December Stamp of the Month Blog Hop

Welcome to the SOTM blog hop.  If you arrived from Melinda's blog, you're on the right path!

This month we are featuring D1445 Amore a set of 13 stamps.  I had a hard time deciding what I was going to do when I picked up this set.  There are some great stamps, but I just wasn't feeling the pull of Valentine's.... I'm right in the middle of the mad Christmas stamping rush!

So instead of creating a "Valentine," I decided to just make a simple "I love you" card and I had so much fun!  I loved how it turned out.  I especially loved adding some sparkles from the Blue and Green Assortment (Z1327 $2.95).

Supplies Used
Magnifique Paper Pack
Lagoon and Pacifica Ink
Blue and Green Sparkles

Next up is Shannon!  Hop on over to her blog to see what she came up with....

Race for the Cure - Walking for Debbie

On Sunday I walked the Race for the Cure 5k in memory of my good friend Debbie Hall.  I had been wanting to do something like that for a long time.  When I found out that Ali Vincent was the captain of Team Designer Whey, I knew I had found what I wanted to do. 

Dawn and Ali Vincent

 I loved watching Ali win Biggest Loser.  There's just something about her that I could relate to.  I've read her book and listened to many of her interviews and she's so enthusiastic and motivational.  I was excited to meet her in person.

Candace, Ali and Dawn

Barbie, Dawn and Jacqueline

 One of the best parts of the walk was the fact that so many of my scrapping buddies joined me!  I have another picture with Patty and Tammy in it, but I can't find it.  I'll have to add it later.  (I'm typing this in my hotel room in Catalina) Barbie, Jacqueline, Patty, Tammy and Candace did the walk with me.  Jennifer, Bethany and Ivan had planned to join us, but poor Jennifer ended up in the hospital (gallbladder surgery).  I guess that's a pretty good reason to skip the walk!

 One of the best parts of the walk was the part where we got to walk on 163.  I've always loved that freeway!  This is a shot looking down on the runners leading the pack.

And here's a picture of us getting ready to walk under the bridge.

It was a great experience and Designer Whey was so generous and welcoming!!  They sent us emails with training tips leading up to the race, gave us a ton of free products (watch for my review and recipe using the Blueberry powder!!  Yummy!!) Ali was very personable.  She gave hugs, chatted with us and signed a ton of autographs.

And now I know... I can do a 5k.  Well, I know I can walk a 5k.  I guess I still have to work on that running part if I'm going to do my triathlon next year.

Scrappin Escapes Retreat

It's going to take me a couple of days and a couple of posts to catch up on all the fun I had last weekend.  I thought I would blog from the hotel room, but I think I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.  I spent the weekend at the Scrappin Escapes Retreat at the Kona Kai in San Diego. It was absolutely amazing!  I've held some small retreats for my customers and I've gone to many conventions but this was something I had never experienced.  Check out what it looks like to have 1400 feet of scrapbooking tables!!  (140 women x 10 foot table.  There was one row of tables behind me when I took this picture.)

You can get a sneak peek of some of the things I completed.  The Mistletoe WOTG layouts and cards are on the table. 

Here's a picture of Barbara and Gail looking out on the Marina.  As you can see, it was a gorgeous weekend in San Diego!!

Ooops, I forgot to take a picture when this table looked all nice and fancy.  I brought a yummy dinner (Chicken Salad Croissants, Grapes, Chips and Lemon Cake) for Gail's birthday and it ended up being a great idea!  We were able to save a ton of money by eating leftovers for lunch and we had tons of snacks for the whole weekend.

We had so much fun that we're already signed up to do it again next year.  Who can pass up an opportunity to hang out with your girlfriends, laugh until you cry and be in a room with 139 other crazy people that love scrapbooking as much or more than you do?

Stay tuned for more updates!  I have pictures of what I completed at the retreat and a little Race for the Cure update coming soon.



My Thanksgiving Project

I am really excited to share a fun project I'm doing for Thanksgiving this year.  Below is an excerpt from my customer newsletter that explains a little bit about what I am doing.  If you would like to participate.  Please leave me a comment and I'll send you info on where you can send your cards.

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Military Thank You


I have been blessed to be part of a family with a rich military tradition and I am truly grateful for all those who serve to protect the freedoms that we have.

Periodically I participate in projects that send cards to those who are deployed.
This year I would like to share the opportunity with you.

I am "adopting" my cousin's unit in Korea. His Korean assignment is "unaccompanied." Meaning that while he is not in Iraq or Afghanistan, his family is still not allowed to accompany him...so he and his unit live in Korea, while their spouses live in the USA.

At my November workshop I will have a couple of cards for everyone to sign, if you would like. In addition I will be accepting donations of cards that we can send to the unit. We will send Christmas, birthday, anniversary and thinking of you cards. This will allow the unit to select cards to personalize and send back home to their family.
As a military "brat," I can tell you, there is nothing more exciting than to see your Daddy's handwriting on an envelope or card!

I hope you will help me celebrate Thanksgiving this year, by taking a few minutes to thank our military and help a unit that is Close To My Heart.

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I will be accepting card donations until November 15th.  At that point I will put the cards in clear envelopes, sort, organize and mail the package to my cousin so that it will get there in time for them to distribute the cards and mail them back home with their personal messages.  Not only do they need Christmas cards to send home, but many have birthdays and anniversaries too.  So look through your card stash and pick a few to pass on.  I'm sure the unit and their loved ones will appreciate it!