!

This man has been entertaining for SOO many years and he is one performer who TRULY hasn't been affected by the passage of time! When the show opened, his band and background singers were onstage, but Jeffrey started singing offstage. He was SOO clear and precise that my husband, who sang in the choir for a number of years SWORE that it was a recording playing! John RAVED the entire show about how AMAZING the man sounded! And he did when he sang...On the Wings of Love....Concentrate on You...Only Human...PARTY HEARTY...Back in Love Again...We Both Deserve Each Other's Love (my favorite song on our wedding CD!)...baybee, I....CUT...UP!!!!! He was AMAZING and SOO down to Earth! He came off the stage and went through the audience letting his fans "WOO WOO WOO!". When he said good night, I shared my Patti LaBelle experience with John.

It was 1999 and my best friend, Emanuel bought me a ticket to see Patti LaBelle because I was 28 and had NEVER been to a concert. My friend and I grooved along with Patti, watching her sing her HEART out. At the end, she said goodnight and every one started filing out of the auditorium...only to rush back when Patti started singing again. Maybe 10 SECONDS after I finished telling my husband about PATTI, JEFFREY came out to sing another song! FLIPPIN' AWESOME!!!! The sign of a great entertainer, I tell ya!!!

Afterwards, John and I waited along with a hundred others for an autograph. You HAVE TO love an entertainer who performs for two hours and then calmly signs autographs and tickets for his fans! I love that he didn't rush anyone, patiently answering questions and posing for a million pictures. When it was our turn, he signed a CD for the Willis Family and I took this picture of my husband and Jeffrey

My husband, in turn took this

You know, as a scrapper, I could spend DAYS obsessing over how I missed having a great shot of myself and Jeffrey Osborne but really, I'm not trippin'. Life is SOOO short! I had a GREAT time...I got OTHER good shots of a great entertainer...AND I have an excuse to get John to take me to see Jeffrey again!

SOOO, because my husband gave me such a wonderful love day present, I got this

and this

for him! I'm so excited to see his reaction! I'm a firm believer in keeping the excitement in a marriage! I love being able to give him a gift today that we'll be able to use over and over. The checks are all marked "UOME" and have tasks like "lap dance" and "one striptease". I'm excited because being handed these checks will force me out of my comfort zone and (in the words of the immortal El DeBarge) OOOH...I LIKE IT!!!! And, the BOOK! I ordered it from Urban Outfitters and when I opened it, I just smiled. Some of the positions...WOW!!! There are SOOO many I'd like to try...some that I know we could NEVER attempt. Like the one on the cover...looks interesting, right!?! But,alas, I'm a big girl and I'd hate to be in the emergency room with my husband on February FIFTEENTH,explaining to the doctors that my husband's spine snapped attempting to HOIST me during position NO. 435! Naw, some of them we just have to DREAM ABOUT!!! The book also has space for NOTES on each page...you know so you can document which positions made you WOO WOO WOO...AWWWWWESOME!!! I'll be back soon with some scrappy/Mardi Gras related pictures...how soon depends on how many pages we cover in our lesson book tonight! By the way, the winner of the Making Memories cutting mat is Princess! Email me @keandra@kreatorvillekraft.com with your info and I'll ship that out to you! I haven't forgotten about the Saints giveaway...I'll get that together this week! HAPPY LOVE DAY!

Praise Him...

2010-02-07T11:09:00.000-08:00

...for children who are old enough to watch their younger siblings!!! Jamani came home from Southern this weekend and asked if he could take his brothers out for the day. UMMM....HELL yes!!! John and I have only been out without a child TWICE in our entire relationship...we went to a concert with my sister and brother in law a couple of years ago and we stayed at the Hard Rock cafe a few weeks ago. As soon as Jamani said he wanted the little boys, we planned an impromtu date day! Ya GOTTA take advantage of EVERY opportunity, right? We saw this movie
and we both enjoyed it SO much! John didn't fall asleep ONE TIME so it MUST be really interesting! I wished Ahmad had been with us just to see what to avoid because he's friendly Bob...he talks to EVERYone! If you've seen it, you know that the end is supposed to really inspire you to live and ENJOY life but it just made me sad. We left there and went to Applebee's for dinner. I absolutely LOVE
Artichoke spinach dip! My husband has been promising to make some for me since we MET...do you think maybe I'll get some for Valentine's Day? HMM...guess we'll see! Sorry I didn't take any pix of the food but we were too busy chowing down! Here's a picture of us before we started eating, though
AHHH!!! Young love!
John and I have been together for a few years and from the beginning, he has attended my family's church, the church my Grandfather founded when my Mom was a little girl. Neither of us thought about the fact that he never OFFICIALLY joined the church. Well, starting next week, he'll be a youth teacher so he needed to be a real live member. Since Ahmad had never been baptized, he went up to make his intentions to BE baptized known this morning. Did Mama have the camera in church? OF COURSE she did!
The pix aren't the best because...well, I WAS interrupting the church service. But, our pastor was so tickled that he actually jumped in the shot. Another guy jumped in too after the pastor told him not to. So, if anyone wants to give me a quick Photoshop lesson on deleting an unwanted person from the picture...I'm open!
Well, I have a few more technological issues to smooth out before I take a nap...I have to be fresh to cheer on our boys!!!! If...WHEN the Saints win the Super Bowl, I'm gonna giveaway an AWESOME gift pack...GO SAINTS!!!!

Have you seen this...

2010-02-04T18:09:00.000-08:00

...picture from CHA?
Teresa Collins decorated this chandelier for her booth at CHA. Isn't it BEAUTIFUL?!?!?
You all may not know this about me but I LOOOVE me some rhinestones!!!! My family used to joke about buying me a Bedazzler EVERY occasion...birthday, Mother's Day, Christmas...VALENTINE'S DAY!!! In my studio, I've covered my stapler and tape dispenser with rhinestones so when I saw that chandelier....well, I was on a mission. FIRST, I donated to Teresa's cause. You see, she decided that the chandelier would be better used as an auction item with the money going to the deserving people of Haiti (yeah, she's talented and just a DARN good person!). So, John and I donated to the cause but then Mama was on a MISSION!!! I....HAD...TO HAVE...THAT CHANDELIER!!!!! For those who don't know me well, let me let you in on a little secret: when I'm determined to accomplish something, I'm like a dog with a bone. And this time, my determination led me to this
YESSSSSSSS!!!!! I'm gonna start covering it tonight. I love it so much that I even asked John if we can get one for the living room if I cover it with pearls. I got his standard answer "Well see" along with the "look" and head shake. Sometimes, my husband doesn't see the vision until it has come to fruition. SOO, what does my chandelier have to do with any of you? Well, I mentioned in my last post that I'm reorganizing my studio. Little by little, I'm buying jars and containers and John is installing shelves to make my space as efficient and organized as possible. Well, when the chandelier came today, I realized that the box was JUST the right size to hold this
a self healing cutting mat by Making Memories. I got one to protect the desk that my husband made for me, but I have a few extra. Since I have a box to mail it in now, I can give one away to one of my followers! Even though this one is not magnetized like the one I have from We R Memory Keepers, it's a whopping 17x23...that's a WHOLE LOT of protection!!! All you have to do is make sure you're signed up to follow this blog AS WELL AS the Kreatorville blog @kreativity.kreatorvillekraft.com by the 14th. That's right! All you have to do is show your love for ME and I'll show my love for one of YOU!!! Spread the word!

Do you know what...

2010-02-03T14:30:00.000-08:00

...this is?

ALL the freakin' pages my kreative mind told me to make last year!!!! I guess before I went on kreating all willy nilly I should have THOUGHT ABOUT having to HOUSE all of these pages AFTERWARDS!!!! I just got about six American Crafts albums which I filled up immediately!
So, I need to buy about EIGHT more IMMEDIATELY!!! But, even this big pile of pages needing to be housed can stop me from kreating!!!! Jennifer Yates, Kreatorville's January Kontributing Kreator, sent me an invitation to join Inspired Blueprints. Jen has done such awesome work for Kreatorville...how could I resist? Plus, I LOVE a good sketch/challenge site! This is the page I made for sketch #141
Ahmad picked a flower for me one day on his way home from school and told me, "for no reason, Ma...I just thought you'd like it!" With a STICK, I tell you!!!! I'm gonna have to beat 'em off with a STICK!!!
Pretty soon, John is gonna have to take me on another weekend getaway! When I get stressed/overwhelmed, I do stuff like this
I was cooking Cornbread Dressing (the BOMB!) and I needed to cut up butter over the top before baking. We don't use butter that often so we keep it in the freezer. Instead of me letting it sit out for a few minutes to soften up, I decided to cut a few pats off with a fork. The fork slipped off the frozen butter and stuck through my finger and under my nail. John came home, looked at me and asked, "Bay, what are you DOING?" If THIS picture is reason enough for him to take me out of town...I don't know WHAT IS!!!!
THAT hasn't stopped me from kreating, though! This month, the Kreators all decided to recycle something using the January kit. I chose to turn a peanut can
into a pin cushion. Now I have somewhere other than the WALL to stick all those needles!!! Everything you see on my project is available in the January kit. Anyone interested in subscribing to one can contact me @keandra@kreatorvillekraft.com. Don't forget to check out the KREATORVILLE KRAFT blog to see what everyone else kreated using the kit! And, I promise not to stay away so long again!

What a great way...

2010-01-15T12:09:00.001-08:00

...to my weekend!
*my husband is taking me away to celebrate our anniversary!!!
*my husband bought me 2 memory cards...AND Kea gave me the other one back!!!!
*Kreatorville is featured here and here!!!
AAANNNNNND HE'S BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACK
The Deuce is loose again!!!! To recap: we were loving Deuce as a Saint; Saints got rid of Deuce; Deuce is a Saint again!!!!

My weekend is complete!!!!

SOOOO....

2010-01-12T11:50:00.000-08:00

....I took my memory card out of my camera to upload some pictures into the computer. Our printer has slots for the memory card to be pushed directly into it...takes away the necessity of plugging the camera itself into the computer. ANYWHO, I guess I'll learn ONE day not to leave something SO IMPORTANT around Kea...my memory card? MIA!!!! I feel like I might stop breathing. I took some GREAT pix of us at the park yesterday. I wanted THOSE specific pictures to complete my layouts using the January Kreatorville Kraft kit; I....NEED....MY...MEMORY....CARD!!!! Lesson learned: an extra battery is not all I need to maintain my sanity. So, since a blog post is not really complete without a picture...here ya go:

Just a quick post for all of you...

2010-01-04T23:15:00.000-08:00

....voracious readers!!! One of my Christmas gifts from my husband was a gift card for Barnes & Noble. Now, anyone who really knows me KNOWS that I could NEVER have too many books! But, since we had just made a trip to Border's a few days before our Christmas celebration, I didn't feel like a trip to Barnes & Noble too (too much sunshine for a homebody like me!) So, I decided to check out the online offerings from B&N....and I'm SO glad I did!!!! I ended up with THIRTEEN books for $60!!!! They LITERALLY have over 23,000 books right now on sale for $3.99 or under! There's NO WAY I could go through them all (it took me three hours to go through the first 1,000!) but I still feel like I got an awesome selection-a LOT of fiction, some inspirational, a health guide and a what-to-eat guide for kids. The greatest part is that any order over $25 ships free!!!! Check it out!

I've just had...

2009-12-30T16:43:00.000-08:00

...an EPIPHANY.

You know, for the last few years, I've set these kreative goals for myself and for the last few years, I've come up short. In 2008, it was because my Mom was in the hospital for so long. This year, it's just been SO MANY different things, culminating with our entire house being sick right now. My main goal for this year was to complete 550 layouts. Right now, I've posted 422. I have others to post but it would mean being up until 5am AGAIN. It would mean missing out on all the New Year's Eve festivities we have planned...and really, it's just not worth it. I mean, 422 is a GREAT number...especially with all that's happened this year. And because I'm a glutton for punishment, I'll just set more goals for 2010!!! Naw, it has nothing to do with loving punishment (even though a spanking every now and then never hurt NObody!!!) It's because another realization I've had this week is that setting goals and working hard to reach them is what keeps me focused. I'll leave you with my favorite five layouts for 2009:

first cookie tasting
by Keeperkwill
Scrapbook.com

(I love these pictures and the fact that this page turned out BETTER than I pictured it in my head...how often does THAT happen?!?!)

it's like summer on the lake
by Keeperkwill
Scrapbook.com

(This is the first page where I did a LOT of hand stitching...and realized how much I LIKE it!!!
Hence, the addiction was born!)

beau bathin' baby boy
by Keeperkwill
Scrapbook.com

(LOVE how this page turned out!!!! LOVE that Memory Makers published it on their blog!!! Never got a chance to be published in the paper mag...but this'll do!!!)

you are a paradox:man-child (dreamgirls challenge)-WINNER!!!
by Keeperkwill
Scrapbook.com

(LOVE all the techniques I used on this page....AND it won the Dreamgirls' Challenge!)

to my firstborn son
by Keeperkwill
Scrapbook.com

(JUST LOVE!)

hold on to you (dec/jan somerset memories)
by Keeperkwill
Scrapbook.com

(My first PAPER PUB!!!!!)

2009...two at a time
by Keeperkwill
Scrapbook.com

(My pride runneth over! Plus, my addiction to the mists was starting to overtake me!)
Umm, I KNOW that's more than five...and I'm ONLY up to May, so I'd better stop. I, too have decided to adopt OLW for 2010 and it's RENEW. I want to renew my commitment to God, to myself and to those who are important to me and never falter in their support of me. If I don't get to do another post before the next year overtakes us, may you all continue to be blessed.

You know...

2009-12-23T11:35:00.000-08:00

...it's like my posts are getting far and few in between! it's not that i haven't WANTED to blog! our baby boy has been really sick this past week. around 1am, when he threw up FIVE TIMES within an HOUR...we knew it was time to go. and, let me tell you: there was NO JOY and fa la la la la in THAT hospital last night! the doctors told us that keanohn has respiratory syncytial virus and bronchiolitis. sunday morning, he awakened with a temperature of 102. but, kea gets like this ever so often (as a matter of fact, he was sick LAST december!) so we didn't immediately take him to the emergency room. but, we watched him closely....and he progressively got worse. by the time we left for the hospital this morning, i was afraid to take my camera with me. i normally DO take it when we go because keanohn does some of the FUNNIEST things while we're there. do you know what my mind kept telling me? if you take pictures of keanohn during this hospital stay, they'll be the last pictures you take of him. may seem crazy to you but i felt that all down in my genes and chromosomes....and i left the camera home.
and that's one of the best decisions i've made. the respiratory therapist had to give him two breathing treatments and it took FOUR of us to hold him down!!! he's lost 5 lbs and he's down to 30 but he still has BEASTLY strength!!! he doesn't like anything covering his face so the breathing treatments...a HORRIFICAL experience!!! the chest x-rays weren't much better. all in all, he's doing better. his breathing is not as labored and even though the coughing still rattles him, he hasn't thrown up in the last couple of hours...i even got him to eat scrambled eggs and i'm just monitoring him to make sure they stay down. we have to give him breathing treatments every 3 hours and he goes back to the doctor tomorrow for more tests but he's on the mend...i'm claiming it! i really want to thank pegs, chary and mz blue for their encouragement and prayers this past week!
needless to say, we're gonna miss the christmas celebration AGAIN this year! we think kea will be more comfortable at home with not so many folks around. plus, my mom's immune system is not strong enough to handle getting what he has. the homebody in me is grateful. i prefer being home. it's ahmad's year to spend christmas in atlanta, so the boys won't be opening their gifts until he returns next week. so, i'm gonna enjoy watching movies and eating with two of my favorite guys. and when the little guy sleeps, i'm gonna put on my leopard galoshes and fa la la john's la! it PROMISES to be a GREAT DAY!!!
you know, charyamore told me that john and i are TERRIBLE, TERRIBLE parents because we don't give each of our kids an ornament each christmas. naw, i'm joking but i DID think it was a great tradition when she told me about it. when john and i went to hobby lobby last week, we picked these up for ahmad:
because he's our basketball player this year! (how CUTE is that chuck taylor with the christmas tree in the center?!?! ) for our car and truck fanatic, we got these
i LOVE them but OBVIOUSLY not as much as kea who keeps trying to take them off the tree!
OH! the december kreatorville kit is LIVE!!! here's a peek at some of the yumminess:
how BEAUTIFUL are those papers?!?!? and the TRUE beauty of this? that's not the BEST part of the kit!!!! go on over there to SWOON over the rest of the december kit and possibly win a FREE KIT!!!!
i have SO MUCH to do that i'll leave you with only TWO of the projects i kreated with this kit!
this is one of the pictures that we took in texas. the "winter" portion of the title is one of the handmade embellishments available with the december kit. every embellishment and paper used on this page is included in the december kit!
also, i was able to find a FEW minutes this month to branch out and kreate a home decor item! mr. snowman is decked out in the latest finery from the december kit. i LOVE the way the pearls look all over the front of his plump belly!!!! if you're interested in a kit, contact me @ keandra@kreatorvillekraft.com. i'll be back soon with better news on my kea (i'm CLAIMIN' IT!!!)

do you know...

2009-12-14T13:21:00.000-08:00

...what makes a birthday great? when it's celebrated for DAYS, not just one day! i got this in the mail:

my CHARYamore knew that (sadly!) i've never read the twilight series and i told her that i really want to before we see the movie so she sent me the first two books! plus, she made the tickets for the december kreatorville kraft kit and sent me a BUNCH of other die cuts and papers to play with! i'm sure you'll see tickets on my next 500 projects because that's how many she sent me! just kidding...it was only 300!!! don't forget to check out kreativity.kreatorvillekraft.com to see peeks from the december kit!
OH! i forgot to mention that i got an email from pam (essensevibez) this morning letting me know that i won kenner road kit from ali...it's beginning to look a lot like christmas in this joint!!!!