Blog Candy Winner

 
The winner of the blog candy is Elin K.  Please email me with your address and I'll get these to you right away.  Here are her "words of wisdom":

Happy Birthday! Thanks for the chance to win blog candy...I've drooled over this set for a while, but can't seem to attain it. :) My words of wisdom have been passed down in my family for as long as anyone can remember: "Trust God and carry a concealed weapon; when seconds count, the police are only minutes away". Pithy, eh??

I enjoyed reading all of your comments and words of wisdom.  Thanks to everyone that participated.  I wish I had prizes for all of you. 

  
     

 

It's Here!

 My birthday gift was delivered on Tuesday.  A few days late, but I didn't mind.  It's finally here!  It only took my husband a few hours, along with some colorful language, to put it together.  Then, I got to spend most of Wednesday stocking it with all of my supplies.  I can't believe how much this desk holds!!!  It is amazing.

 

Last year, I got to see this desk, up close and personal, at a Creating Keepsakes Convention.  I had seen pictures of it online and in scrapbook magazines before, but wasn't overly impressed.  It just looked like a desk with a glass top to me.  But when I saw it at the convention, I loved the fact that it could be made into a counter-height desk by adding drawers.  I like to stand when I do my prep work for classes and it is just the right height.
 

And the drawers are perfect for storing ALL of my punches.  I love being able to see all my goodies at one time.  It looks like I'll be selling all of my old "whale-tail" style punches and purchasing the new style soon.  If you are interested in any of the old punches, I'll be posting a list on Saturday when I announce the blog candy winner.

 

The other great thing that I love about this desk is that it matches some of our other furniture.....therefore, mom is no longer "banished" to another room to stamp.  It works well in our open living & dining room area, so I can spend more time with my family and stamp, too!  

If you haven't done so already, be sure to enter to win some blog candy by leaving a comment on my previous post.  I'll be announcing the winner on Saturday.

Older & Wiser PLUS Blog Candy!

 

Today is my 41st birthday!  My gift is in transit, so I can't share the details of it with you yet.  However, it is stamping related and very drool-worthy.  I've waited a LONG time for this item and I am so excited that it will finally be mine.

So, I'm going to the office this morning to see a few patients, then I am going to spend the afternoon with my 4 year-old daughter doing a little Spring shopping.  She is my "mini-me".....loves to shop and I think she may have been bitten by the stamping bug.  I let her use an old stamp set a few nights ago and when she saw my entire collection of stamps, her eyes just lit up.  "Are these all for me?"  ME:  "Um, no.  These are for mommy."  (with an implied "hands-off").  We may have to shop for some inexpensive stamps for her today as well.

One of the best gifts that I have in my life is my friends.  I have four girlfriends that I have been close with since junior high. We've been through many good times and bad.....boyfriends, husbands, divorces, children, death....all the ups and downs of life.  Last year when I turned 40, I was so very thankful to have these words of wisdom from my friend, Michelle.  It is titled "20 verses 40".  She is such a talented writer and I hope you'll enjoy this no matter what your stage of life.

(And scroll down for the chance to get some blog candy!)

My friend Tricia had a birthday the other day, and posted a comment about struggling with 40.  That got me to thinking...what's so bad about 40?  If I compared 20 and 40, how would the chips fall?   So I thought about it for a little while, and came to the conclusion that 40 is better...decidedly better than 20.  Here's why.

1. I know who I am.  At 20, I had no real identity.  I had a pretty good idea of who I thought I would turn out to be, but I wasn't there yet and wasn't even really on track.  I still followed others, lacked self confidence, second-guessed my decisions, and based a lot of how I felt about myself on whether a certain boy liked me or not. 

2. I have values, and I'm not afraid to stand up for them.  I think I knew what I believed at 20, but didn't have a strong enough character to stand up to some friends who disagreed.  I also backed down from college professors who tried to force feed their agendas down any throat they could find.  I wish I had spoken up.  I would now.

3. I wear what I want to wear because it's comfortable, not because it's stylish.  That's not to say that I pay no attention to fashion or that I don't try to look nice, but I will no longer sacrifice my feet and my back in order to wear cute heels or boots that HURT!  I also won't try to cram my ass into jeans that make me unable to breathe just for the sake of trying to look a certain way.  I've learned the value of a good bra, comfortable knickers, and an elastic waistband.

4. I know how to ask for what I want, and will demand it if it is important enough.  I generally won't sit by and be neglected anymore.  Previously, I would have sat quietly but dissatisfied, gotten walked on, or suffered silently.  No more...I am just as valuable as the next person, and I won't let anyone step on me for the sake of not making waves.

5. I don't fight.  I used to be a hothead, and it got me into a lot of trouble.  Not that I ever hit anyone or got into fistfights  (ok...maybe once or twice), but I did argue and yell a lot.  Now, I'm in control of my actions.  I wait and decide how I will behave in a situation rather than reacting to someone else's behavior.  There is loads of freedom in being in control of your emotions.  No one MAKES me anything...happy, sad, angry...I choose to feel that way.  The older I get, the less I allow others to have the reigns in my emotional life.

6. I'm content.  I don't have a big or fancy house.  I drive an older vehicle, and I don't wear designer clothes.  My husband doesn't look like Brad Pitt, and my kids sometimes piss me off.  But what I do have is ample...abundant even.  I am blessed to be where I am with this family.  I don't need anything or anyone else to complete me.

7. I like me.  I finally realize that I am smart, capable, and independent.  I know that I have a sense of humor, compassion, and stick-to-it-ness.  I recognize my shortcomings, and realize that I can't be perfect.  I no longer base my self-worth on the relative size of my buttor my  boobs.  I try every day to see myself as God sees me.  He made me this way for a reason, and who am I to question his judgement?

 

 40 always sounded like a horrible mile marker on the road of life.  We used to talk about it like it was OLD.  Now that I'm here, I know the truth...at 40 I have come a long way.  I've made huge mistakes, hurt some people and been badly hurt by others, and blundered through plenty of messes.  But my experience has been rich.  My scars tell a story, and that story is me.  I like 40.  Now bring on 80!

 

 

The card at the top of the post is the one that Stampin' Up! is sending to all of its demonstrators this year.  We even get an additional discount on one item!  Pretty cool, huh?  You can see the inside of the card above, as well as the items I'll be giving away as blog candy!!!
BLOG CANDY PRIZE:  Something To Celebrate (Clear Mount Stamp Set),  Birthday Bakery (Wood Mount Stamp Set), and Square Lattice Embossing Folder for the Big Shot

To enter, LEAVE A COMMENT at the end of this post with your words of wisdom for growing older.  I'll select one name at random on Friday, March 25th at 7pm---so make sure you post by then.  The winner will be announced on Saturday, March 26th.

Want even more chances to win?--For every $10 purchase that you make between now and Friday, March 25th, you will receive another entry for Blog Candy.  Orders must be placed through my online store or you can email me.

 

The Update You've Been Waiting For.....

It's officially been one month since I last posted and I appreciate all of the concerned emails.  No, I didn't fall off the face of the earth.  I've just been trying to come up with the right words to explain my situation. 

For those of you that know me well, you know that I have one of the best husbands in the world....aside from yours, of course.  ;0)  He has always been very supportive of my Stampin' Up! business and genuinely tries to help.  For example, he started doing the laundry in January so that I would have more time to focus on Sale-a-Bration.  Pretty cool, eh?

And remember last month, I told you that he had a surprise for me for Valentine's Day?  Well, he took me to a gorgeous Victorian Bed & Breakfast.  We had a great dinner and night away with no kiddos...it was wonderful!  You can click the photo below to get a good look at all my goodies from that night.

 

In addition to being a great husband, he is also my partner in our chiropractic office.  We met during chiropractic school and really have not spent much time apart since we first started dating.  It's not always easy working together, but we have managed to do alright.

However, we both want to take our practice to the next level and that is going to require a full-time committment from both of us to make it work.  There is more training to do and systems to implement.
I've always had a fairly easy work schedule that allowed me to also have a steady Stampin' Up! business.  However, I have now added at least 10 additional work hours at my office and I am finding that I have very little time to myself, let alone to devote to stamping.

I've had to figure out a new role in my stamping business this past month and I've gone back and forth many times, trying to do the right thing.  I came back from Leadership pumped up and ready to launch several new "products" this month (including an online scrapbook club).  After careful evaluation, I don't feel that I can offer any additional services and do it with the level of quality and customer service that would be appropriate.  I may be able to offer occasional tutorials, but it will be awhile before I will revisit some of my other ideas.

As far as my local customers, I am going to be doing one class a month on the third Sunday of each month from 2pm--4pm at the Stamp Shack.  I am calling it a Stamp-a-Rama and it will feature 2 or 3 projects....usually a card, scrapbook page, and 3-d item.  The cost is $10 per person or it is FREE with a $30 purchase.  All supplies except adhesive will be provided and you must RSVP to attend.  The next class will be Sunday, March 20th.  I would love to see you there!

I've had many of you ask if I will be doing the SNAIL adhesive bulk buy this month.  The answer is YES!  You can view the details on this flyer.  The order will be placed on March 28th.

So, with my hectic work schedule, my posting on the blog may be a little sporadic over the next few months.  Hang in there!  I'll be back in full force.....eventually!

And finally, I'll leave you with a few images from the rest of Valentine's Day weekend.  I had a Cupcake Cuties Stamp-a-Stack on Friday night and 2 of the cards are pictured below.  We also had a downline meeting and I've created a collage of the projects, demonstrations, and some of the people that attended.  We had a great time and I hope to do it again soon.