Cards for Troops

About two months ago, my friend and neighbour, Barbara, told me her husband, David, who is stationed in Afghanistan would be coming home to visit for a couple of weeks in early September. I wanted to do something nice to show how much I appreciate our service men and women. I also knew that I have many friends who would want to do the same. So, I sent out a request for handmade cards for our troops to send with David for when he return to Afghanistan.

Well, David was here and has gone back to his service September 18th. The photo below is of David & my son with shoe boxes loaded with greeting cards. My friend, Linda E., my son, and I delivered the cards to David's house the day before David was to leave. 940 cards total were donated for my little Cards for Troops program. Thank you to all my stamping friends for your generosity above and beyond my imagination! I'm truly grateful. And I know with all my heart that the troops appreciate you as well!

God bless our Troops! God bless America! Pray continually for our fighting men and women and their family!

Until next time, may mojo live happily in your heart, and may passion bloom in your soul. Be well!

Yoo Hoo! I'm Still Here!

WOW, long time no see! You probably wonder what had happened to me or if I was still alive. I am still here, alive and well. Just that I have been re-prioritising my life a bit. There are things that are first priorities, namely family and friends and there are things that are important like work and million other responsibilities. But most importantly, I want to take a journey through life that includes more of family time and time for friends away from the pit. I have more time to pray for my son, my family and friends. I have time to jog almost daily. Oh, and I so enjoy dining with my gals. Fine times. I do still make cards and send them alright. It's just not as often and just not here. I will be here a bit more because of a commitment as a DT member for Technique Junkie Newsletter but it won't be anything major. With that said ...

Please come back tomorrow for the first ever Technique Junkie Newsletter Treasure Hunt. Great prize is in store for you!

And now a little card I made using Chalk Lines technique from the TJ Newsletter, June '09 issue. Enjoy!

Until next time, may mojo live happily in your heart, and may passion bloom in your soul. Be well!

Happy Wonderer Performance

As some of you may know, Ty's 3rd grade class had a performance last week in which he was the narrator. I am, maybe, only a little biased, but I think he did an excellent job!

DH tried to put it on YouTube as a single video, but YouTube limits files to a maximum of 10 minutes. Since the play lasted right around 20 minutes total, he split it into two parts below.

Please don't feel you need to watch the whole thing, we just wanted to share what Ty is involved in and let friends & family know we're very proud of him!

Ty is in the blue shirt with the cordless mike in the front. And Roy Rogers (Yep, that's his real name) is the Happy Wonderer! :P





Until next time, may mojo live happily in your heart, and may passion bloom in your soul. Be well!

My Life's Needs According to Google ...

Saw this on Julie's blog. Thought it would be fun to post "what I need" according to Google here. What you do is go to Google and enter "(Your name here) needs" - keep the quotation marks and loose the parenthesis - in the search box and then list the first ten hits that come up. Here are my needs :P

Notes: In the (-) are my personal comments to each of the need.

1. Manna needs... your help. (I need help not to be so busy. Is that even possible?)
2. Manna needs... turkeys. (Ha, a smoked turkey leg sounds really good right about now :)
3. Manna needs... your prayers. (Oh, I can always use your prayers. Email me for a complete list!)
4. Manna needs... for Smart Sacks. (I need smart everything!)
5. Manna needs... more space. (Now, this is spooky. How else do you think they know that?)
6. Manna needs... to develop many of its projects. (I have commitments that I need to work on that's for sure!)
7. MANNA needs... donations! (LOL)
8. MANNA needs... to raise $3500000 to Expand the Power of Nourishment. (More like, to Expand my Stamp Room. Any potential donor roaming my blog? :)
9. Right now, Manna needs... food high in protein. (Medium rare steak, oh yeah!)
10. Manna Needs... Screen Names. (I think I have enough screen names. I have forgotten half of them already as it is. No, I don't need more screen names, thank you!)

I just copy and paste what came up. Pretty hilarious if you ask me. Go check it out to see what you need and please link back here so I can see you needs too.

Until next time, may mojo live happily in your heart, and may passion bloom in your soul. Be well!

It's Official!

As of the February issue of the renowned Technique Junkie Newsletter, I am now the proud member of the Technique Junkie Newsletter Design Team. I have been a TJ subscriber since Pat started the newsletter 6+ years ago, never once regretted being a junkie. I learnt so many new & fun techniques. I just wish I had more time to play with it all. If you love techniques and not a subscriber then you need to check it out and subscribe to the newsletter. It is such a great deal. There are so many options you can choose how you want your membership. Go check out the pricing and sample techniques here. Tell Pat I send you :)

I will add links of all the other design team members to the side of my blog soon. Very talented ladies on this team and the artwork is very diverse. That's why I am so chuffed to be on this team. Doing a very happy dance! Below is a slide show of my cards I submitted for the issue. Enjoy!

Thanks for checking in. Until next time, may mojo live happily in your heart, and may passion bloom in your soul. Be well!

Want to Become a Technique Junkie?

Pat Huntoon, owner and publisher of the renowned Technique Junkie Newsletter has a great promotion going on RIGHT NOW! If you have been debating of becoming a subscriber, now is the time!

Techniques on a budget!

The February issue of the Technique Junkie Newsletter will be published in just two short weeks – and it features 15 techniques for the budget-minded. This issue features techniques that use basic supplies to create outstanding, beautiful artwork for your cards, scrapbook pages and other creative work. You can start your subscription with the February issue – and have issues from February 2009 through December 2009 delivered to your doorstep -- for as little as $16.95.

You will have access to those issues on the Technique Junkie Newsletter subscriber-only pages, too! All-told, you will have a minimum of 90 techniques delivered to your doorstep by the end of the year.

Are you already a subscriber, but need to renew? You can renew for a year for $16.95, also. Hurry, though, this offer will not last long! Although it is only $16.95 for renewals to US addresses, Canadian and overseas have special pricing also:

Canadian pricing: $18.50,
Overseas: $22.95.

Interested? Email Pat for your subscription today. She accepts cash, checks, paypal or you can ask her directions for paying directly with a credit card.

I hope you will consider subscribing at this great rate!

Until next time, may mojo live happily in your heart, and may passion bloom in your soul. Be well!

Blogging Friends Forever Award!

I have been awarded with the BFF Gold Card! Thanks to Natalie, My faithful SBS9 sister for this award.

The rules are as follows:
1. Only 5 people allowed.
2. 4 have to be dedicated followers of your blog
3. One has to be someone new or recently new to your blog and live in another part of the world.
4. you must link back to whoever gave you the award.
Quite simple really, it is a way of saying "thank you" to those who take time out for wonderful comments to boost your day.

So, with no further ado, I would like to pass this award to the following five people.

Alex of California Stampin'
Lulu of Lulu and Card Making
Wendy of Anytime of Life, It's Good to be Alive!
Louise of Louise? Yeah, That's Me!
and
Debra of From Skilled Hands

Until next time, may mojo live happily in your heart, and may passion bloom in your soul. Be well!

Oh, Happy Day!

I'm off to the Naturalization Oath Ceremony in Topeka, the capital of the great state of Kansas! Today is the day! And here's a simple invitation for my ceremony and party later on this evening. Stamp is from Eureka Stamps. It was love at first sight! I saw her I knew I had to have her for this momentous event of my life. It's a huge bonus at 50% off! I'm happy as a lark! And here she is representing me! Sentiment is PC printed. DP are from Hobby Lobby.


Until next time, may mojo live happily in your heart, and may passion bloom in your soul. Be well!

Wonder Where I Have Been?

Hope you have not missed me too much. Life has gotten in the way of stamping lately. There are many weddings to go to and work also keeps me a little busy. AND...

On July 3rd, I found out I am being scheduled for the US Naturalization Oath Ceremony which will be held on July 25th, 2008 at 10 am. Since then I have been busy planning and getting things ready for the celebration. I made a few invites for the event and that's pretty much all I have done so far stamping related. I hope to have more to share in the next day or two or five.

I am becoming a US citizen. Hard to believe I am almost all here. It will be an awesome day. And I am so full of joy and excitement. Wish y'all could be here to celebrate with me!

Until next time, may mojo live happily in your heart, and may passion bloom in your soul. Be well!

Tagged, I'm It!

The rules of the game:
Each player answers the questions themselves.
At the end of the post the player then tags 4 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment letting them know that they've been tagged and asking them to read your blog.
Let the person who tagged you know when you've posted your answers.

Louise, tagged me and here are some pieces of random info about me

10 Years Ago: I just moved back to the States after working for the government in Thailand. Getting used to married life.

5 things on my to do list:
- Write and send a weekly card to a friend.
- Install PS Element 6 (my early BD present) on the computer (THANK YOU B&L, you are too kind! I am speechless!)
- Bible Study tonight (Tuesday).
- Make dinner.
- Make masculine version card for this week Papertake Weekly sketch challenge.

Fav Snacks: Dried seaweed, Nerds.

If I was a millionaire:
I would go back to Thailand and visit my family twice (or more) a year, visit my nephew in Nottingham, get my son piano lessons, get myself a small fridge for the pit, go out and eat everyday!

Places I have lived: Bangkok, Thailand; Chanute, Kansas; Lawrence, Kansas; Ames, Iowa; Washington DC; Lincoln, Nebraska, Miami, Florida.

I tag ... Jackie, Tracy, Alex, Natalie, Katie, Lulu, Reen, Suzann, Lyzzydee, Sue, and Gina!

Thank You, Natalie!

Last Saturday, I had a very nice surprise in my postbox. I received this oh, so beautiful wallet from Natalie, stuffed with cute stamped images and TWO whole sheets of Oval Messages (see second pic below). I was so touched by her kindness. I already used one of the ovals which you'll see in the next post. And I also played with one of the images. I'll have more fun time in the near future. Thank you, Natalie! You are too kind!




Until next time. Be well!

What's Your Birthverse?

Rosemary sent me the link below to find out my birthverse. Here's mine.

Deuteronomy 7:9

Know therefore that the LORD your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commands.

You want to know what yours is? Check it out here.

http://www.birthverse.com/mybirthverse.cfm

Kansas Wins It All!

Photo cutesy of AJ Vanderhorst

Kansas Jayhawks Are The 2008 NCAA Champions!

After 20 years. They finally made it to the very top! Way to go, KU! Rock Chalk Jayhawk!

Kansas Made It to the Final Four!

HE IS RISEN!

He isn't here! He has been raised from the dead. Matthew 28:6 (NLT)

Rejoice and be glad! As Max Lucado puts it, "Heaven unplugged the grave's power cord, and you and I have nothing to fear. Death is disabled."


A lyrics by Ray Boltz: I'll Rise Again

Go ahead drive the nails in My hands,
Laugh at Me where you stand.
Go ahead, and say it isn't Me,
The day will come when you will see,

'Cause I'll rise again.
There's no pow'r on earth can tie Me down.
Yes, I'll rise again,
Death can't keep Me in the ground.

Go ahead mock My name,
My love for you is still the same.
Go ahead and bury Me,
But very soon I will be free.

'Cause I'll rise again.
There's no pow'r on earth can tie Me down.
Yes, I'll rise again,
Death can't keep Me in the ground.

Go ahead, and say I'm dead and gone,
But you will see that you were wrong.
Go ahead, and try to hide the Son,
But all will see that I'm the One.

'Cause I'll come again.
There's no pow'r on earth can keep it back.
Yes, I'll come again;
Come to take My people back.
Yes I'll come again;
Come to take My people back.


And a little Easter cartoon from Joe Heller of The Green Bay Press-Gazette. Have a blessed day one and all!

PIF Went Postal!

Just a quickie to let Debbie Vidler, Tracy Brown-Scott and Clair Matthews know that your PIF goodies went postal this morning. Since you are all in the UK, it will probably be at least five days before they get to you. Hope you will have fun playing with all your goodies. Please be so kind to let me know when you receive them. Thank you for participating and enjoy!

Finally, Some PIF!!!

My dear SBS9 sister, Sue at Slumber Cards, held a PIF candy a while back. I mean really a long while back like early February or so. With all that was going on in life and my re-setting my priorities, I have not had a chance to take a piccie and I don't see any chance of that in the near future either. I do have 3 PIF packages ready to be posted sitting on my stamping table for almost a month. So, I'm going to do it anyway even without a piccie. I don't want to tarry any longer. Or else Sue will think I'm a flaker *Wink*

PIF - Pass It Forward, means that I received something nice stamping related from, in this case, Sue. I then am supposed to PIF other stampers. And now you, three of my dear readers, will receive something stamping related from me and you in turn will need to PIF something to someone else and thus start the PIF cycle. What you have to do is...be the first THREE to comment on this post with your email address so I can contact you for your addy to send your surprise goodies pack.

Won't you come and play?!?

My Wake Up Call!

You see this wild-haired child with a cheesy smile? His name is Ty Anton. He is eight and is the most adorable boy in the neighbourhood. Oh, about a month ago, he said to me, "Mum, you are on the computer ALL the time! I miss doing things with you!" And I about dropped out of the computer chair. I knew then and there that I needed to reset my priorities.

What a wake up call for me. When we homeschooled and when I still kept my early morning (3 AM) stamping time, we did a lot together. We went places together. We learned together. He definitely enjoyed his time with Ms. Linda, Ms. Rosemary and Aunt Lorraine. He said those times made him feel like a grown up. Now, he is in the public school system where he has made many new friends of which he didn't have when I was homeschooling him. He is doing well and enjoying himself immensely. I work a few hours 3-4 days a week. And when we both get home, he'd be working on his homework which takes less than 5 minutes and does his daily 20 minutes if not more, reading. I'd be on the computer, check emails, read blogs, post blogs, that sort of things. When I was done, it's time to fix dinner. You get the picture.

So, now, I only do all the computer stuff in the morning and when he is in school and I don't have to be anywhere like right now. I turn everything off before I head on out to pick him up from school. We do stuff, read, talk to our heart content! What a joy to see him grow and to get to know my son again. It's also a definite relief to know I am not too far gone and lost forever in the blue nowhere. He is growing up so very fast and I don't want to miss him before he is all grown and away. NOW is the time to be with him and be here for him. And I am sticking to that.

I won't stop blogging. It's too much fun. I just won't be here as often as I used to. When I have managed my time better, I'll post when I can. Thanks for stopping by. Wish us great lives together, Ty's & mine.

The Excellent Award

I am so honoured to have an online and blogging friend from Romania, Meda, awarded me with the E-Excellent Award! Thank you, Meda! If you haven't seen what beautiful artwork Meda does, you must head on over to her blog. She also has a photo gallery that is chock-full of more elegant work. You will need a cup of coffee or tea and lots of time to browse thru all her photos.

I am now going to pass on the Excellent Award to five other Excellent blogs out there. Very hard to decide but here goes:

Nancy Judd of Inkblocks, who has become more than just an online friend. Her work is simply beautiful. She always has full details of her work. It will definitely be well worth your time to go there.

Carol of Creative Expressions If you love altered art, be sure to visit Carol's blog. She is one who can take on different technique challenges and creates wonderful works of art!

Godelieve of StampingMathilda Now you just don't want to miss her blog. She is very creative and her colouring is out of this world!

Ariel of BitterSweetLife, not a stamping blog by any mean. But if you are looking for great book reviews, good coffee, KU Basketball, doses of sound theology and more of Jesus, look no further. He has all that and more.

Last, but not least, all of my SBS9 sisters' blogs. You can see their links on the side bar. I know it might look like I'm cheating. But truly, you won't be sorry to go there and visit their wonderful blogs. They each are very talented and creative. You will enjoy your time there and I'll bet you will come away full with new ideas and inspiration.

Thanks for checking in today. Until next time!

Total Eclipse of the Moon

Last night my eight-year-old and I stayed up past his bedtime to watch the Total Lunar Eclipse. Did you get to see it? The next Total Lunar Eclipse won't be visible from where we are until December 21st, 2010. So, we cuddled up in our jammies and blankies, sitting in our beloved papa-san chair with the best view of the moon from our living room. Dad had to stay late at the office so it was just a precious time between me and my little buddy! We stayed and watched until the moon turned orangy around 9:01 pm, Central time and we headed off to bed.

I am still trying to catch up and I have a whole lot of things to post including PIF blag candy and and Excellent award. Please stay tuned!