IN IT FOR LIFE

Is saying good bye to Blogging

2010-03-24T09:21:00.005-04:00

Unfortunately, I am not into this blogging thing as much as I thought I would be, so I am going to say good-bye!

You can still follow me on Facebook and see what I am doing or creating on there. Visit me at Keyword: Remember Me Designs and become a fan! :)

Thanks again for following me on here!

Jill

I have been MIA!

2010-02-01T10:06:00.003-05:00

I AM ALIVE!

You would think with being laid off that you would have more time to blog, scrapbook, and to do all the things that you wish you could do when you don't work....WRONG! I got laid off the week before Thanksgiving last year, and I just got called back to work part-time. In those few months I got absolutely nothing accomplished. But, I must say that I enjoyed the time off, especially during the holidays.

I was able to get a few Valentine's Day cards, tags, and gift certificate holders made for my Etsy store. I have pictures below on what is available right now. Cute right? And cheap!

Well, I wanted to write in to tell you that I am alive, but I should get back to work now..we are so busy right now! Yay! :)

Christmas Cards are Here!

2009-11-13T10:36:00.004-05:00

This past week I have been busy adding Christmas Cards to my Etsy store. Here are some glimpses of my cards. You better hurry, because Christmas will be here before you know it! Another added bonus is that if you PURCHASE NOW you will be able to have more time to spend with family and friends (or shopping) this holiday season!

(above: Holly Jolly Christmas - Set of 6 - $12.00)

(above: Let it Snow - Set of 8 - $15.00)

(above: Peace (with small dot background) - Set of 8 - $15.00)

(above: Peace (with large dot background) - Set of 8 - $15.00)

(above: 3 Perfect Trees - Set of 8 - $15.00)

My First Craft Show!

2009-11-09T10:21:00.003-05:00

Seven Generations Charter School in Emmaus held it's 2nd Annual Holiday Market on Saturday. My mom and I had a table full of Christmas goods and other tasty treats (including dog treats!). I also took along my homemade cards. We did fairly well for our first attempt at a craft show. Next time though, we will split the tables because people definitely were confused with the food. They thought that all of the treats were dog treats!

We may be doing another craft show in the beginning of December. It is local, so I will keep you posted so you can stop by!

Klocek Wedding

2009-10-29T14:57:00.005-04:00

My best friend, Jess, got married this past weekend (October 24th). It was held at Bear Creek Resort in Macungie. It was planned to be an outside ceremony at sunset. But unfortunately, the weather had different plans. It seemed to be clearing up in the morning, so we were crossing fingers and toes that it would get nice by 5:30. Then all of of a sudden around 2:30, it just started to rain like crazy. The ceremony was then held inside, and it still was beautiful.

Jess and Joe didn't have a traditional wedding, it was a ceremony that they wrote themselves. Brian, the Best Man, and I, the Maid of Honor, gave our best friends away. We even signed the marriage certificate. It was different, but still lovely. It was a great way to involve friends and family in their celebration of a new beginning.

There are some pictures below of the Klocek Wedding and Preperations:

In the picture above: Jess is talking to Joe on the phone deciding

whether to have the ceremony inside or outside).

In the picture above: A "moment" before taking pictures and the ceremony.

So pretty.

Me, the Maid of Honor...the nice thing is, is that I can wear this dress again...

and that this dress had pockets!

In the picture above: The Best Man and I giving our best friends away.

Exchanging of the vows.

Exchanging of the wedding rings.

Brian is reading the marriage certifcate that both he and I signed.

Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Icing...YUMMY! :)

Me and my little dancing buddy (and flower girl), Annie

I did make Jess a scrapbook of all of the special events throughout the celebration of their engament. I will post those pictures soon!

EEK!

2009-10-26T11:11:00.004-04:00

I just added these cards today at my Etsy store. One card has one small creepy, crawly spider. The other card has a pretty big spider that really creeps me out! "EEK!"

This is a fun halloween card with bright colored patterned paper, and a fuzzy 3-D spider hanging down from the top of the card. The word "EEK" is black paint with a bright colored brad to highlight the word. The inside of this card is white and is left blank for you to write your own message.

You can definitely use this as a card to send to someone on this frightful holiday, or use it as an invitation!

big spider card above.

small spider card above.

My holiday cards are coming soon. I can't wait to share them!

Oh Baby....and more news!

2009-10-01T11:02:00.005-04:00

Babies have been in the air around here lately. I have several friends either expecting, or just had their tiny little one. So, then I too got the baby itch. I wish I could be saying that I am expecting, but no, I got the itch to make some baby boy and baby girl cards for my Etsy store! Check them out below. Aren't they great to use for an upcoming baby shower or as a congratulations card on the new arrival!?! The card you see below is similiar to the one that I made for my friend Val and her new baby girl. She loved it!

In other news...

I am now shipping EVERYWHERE! I was a little worried about doing this when I first opened my store, but I have noticed that there are SO many Etsians (that's what they call us people who own a store on Etsy) out there. So, I thought I will give it a whirl and see how it goes!

Precious Little Girl

2009-09-30T09:42:00.008-04:00

When my friend Val and I were little, our mom's were in a playgroup together. So our moms, plus two other ladies that were in the playgroup, went to visit Val and Jayda last night. This has been the first time I have seen Jayda since our visit in the hospital 2 weeks ago. My mom is holding her right in the picture below. Look how precious and content she is. Unfortunately, this was the only time that she was content for the rest of the night. Poor Val and Brent were in for a long night after I left around 9:00.

I had made the book below for Val and Brent called "12" months, "12" moments. It is a book for them to fill in with pictures of each month of Jayda's first year. I got this idea from cousin Patty when she made a book similiar to this for her daughter Sarah. So I tweeked her idea a bit and made it a theme of Baby's first year picture book. I thought it would be a perfect gift for my friends that are having babies. (Sorry Patty, I looked through your archives on your blog to link it to your page, but I coulnd't find it!)

Trick or Treat...

2009-09-21T09:43:00.004-04:00

smell my feet....I was singing that song the whole time I was making this card. I bet you are singing it now too!

I had just added this fun googly-eyed pumpkin card to my Etsy store this morning. There is another one that looks just like it, except that it says "Happy Halloween" on it.

Come and visit my store...and remember, there is FREE shipping for the month of September. Time is running out!

Meet Jayda Grace Rutherford!

2009-09-18T10:03:00.004-04:00

We all have been waiting for this baby to arrive! My friends, Val and Brent, have been trying several years to have a baby, and now their dreams came true! Baby Jayda was born on Wednesday September 16th, 2009 at 5:51 pm. She was 8 1/2 Ibs, and 18" long. Val's belly must have been all baby!

I got to meet the new proud parents and baby Jayda last night at the hospital. I got to hold a 12-hour old baby! That was so exciting! She is perfect. I am so happy for Val and Brent. They are so happy that this day finally arrived!

I am planning on visiting them again on Sunday, so I hope to have more pictures to share!

SEPTEMBER SPECIAL!

2009-09-01T09:47:00.004-04:00

For the month of Septemember, I am offering FREE shipping on all of my cards! Visit my Etsy store today and save some $$ on shipping!

Moving Announcement!

2009-08-26T09:25:00.003-04:00

Oh, it's not me who is moving.....I just added these cool moving announcements to my Etsy store!

Just moved? Let your friends and family know in style with these custom postcard style cards! A moving announcement is an easy way to notify people about your change of address without having to call each of them individually. The simple and charming style of this design will delight both family, friends and co-workers.

This would be a great gift for a house warming gift too! I just made myself a whole bunch of these to give to my brother and his fiance for their new home. They loved them!

Just added!

2009-08-19T10:15:00.003-04:00

I just added these cool thank you cards to my Etsy store today! I am selling them as a set of 6. Click here to visit my store and for more details about them!

I also want to update you and let you know that I have deleted my store on ShopHandmade.com. I found it very hard to use, and I didn't have a lot of views on my cards. Not only that, it is very hard to keep my Etsy store up to date and active as is, so having two different locations is just very difficult to maintain.

Stay tuned for more cards! I have something in the works right now and I can't wait to share it!

NEW STUFF!

2009-08-03T10:44:00.002-04:00

There is some new stuff on my Etsy store!

First, I need to thank my cousin's wife Patty, who is just sooo talented and creative by-the-way, because she created my new banner and logo for my Etsy store. The name of my store is "Remember Me Design's" and she created my banner to have to forget-me-not flowers in it.....love it! My favorite thing is the fact that she added something that is special to her. The background is from a dress that she wore as a baby. How cool is that?

Secondly, I have added some new cards to my store. I am going to "try" to keep adding new things, but things are so busy right now that I don't have time to sit at my scrapbooking table to be able to create. But like I said...I am going to try.

Stay tuned for some pictures of Aruba, and some more cards!

My Etsy store is now OPEN!

2009-03-23T10:56:00.003-04:00

Everyone keeps telling me that I need to do something with my cardmaking. So I listened, and I did something about it! I now have two online stores where you can purchase my cards!

The first online store that I opened about couple months ago is through Shop Handmade. I thought this was a nice choice because they have companies that sponsor you, and then I, as a store owner, can give any kind of percentage back to them and that goes in a rain forest protection foundation. They are all about being green and recycling craft products.

The other online store that I just recently opened is through Etsy. I know a lot of people have been searching through this website, so hopefully I get more browsing traffic through this website.

I am excited about this little adventure. I have lots of ideas in my head, and I can't wait to sit down and create some more!

I AM BACK!

2009-03-11T12:00:00.002-04:00

Yes, it really is me! I am back, and ready to start blogging again! There has been a lot going on the last couple of months, and it was just hard for me to blog about things. But, I am back and I am ready to blog about 2009!

I first have to say that I came across a really cool website this morning. It is a website that you can download FREE, yes FREE, Blogger layouts and headers! I was SOOO excited about this! So I had to update my layout. I have to be honest, I couldn't make up my mind! Here is the link to this aweseome website, you must check it out! http://delightfuldots.blogspot.com/

Christmas is only days away....are you ready?

2008-12-22T10:19:00.002-05:00

I actually feel pretty good about how much I got done this year. Unfortunately, it's not because I am laid-off, but because I started earlier this year, and actually had things in mind on what kind of gifts I wanted to get for everyone (except my dad and my brother Adam, they are always so tough). The only thing that I do not have done yet is a calendar that I make for my grandma every year. I hope to get that done today.

I really debated about making handmade Christmas cards this year. Actually, towards the end of November, I was like "nope, I'm doing doing it this year." I didn't have money to spend on supplies to make the cards this year. Then I began organizing my scrapbooking stuff (what else is new), and I realized that I had these cute QuicKutz Christmas Tree diecuts, and I had these cute buttons and cream 8 1/2 x 11 cardstock left over from Kristin's scrapbook and invites, and I had lots, and lots of scraps that I could use up. The only thing that I bought was the ribbon, which was on clearane at Michael's!

So, tah dah! Here is my 2008 Christmas Card!

So, I would like to know....Are you ready for Christmas? And, did you make anything handmade this year for your family and friends?

Scrapbook for Kristin

2008-12-03T11:43:00.007-05:00

It is true... I really have been scrapbooking this past year! This book was a lot of fun to make. It brought back a lot of memories of me growing up with Kristin and getting to know Scott over the years.

I had used My Mind's Eye paper, Making Memories glitter chipboard letters, Bazill cardstock, lots of staples, and my favorite.....Thickers!

Kristin and Scott had gone to vacation to Walt Disney World after Kristin had graduated from getting her Master Degree. Scott had planned a special dinner and the picture above shows the menu from their dinner. I had received the menu and minimized it to add it to the scrapbook.

I had asked each Bridesmaid to make their own page. I had supplied them the paper and embellishments. They all did a great job and for a lot of them this was their first time scrapbooking. The above layout was the page that I did for Kristin.

I have another opportunity to make another scrapbook again! My friend Jess is engaged! I am the Maid of Honor in this wedding, so I am really excited. I was so bummed after Kristin's wedding was over. I was like now what? 2 weeks later, Jess and Joe get engaged! They want an October wedding (of next year), so I don't have as much time as I did with Kristin's, so I better start planning!

The Roth Wedding in Punta Cana - Day 4

2008-12-01T15:23:00.006-05:00

Day 4: Saturday November 8, 2008

It's the wedding day! Here are the pictures that you have been anticipating for almost a month now! Sorry about that!

Scott and Kristin had events planned for the men and the females. The men went on a golf outing for a couple of hours while the girls stayed back at the resort to get Meringue lessons. We all had a lot of fun doing that! After the meringue lessons, we gave Kristin her scrapbook that I had put together for her. She was so shocked and surprised!

The girls got their hair done in the salon in the afternoon. Then we (the girls) met up in Kristin in Scott's room to take some pictures, receive our flowers, and to have a little champagne toast! Kristin and Scott wanted to take pictures of the bridal party before the ceremony because the ceremony started at 5 so we would have lost the light to take pictures afterwards. So Kristin and Scott and their "first moment" before meeting the bridal party at the ceremony location in the gardens. The pictures will tell the rest of the story...

Kristin and Scott arriving to the ceremony location after their first moment.

Meet the new Mr. Scott and Mrs. Kristin Roth!

Unfortunately, I don't have some good pictures of the reception, but it was amazing. In my next post I promise to share pages of the scrapbook that I made for Kristin!

The Roth Wedding in Punta Cana - Day 3

2008-11-24T12:18:00.005-05:00

DAY 3: Friday November 7, 2008

Today was a fun jam-packed day. I had to wake up kind of early today to go horseback riding on the beach! I have always wanted to ride a horse on the beach, so this has now been checked-off on my bucket list of things to do before I die! It was about a 45 minute drive to the ranch. On this drive, you get to see how the "real world" is of Punta Cana. It's a 3rd world country, but I think it is a thriving 3rd world country. There was a lot of construction going on, it didn't look too bad. But once you got out of the towns you see how the natives really live. In shacks, tin shacks (now remember it was like 80 some degrees, plus humidity, so can you imagine living in a tin shack with that heat?) It really makes you aware of what you take for granted every day of your life.

Back to my horseback riding adventure....

My horses name was "Negro". He was a nice horse, and once we got down to the beach and to the water, all he wanted to do was just run and catch the waves! I got pretty wet! I just enjoyed this whole adventure, I hope to do it again soon!

For some reason, my pictures went out of order again. So, I will give you some captions for the pictures.

The beach that we went horseback riding on. It was beautiful, but a lot of trash was on it.

The view from the ranch. Believe it or not, the inland of Punta Cana is very mountainous.

Another view of Punta Cana from the ranch.

Scott and Kristin

The picture below should not be located here right now, but here is a picture of some of us having dinner tonight. It was very yummy. It was Devan's birthday today (the girl there at the end in the front with the short hair), so we had asked if they could bring out a dessert with a candle in it. They did, and even sang Happy Birthday to her in Spanish! She was so surprised!

Later on in the day, the Bridal Party (and their dates), were invited to go on a private party boat for a rehearsal luncheon cruise and also to go snorkeling. I had never been snorkeling before either, and this was kind of scary to me. I had many thoughts going through my mind. Are there sharks? Will I suffocate b/c I don't know how to breathe out of this mask. It was scary at first, but you kind of get the hang of it. I didn't see too many different kinds of fish and coral, probably b/c my mask kept filling up with water and then it fogged up, and then I would suck in large amounts of sea water, but it was fun to do. Snorkeling was not one of my bucket-list items though.

After we had gone snorkeling they had served us a yummy lunch, shish-kabobs and french fries, as they took us to this one point on the island. They let us swim around in the water some more. A few chicken fights went on, and a few swimming races happened too.

After we got off the boat, we went directly to the gardens for the wedding rehearsal. Then off to dinner!

The future Mr and Mrs Roth

Scott, Kristin and Kristin's parents

Chillin' out on the top deck of the boat

The top deck of the boat

Wedding pictures are next. Stay tuned for them!

The Roth Wedding in Punta Cana - Days 1 & 2

2008-11-17T14:12:00.003-05:00

Ahhhh......Paradise....

I can't believe that this vacation is over already. It was one of the most enjoyable ones that I have had in a long time. It was spent with good friends, terrific weather, friendly workers at the resort, and of course a beautiful wedding.

I am going to do several posts of this vacation since a lot of pictures were taken. There are a lot more to see on my myspace page too!

DAY 1: Wednesday November 5, 2008

Today I arrived in Paradise. I have never seen anything so beautiful. The weather is very hot and humid (completely shocking when you get off the plane)! When I checked-in they told me that my room was not ready yet for another 30 minutes. No prob! I walked around the resort and took some pictures. Palm trees here, palm trees there....white sand, blue water. Why can't New Jersey look like this?

As soon as I checked into my room I had to get ready to meet Kristin and Scott and a few other couples who were there already for dinner. We ate in a Mediterranean restaurant called Passion. Everything here was all inclusive (which is the best thing in the whole wide world), so I had all of the drinks I wanted, and I could eat as many meals that my stomach could hold...but remember, I needed to fit into a bridesmaids dress....bummer! So, I got a nice salad, had salmon as my meal, and then dessert came.....wow....

After dinner, all of us had gone and walked around a little bit more. There was plenty of seating so we got comfy and enjoyed each others company. We drank, laughed, and played a few games of "Catch a Phrase" What a fun time I had! I was pooped with traveling, and being up since 3 AM (plus it was 1 hour ahead there than it was here), so I headed back to my room for some Zzz's.

DAY 2: Thursday November 6th, 2008

I see that my pictures are all scrambled up for today, sorry! It was just amazing to wake-up to warm, sunny days! I got up, got myself all cleaned up, and put on my bathing suit.....I was going to the beach! Already at 8:00 AM the sun was HOT, and the air was very humid. I spent about 3 hours on the beach, then a few of the others finally woke-up and I joined them at the pool. This was my favorite thing about the pool...the bar that you can swim up to! haha! Most of my day was spent there with everyone, relaxing it up!

That night I had gone out to dinner with a group of people for some Sushi. Ahhhh, some of the best sushi I have ever had. We had met the rest of the people that arrived today at the Lobby bar for some drinks, and then later on we enjoyed a show called "Fire Desire". It was a big dance party on the beach, and then some guys came out and were twirling fire and blowing fire out of their mouths. Hot!

Where is Gary you ask? Well, unfortunately his passport went missing and he didn't realize it until 3 AM when we were about to leave. So he had to get an emergency passport and he arrived on Friday afternoon. It was a little scary traveling by myself, but luckily I new some people on the plane, and people when I got there, so it wasn't that bad.

Stay tuned for the wedding pictures!

VACATION!

2008-11-04T10:31:00.002-05:00

On Wednesday morning, Gary and I are leaving for Punta Cana (Dominican Republic) for a nice vacation, and.......to see our friends Kristin and Scott get married! Can't wait to show you the pictures when we return! Pray for good weather though.....Gary checked the weather for there this morning and they are calling for thunderstorms the whole time! Noooooooo! Can't wait to show you the pictures when we return! And....I will also be able to show you my "secret" album that I have been working on! (I really have been scrapbooking!)

See you when I return next week! :)

Home Show this weekend!

2008-10-24T09:33:00.003-04:00

Don't have anything to do this weekend?

Then come and visit Angelo Corrado Homes, Inc. at booth #100 at the 7th Annual Fall Eastern Pennsylvania Home Show! Here are the details:

WHEN: Oct 25-26 , 2008
WHERE: AG Hall, Allentown Fairgrounds, 302 North 17th Street Allentown, PA
SHOW HOURS: Saturday, 11am to 6pm & Sunday, 11am to 6pm
TICKETS: Adults $7, Seniors $6, 12 & under FREE

Look forward to seeing you there!

GOUGH Custom Home

2008-10-13T10:51:00.004-04:00

We had another settlement on a custom home last Monday. This home was built for the Gough family (pronounced "GO"). They had built an Angelo Corrado home a couple of years ago, but with a growing family, and in-laws who wanted to live with them, they needed to build a bigger home. The Gough's had purchased a beautiful piece of property near Hamburg, Berks County, PA. It is so serene with beautiful woods all around them.

This was a fun house to do because there was really two houses in one. The "Main House" was the larger part of the home that you see on the left hand side of the picture below. The "In-law Suite" is located on the right hand side of the photo below. The in-laws have their own kitchen, family room, bathroom, 2 bedrooms, and their own 2 car garage. The only thing that they share will be the laundry room. I have more pictures up on my myspace page for you to view. Click here to see more!

"Main House" Foyer:"Main House" Family Room:

"Main House" Kitchen:

"Main House" Bar (finished the basement with a powder room, exercise room bar and entertainment room):
"Main House" Foyer - looking down from 2nd Floor Balcony:
"Main House" Master Bedroom Suite:

The corridor between the "Main House" and "In-law Suite" (they even added a cute little cat door to go between the two houses!):
"In-law Suite" Foyer:
"In-law Suite" Kitchen and Family Room:

Just one of those days...

2008-10-08T11:00:00.003-04:00

...where you do not want to sit in an office and do your job. That's how I feel today.

Link Chiropractic

2008-09-30T09:19:00.004-04:00

Back in spring, I was hired by my chiropractor to select paint colors for their new office. I was more than happy to do this for them! Their original office was based in the basement of their home. They had their home up for sale and decided to move their office to a shopping center. They were so cool about it. They told me to pick out anything I wanted, they didn't care what it looked liked. No pressure right? Once I got there to see the new office in person, I realized that there were a lot of colors already going on.....the window frames and trim was painted hunter green, the carpet had purple/grey tones in it, the baseboard was a slate blue color.....hmmmm. I was there for awhile trying to decide what to do. Oh, did I mention that I had to decide on my colors that day? Like I said before...no pressure!

So here it is! The finish product:

Entrance/Receptionist Area:

Adjusting Area:
Waiting Area:

There are two more rooms, but unfortunately the pictures didn't get. There is the doctor's office, and also a meeting room. The doctor's are a husband/wife team, and they had decorated the office themselves. They did a good job too!

I was so nervous seeing this in person. This was my first time doing freelance work. And guess what....I am so glad that I did it, because my chiropractor had referred me to one of his customers!

I am going to do the same now too. If you live in the Reading area, or near Oley, and need to see a chiropractor, I would recommend you to see Dr. Wayne and Dr. Dawn Fichter. They are really caring doctors and really look out for your health and making it better. Click here to view their website, and if you go to see them, tell them that I referred you! :)

SCHAEFFER Custom Home

2008-09-24T11:35:00.006-04:00

Tomorrow is the settlement day for the Schaeffer custom home. This home was built in the Schuylkill county area. It was a lot of fun doing selections with this couple. She is just like me where everything needs to match...the light fixtures, faucets, door hardware on the cabinets and on the doors, and right down to the toilet handle. Mrs. Schaeffer and I got along just fine! ;)

I just updated the Angelo Corrado Homes, Inc. website to show more pictures of this home. Click here and check it out if your are interested!

A Fling Before the Ring

2008-09-08T11:34:00.004-04:00

Labor Day weekend was Kristin's bachlorette party at Penn State. Kristin, and two of the other bridesmaids are Penn State Alumni's, so Kristin wanted to have one more weekend of singlehood at Penn Sate. It definitely was a great time hanging out with the girls, drinking, shopping, eating ice cream from the creamery, dressing up, and of course girl talk. It has been awhile since I have been out with the girls, and it was very much needed. Reminds me of the good old days from middle school sleepovers (without the alcohol of course!).

I have some pictures of our weekend below. There are a few cRaZy ones of course, and I thought I better not show them on here. But there are a few more on my myspace page if you would like to see some more! Here is my link: http://www.myspace.com/beachluvngirl

So, here we all are, all dressed up and ready to go out on the town. This was our first night and it was a luau theme since Kristin's wedding will be a destination wedding in the Dominican Republic.

ICE CREAM! We made a special trip to the Penn State Creamery on Sunday. This was our lunch! I selected Cookies-N-Cream. It was soooo good! :)
After eating all of that ice cream, we decided to walk it off by walking over to the Penn State Nittany Lion. Here we all are (left to right: Devan, top row: Kristin, Heather, Jennifer, Gabrielle; bottom row: Me, and Susan)
Jennifer, Heather and Kristin are all Penn State alumni's. They had graduated from Penn State in 2004. So, here they are 4 years later together again...

I promise to post some scrapbooking layouts and home photos soon! I am going to the Friday night crop at Kinnon Keepsakes this Friday, so I have a goal to get a lot of layouts done, plus work on something that I have been working on for months (it's been hard for me not to show you it!) We also have some settlements coming up in the next couple of weeks, so there will be some posts soon showing some of my work!

Some Sad News

2008-08-25T11:31:00.002-04:00

I have been wanting to tell you this news for the longest time, but I swore to my cousin that I wouldn't tell anyone. But, since she sent a newsletter out over the weekend, I am allowed to leave the cat out of the bag....

My cousins scrapbooking store, Kinnon Keepsakes is closing its doors. I know a few of you scrapbook a little (or a lot), and with the way the economy is you haven't been buying as much supplies (I know I haven't), so visit the store and get the great deals on paper, tools, embellishments, and even paper racks! You won't be able to beat it anywhere else!

To all of you that visited us at Kinnon Keepsakes over the years, we appreciated you shopping and supporting your local store rather than at the big chain stores. I have meet some wonderful people working there when the store first opened. Everyone has been so kind and you basically feel like my 2nd family. I will miss everyone!

The good news is that we are still having our largest event of the year. CROP FOR A CURE! We hope you can make it to raise money for breast cancer. This years event will not be held at Kutztown University, but at the Lehigh Valley Cedar Crest Hospital NEW Kasych Education Center.

Please visit www.kinnonkeepsakes.com for more information on the Crop for a Cure and information on upcoming sales that we will be having at the store.

Keep Scrappin'!

A Bridal Shower and One BIG Party!

2008-08-20T09:42:00.006-04:00

One of my best friends is getting married! I am so lucky to be a part of this celebration between Kristin and Scott. The festivities began on Saturday with Kristin's bridal shower. It was held at the Hoffman House at Muhlenberg College where Kristin used to work. It was the most beautiful place to hold it, with lots of sunlight coming in, and lots of room for all of her family and friends. Kristin and Scott's wedding is a destination wedding to Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic, so our theme was a beach/tropical theme with palm trees, seashells, and the bridesmaid dress color of pink coral color, and the groomsmen tux color of tan. Such clean and refreshing colors. We had appetizers and punch set up in one of the front rooms where the guests could mingle and catch-up before Kristin showed up. It wasn't a surprise shower for Kristin since she had to drive to Pennsylvania from Virginia, but she didn't know the details. After Kristin arrived and went around to visit everyone, we sat in the large dining room and played our first game. Then Kristin opened up her gifts from everyone. We then played another game. After that we had a buffet style lunch with yummy tropical foods to go along with theme. We had played one more game after lunch, and then out came dessert. A yummy vanilla cake with a raspberry icing and cool-whipped icing. We also had mini cheesecakes topped with fresh fruit and whipped cream. TO DIE FOR! Everything turned out so well, and everyone was so relaxed and had such a great time.

Next weekend is Kristin's bachlorette party up at Penn State! Can't wait! :)

There was another big party that I had gone to after the shower on Saturday at my Aunt Sharon and Uncle Danny's house. It was my Aunt Sharon's 50th Birthday, my Uncle Danny's 60th Birthday, my Uncle Danny's two son's 35th and 40th Birthday, and my Uncle Danny's mother's 80th birthday year....plus a few other milestone birthdays and anniversaries. So in any event, they held one giant party. They had a local band called the Aardvarks play in their garage later on at night! How cool is that!?!

Here Jenna and I are showing off our Pudding and Jell-O shot pile! hahaha! :)

Creating Keepsakes Convention - Valley Forge

2008-08-12T12:20:00.004-04:00

I know, I know! I am a little behind on my blogging and posting my pictures. And...I know I keep saying that I am busy, but I honestly am. This summer has not been very relaxing for me. It's one thing after another. I can't wait for September. You should see my calendar. There is NOTHING scheduled! Whoohoo!

Two weekends ago, Kinnon Keepsakes was a vendor at the Creating Keepsakes Convention in Valley Forge Convention Center. The girls set the booth up on Thursday during the day, and then after work I came down to help work the booth on Friday and Saturday. This was the first time that I was able to take a class at the convention. I have no idea what the name of the class was, but the instructor was Stacy Julian, Editor and Creator of Simple Scrapbooks Magazine. What a cool girl! She was so much fun, and her class was so inspiring. She taught us how to get 1 mini album done in about 2 sittings (not 2 years like what I do!) We had about 30 minutes to complete 10 pages of mini album, and each time we completed a page we had to yell "whoohoo!", and she would "whoohoo" back! Haha! So much fun. But like I said, it was so inspiring, and this is something that I am going to have to try.
After the class she gave out some door prizes, and I won her new book, called the Big Picture. She autographed it for me! SWEET!

Here was our large booth at the convention. The main product that we sold is by QuicKutz. It is a personal die-cutting system that we sell at the store and it is a huge it. Look how pretty we made it...all matchy-matchy with pink and brown!

Here is CJ demonstrating the Revolution Tool, and the new 4x8 alphabet set! You go girl!

Special Day

2008-07-30T10:40:00.002-04:00

It was this little girls' special day on Sunday. Miss Lily Alice was baptized. Her Pappy is holding her in this picture......just look how cute she looks in the cute little pink dress! My cousin Todd, and his wife Patty are her godparents.
Here is Lily's grandpa holding her.
And this cake! I gotta tell you about this cake! I think that this was the BEST cake I have ever ate! I am not much of a cake eater, but if it has cool-whipped icing, and strawberries in it....then you most definitely know that this was a good cake! I could have licked my plate! But I didn't.....I wish I did though! :)

May God Bless you Miss Lily Alice!

An exciting weekend!

2008-07-22T09:20:00.006-04:00

I had gone to the beach this past weekend and it was definitely an exciting one! Jenna's brother Michael came along with to the beach this weekend so Brian could have a playmate. Here are the two best buds showing off their cheesy grins. Someone on the beach had found a conch shell and gave it to the boys to play with. Here is Michael showing off this slimy snail.
This picture is actually from the weekend before. Look at this jellyfish! I have NEVER seen a jellyfish so big before!

This is Jesse's new favorite thing to do...floating around on the raft in the pool. Haha! What a dog.
Saturday night we took the boys to the boardwalk. I was playing around with my camera to test the different scenes I can use on my camera. Here is a picture of the ferris wheel and the roller coaster using the night scene. Turned out pretty cool!

This past weekend was the 20th Anniversary of Wildwood's Christmas in July Boat Parade. At the end of the parade they held fireworks at an island that is across from our house. Well the grand finale never ended. With everything being so dry from the lack of rain that we have been having that the sparks created a fire. I wish I took some pictures from the fire at night, but the pictures below are from a helicopter dumping water to scorch the fire on Sunday morning. It was pretty cool to watch. I don't know if you can see, but in the 2nd picture, the helicopter is scooping up the water from the bay (look on the right hand side of the picture). It did this all day on Sunday. Back and forth, back and forth.....It was pretty neat to watch this. I have never seen anything like it, and it was pretty amazing at how close that helicopter can get to the water to scoop it up, and then watch it dump it out.

MIA

2008-07-17T09:46:00.002-04:00

The last couple of weeks have been busy, and not much scrapbooking or picture taking has been done. Tonight I plan on working on 3 layouts for August's Fast and Fabulous for a class at Kinnon Keepsakes. Stay tuned!

Championship Baseball Game

2008-07-10T09:54:00.003-04:00

Brian's baseball team had a fantastic year. They won every single game. They had to play 2 play-off games, and if they won those games, they would make it to the championship games. They had won the 2 play-off games with no problem. On Saturday June 28th was the Championship game. They played against the Lower Macungie Red Sox's at Emmaus Community Park. Unfortunately, Brian's team didn't win the championships, with the game being 12-8. What a game though! These boys were such good troopers. They did not let this loss bother them one bit.

The two pictures below are from one of the playoff games. Brian is up to bat...
He made it up to 2nd base...
My cousin Amy, and her two little ones, Gabe and Miss Lily came to watch Brian's championship game...I love this picture of them! Looks like Gabe is up to something! hehe!
Here is Miss Lily all happy, but looks quite confused...
Ooops! Someone pinched her.....I think it was my mom! Too cute!

Scraplifting...It's Legal!

2008-07-08T12:14:00.002-04:00

Scraplifting is legal? Oh, you bet it is!

The one thing that I am responsible for at Kinnon Keepsakes is to re-create layouts from magazines by using products from the store and "scraplifting" them right out of the magazine. The two magazines that I am scraplifting from is "Simple Scrapbooks" and "Scrapbook Trends".

Below are my versions of "scraplifting"

Scrapbook Trends Magazine - July Issue - Page 57

Products used: My Mind's Eye 29th Avenue patterned paper, tag, and transparency, Bazzil cardstock, QuicKutz font - Tangerine (I can't remember the other font that I used for 'graduate'), and the rusty stars are from AC Moore.

Simple Scrapbooks - July/August Issue - Page 62

This is the original layout from the magazine

My version above

Products used: My Mind's Eye 29th Avenue patterned paper, transparency, and accessories, Bazzil cardstock, Making Memories round metal numbers (those are ancient), Heidi Swapp's translucent flower, I believe the buttons are from Scenic Route, QuicKutz font - Ginger

REMEMBER! You can always see these layouts in person at Kinnon Keepsakes. They are hanging right above the fireplace, next to Patty's Product Showcase.

My Beach Vacation

2008-07-08T09:07:00.003-04:00

DAY 1: Our 1st day on the beach was not a real enjoyable one. It was that cold and windy, that Brian was in the mind-frame of winter and made some "sandmen".
DAY 2: ROAD TRIP DAY! On our way up to Long Beach Island, we made a pit-stop in Atlantic City and ate at a Johnny Rockets. That was my first time there, and they definitely had some YUMMY milkshakes and a cool 1950's atmosphere. After that, we then continued our drive up to Long to Beach Island. There is a shop here called "How to Live". They have some cute stuff in there, and I totally think that Cape May needs to have a store like it......that I plan to open some day! hehe! On our way back we stopped at this tiny little shack of a restaurant. We sat outside by the bay where mom got a lobster, and I had some crab. The pictures below are some scenes from the deck of this shack.

DAY 3: Another day at the beach. Look how grown-up my little brother looks! Geesh! When did this happen? And look at those muscles!
I really didn't get to take too many pictures. I was too busy catching up on my reading and relaxing! But, I am sure I will take some more.....summer has just begun, and there are more trips to the beach coming up soon!

Refreshed & Relaxed....for now....

2008-07-07T16:15:00.004-04:00

Ahhhhhhhh. It was just so amazing to actually do what you want to, and when you want to. No schedules, and no running around to one thing to the other. All I wanted was to just sit on the beach, enjoy the sand between my toes, the salty air, and a comfy beach chair and just read....read...read! I caught up on several out-dated magagzines, and I started to read a new book! There is so much to tell, and I have a couple of pictures to show, but I didn't get time to download them. So keep reading this week!

Kristin, if you read this....I promise to work on my tan lines! (Of course the only real good beach day I wore a swimsuit with straps! Figures!)

I'm Outta Here!

2008-06-27T10:17:00.003-04:00

Ahhhhh.....the beach. My favorite place in the entire world! The only place where I can relax, read a book, take nice long walks, eat the best food around, and watch the most beautiful set of 4th of July fireworks.

My boss was nice enough to close the office for the entire week. So I am definiately taking advantage of it by spending it at the beach. I can't ask for anything better than that! Thank you Angelo!

I will post when I return!

A Cutie Patootie!

2008-06-26T10:41:00.003-04:00

My Aunt Faye and her grand-daughter, Shiloh, stopped to watch Brian's baseball team play in the play-offs last night. I only get to see Shiloh a few times in a year, usually on the major holidays, and I just can't believe how much she has grown up! Just look at those eyes....such a cutie patootie!

P.S. Brian's team won the play-off game last night, so now they have a championship game on Saturday night! They have won every single game so far, so I hope they will will the championship game too. That would be really cool!

Shop and earn MONEY!

2008-06-24T09:24:00.002-04:00

I usually do not believe in stuff that is too good to be true, but I think this new thing in my life has got me convinced. Here is what I am talking about...

I would like to let you know about an e-commerce business that has made our way into the Lehigh Valley. This is your chance to shop and earn your money back that you spend!

That's right.....Spend money to make money! And here's how...

Because of today's economy, many retail stores are closing their doors because it is too much overhead for them to stay open. So to still stay in business these companies are turning to e-commerce and catalog sales. The company that I would like to introduce you to is called "SHOP TO EARN" which is based in Nevada and they are working with over 600+ companies, such as TARGET, WALMART, Kohl's, Macy's, Aeropostal, Gap, Best Buy. This website is the ONLY WEBSITE where you can access all of these companies to make your every day purchases and receive CASH BACK, points, and bonus points, which in turn turn to cash, on what you purchase!

This is like a pyramid operation, but it's LEGAL! We know people who have looked into this and actually spoke to a Target representative and they can confirm that this is LEGAL!

To earn this money, you must invest $448 to be a Broker, which means you own the website and you are a business builder. One step of this process is that you will need to sign up 2 people underneath you (you can have more people under you...the more the better!) For each person who signs up, you will receive $100, and for each person under them that signs up you will receive $50, and so on, and so on...My brother's girlfriends mom only joined up last Tuesday and as of Sunday evening she has earned $1,262.85 just by several people signing up under her, and for shopping for her every day needs.

They suggest that you should open up a separate savings/checking account. You will receive a W-1099 for any income of $600 or more, keep track so there's no surprises next April.

Want to learn more? Feel free to visit my website to view the video online that explains this business to you in depth:
Jill's Website: www.shoptoearn.net/jma26
CLICK ON: OVERVIEW
Watch video and slide show called: "HOW IT WORKS"

There are also teleconference calls daily to learn more about this business and how it works. If you are from out of state or from out of the area, you can do this on your own. Let me know if you are interested and I can give you the number to dial and the times. I suggest doing it, you will learn a lot more about it!

If you would like to join, just let me know and we can sign you up as soon as possible, it takes no more than 15 minutes!

Like I said, I know that it sounds too good to be true, but please take the time and research into it. Let me know if you have any questions!

Fast and Fabulous - July

2008-06-17T10:16:00.003-04:00

It's official! It is finally summer time! So let's get started on putting those summer photos on a layout so you can spend more time enjoying these dog days of summer! This months layouts will consist of a beach theme, a vacation theme (can be used for the beach or any other kind of vacation), and a generic summer time event layout. This class will be the same concept that we have every month, where you will make three double pages that are easy to make, yet are great looking. Usually page kits are at least $12 for a double page spread, this is three double page spreads, plus you will complete them during class and they will be done. Don't forget if you sign up for back-to-back Fast and Fab classes, you get $5 off making it even a better deal. So, what do you say? Take some time out away from the heat and sun and let's get some layouts done!

Bring: Class kit, QuicKutz tool or Revolution Tool, Brown Distressed Ink Pad, Paper Piercer, and Glue Dots

Cost: $30.00
*($25.00 if you have attended the June class and signed-up for the July class that night!)

Beach Layout

(Materials used: Bazzil Cardstock, and Scenic Route patterned paper, chipboard, and buttons)

Our Escape Layout

(Materials used: Bazzil Cardstock, Scenic Route patterened paper, Making Memories stickers, and QuicKutz Vixen alphabet)

Summer Fun Layout

(Materials used: Bazzil Cardstock, My Mind's Eye 29th Avenue patterned paper, and QuicKutz Exotic Island alphabet)

Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs

2008-06-16T10:29:00.005-04:00

On Friday night we had gone to our first Iron Pigs baseball game. It was my Aunt Sharon's 50th birthday, and to celebrate this milestone in her life, she had invited some friends and family to party it up on the THP Party Deck. It was such a great night for a baseball game. It was a close game against the Buffalo Bisons, 4-5, with the Pigs winning the game! I guess that since we were such a large group we had raffle tickets to win something. Well guess what, the announcer called my name! I won an Iron Pigs baseball hat! Pretty cool since I NEVER win anything! Maybe I should play the lottery?!? hehe! At the end of the game there was a fireworks show. I tried to take some pictures but they didn't get. But I really like the one in the middle (below), it came out pretty cool.

Michael and Brian. It was Michael's birthday too!

Adam and Jenna

Gary and I

Coca-Cola Park - Home of the Iron Pigs

Batter Up!

The above picture is the one that I think is pretty cool.

Here is the link to the Lehigh Vally Iron Pigs: http://ironpigsbaseball.com I think it is great that Lehigh Valley finally has a summertime event to go to with the family. Now, if they could only get an Ice Hockey Team together for the winter....

I think I got it!

2008-06-11T10:13:00.009-04:00

Okay, after many, many, MANY attempts, I think I finally figured this out. So, here are the pictures from Sunday's graduation party!

Val and Brent trying to keep cool:

Here is my dad, trying to keep cool and trying to stay awake: Here is Gary in the sun.....not trying to keep cool:

Here is Ben, Sarah, Gabe and Ryan....doing it right by keeping it cool in the pool:

And here is Miss Lily Alice all dressed up....too CUTE!

Graduation Party

2008-06-09T18:04:00.002-04:00

My brother Adam, and his girlfriend, Jenna, had graduated from Penn State back in May. Jenna's younger sister Brittany is graduating from Parkland High School on Tuesday night. So a combined graduation party was held on Sunday. Despite the 100 degree temperature plus humidity that we had yesterday the party was a huge hit. Luckily there was a pool there for the kids and a lot of shade for the adults to sit under.

I would like to add some photos of the party, but I have been having computer problems at work where I first tried to do this, and now I am having issues with my computer at home. UGH!!! I will keep on trying!

Brain Fart

2008-06-05T13:03:00.000-04:00

I seriously need to get over this brain fart that I am having. I have a lot of projects that I need to get done for Kinnon Keepsakes (the scrapbooking store that I teach at....every now and then). My brain just has not been in the the creative mode lately. I've had plenty of week nights for like the last 2 weeks to work on these projects, but as soon as I sit down and try to work on these pages, the brain fart decides to come. I sit there.......nothing......I sit there some more, maybe move some more pictures around......nothing......maybe it's the paper? Let's try different paper. Still nothing. I don't know what it is, but I hope this brain fart goes away soon, or I will have one unhappy cousin (the owner of Kinnon Keepsakes), and a lot of unhappy customers who always look forward to my classes. And that's not good! So, I will try again tonight. I did some research at work today for some ideas, (I may have to scraplift...but don't worry, it's legal!) But, I think I may have some good ideas to be able to start on these layouts now. Thank goodness! Whew!

Check out the Kinnon Keepsakes website to view my layouts (better wait a couple of days....I probably won't be at the store to drop them off until Friday and it will take awhile for Amy to post them up on the website). Here is the website address: http://www.kinnonkeepsakes.com/. Then click under "classroom", and the class is called "Fast and Fabulous July".

OR, I may try to post my layouts on here as well. Just bare with me on this.....I am computer illiterate!

Hello!

2008-06-04T16:36:00.000-04:00

Hello Everyone!

I have been contemplating about whether or not I should start blogging. To me this is kind of scary letting everyone now about my personal life (well, not everything...but you get the idea). But I already have an account on myspace, so I thought, well, what the heck, why not! This way, my family members can view this, and other fellow scrapbookers and interior designers/design consultants.

I don't know how good I will be with keeping up with this blog, or what kind of stories I will share. But all I can do is try!

So, please, sit back, relax and keep on checking me out!