Another FABULOUS giveaway!!

Check out this AWESOME giveaway from Northridge Publishing this week!  All you have to do is leave a comment, and they'll draw a winner next week.  Good luck, and happy scrapping!

CreativeKuts2 300 Follower giveaway

Here's another AWESOME giveaway I came across today:

This one is at CreativeKuts2 and is a 300 Follower giveaway.  Hope on over there and check them out!  Good luck, and happy scrapping!

Creations LaDiva blog candy!

As I was surfing through some blogs today, I came across this AWESOME blog candy from Creations LaDiva!

There are three ways to get your name in the pot to win and four different prizes available!  Good luck everyone, and happy scrapping!

Christmas Card Swap blog candy winner!

My apologies for taking so long to post the winner of my blog candy from the Christmas Card Swap blog hop!  After using random.org, the winner is SANDI!!!!!  Congratulations!  Please contact me no later Friday, December 28, or I will choose another winner.  Thanks to everyone who hopped along!

Christmas Card Swap Blog Hop

     The best way to brighten a person's day is to send them a card, and the holidays give everyone the perfect excuse to do that.  When you add talent to the mix, you have the perfect handmade holiday card to brighten any day.
     That is what this hop is about!  We have gathered some of the most talented card makers around to bring holiday joy to each other while showing off their talents.  Some of the crafters know each other, while others have met for the first time in the Christmas Card Swap group.  Today some of these wonderful ladies will be showing the cards they made.  We hope you will join us to see how talented these crafters are and to get inspiration and ideas for your own holiday cards.
     Please begin your hopping at Lorby's World, for she has a drawing with some special holiday bling and string to give one lucky winner.  All the details on how to get qualified are on her blog.  I'm also giving away some blog candy!  You'll find all the details at the bottom of this post.  Now, on with the cards and holiday cheer!
     Instead of making the same card for everyone in my group, I decided to send each lady a different card.  Last year (2011), my Yahoo scrap group Scrappin' -n- Chattin' had a Christmas in July card challenge.  I went straight to that stash for this hop and sent out these cards:

     Thank you for hopping through today!  Your next stop is Dana, but before you head over to her, you need to check out my blog candy!  I'll be giving away a Christmas stamp set of your choice from The {Stamps} of Life.  I'm a club member over there and absolutely LOVE their stamps!!!  I would love it if you became a new follower, as I'm trying to increase my followers so I can have another giveaway, and you also need to leave a comment below.  That's it!  I'll draw a winner on Monday evening and will post at that time, so please be sure to leave a way to contact you.  Thanks for stopping by, and happy scrapping!

"They All Matter" Let's Find a Cure Blog Hop

     Welcome to the "They All Matter"  Let's Find a Cure blog hop!  If you came to me from Christine, then you're in the right place!  If you just happened upon my blog and this hop, then you'll need to visit Lisa's blog to get started.  All of the blog posts in this hop will focus on a different type of cancer, simply to bring awareness to as many as we can.

     I chose ovarian cancer for my focus, as I lost my dear, sweet Aunt Van a few years ago from ovarian cancer.  I had intended to make a layout using a picture of Aunt Van along with a couple of pictures from her memorial service (which I unfortunately couldn't attend), but I can't locate the pictures.  :-(  I know I have them somewhere, and I'm sure I'll run across them very soon, but I stayed in the hop so I could bring awareness to this horrible disease.

     According to Wikipedia, the symptoms of ovarian cancer are frequently very subtle early on and are easily confused with other illnesses.  Symptoms may include bloating, pelvic pain, and difficulty eating.  In most cases, the exact cause of ovarian cancer remains unknown.  Diagnosis of ovarian cancer begins with a physical examination, a blood test, and a transvaginal ultrasound.  Stage I and Stage II ovarian cancer is difficult to diagnose until it spreads and advances to Stage III and Stage IV.  

     Unfortunately, ovarian cancer has a very poor prognosis, mainly because it lacks any clear early detection or screening test.  In simple terms, this means that most cases of ovarian cancer are not diagnosed until they have reached the advanced stages.  Over 60% of women diagnosed with ovarian cancer have Stage III or Stage IV, and it has already spread beyond the ovaries, as was the case with Aunt Van.  Many women opt for chemotherapy or radiation treatments.  

     The five-year survival rate for ALL stages of ovarian cancer is 47%, but if the cancer is diagnosed early, the five-year survival rate jumps to almost 93%.  Ovarian cancer is the second most common gynecologic cancer and the deadliest in terms of the absolute figure.

     We MUST find a better early detection or screening test for ovarian cancer, and we must CONTINUE to fund research to find a cure for ALL types of cancer!  Aunt Van opted NOT to take chemotherapy and radiation treatments for her ovarian cancer, as her doctors told her it might only prolong her life for a few more months.  I saw her a few months before she passed, but she was taken from us just a few short months after receiving her diagnosis and way too soon.  Please help us find a cure.

     Your next stop in the hop is Toni.  In case you get lost along the way, here's the entire lineup:

1.  Lisa

2.  Ashley 

3.  Pam 

4.  Christine

5.  Ashley W <= YOU ARE HERE!!

6.  Toni - GO HERE NEXT

7.  Jamie

8.  Jearise

9.  Lluvia

10.  Christina

11.  Pam

12.  Haidee

Thanks for stopping by!  Be sure to check back soon, as I'll be having a 200 follower giveaway.  I know my dear Aunt Van is looking down from above.  I love and miss you, Aunt Van!!!

Thankful Blog Hop!

     We're so happy you could join us today!  If you arrived here from Robin's blog, then you're in the right place.  If you just happened on my blog or are reading by e-mail, you'll need to visit Melanie's blog to get started.  

     This is the time of year when we really reflect on what we have to be thankful for.  One of the things I'm thankful for is scrapbooking and all the crafts, supplies, and people that go along with it.  It has been a pleasure to be in this hop with all the wonderful ladies involved, and I've really enjoyed seeing all their projects!  There is blog candy available on Melanie's blog, so be sure to check that out!

     For this hop, we were asked to make a project with the word "Thanks" or "Thankful."  I made this project at a friend's craft workshop one night and knew it was PERFECT for this hop!

The paper and leaves are from Close To My Heart, although they're probably discontinued now.  I love this project, because the things my family is thankful for can change from day to day, so we can change this board as often as we like.  We have this hanging in our dining room/kitchen area, so we can see it every day.  

     Here's the full blog hop lineup for today, in case you get lost along the way:

1.  Melanie

2.  Claire

3.  Jenn

4.  Robin

5.  Ashley <= YOU ARE HERE!!!

6.  Amanda - GO HERE NEXT!

7.  Misses Crafty

8.  Diana

9.  Jearise

10.  Sarah

11.  Charity

Thanks again for stopping by!  I hope you enjoy the rest of the hop!  Be sure to stop back by my blog in another week or so when I'll be having a 200-follower giveaway.  Happy scrapping!\

Altered Journal Blog Hop winner!!!

Well, maybe the third time's the charm!  I've posted a winner for my blog candy from the Altered Journal Blog Hop twice, but neither winner has contacted me, so I keep having to choose a new one!  The NEW winner is VICKI who said:  "Cool journal.  Great idea to let the boys add entries too.  Already a follower."  Please contact me here by Friday, November 16, or I'll choose again!  Be sure to come back tomorrow for the Thankful Blog Hop!  Happy scrapping!

Blog Hop winners!!!

I hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend!  I'm here to announce blog hop winners.  Congratulations to the following winner from the Triple Stamp Card Blog Hop:

Amanda said...

Your wreath is beautiful, Ashley!! I can't tell where you messed it up any! Thanks for inviting me to join the hop! :)

The original winner in my Altered Journal Blog Hop never contacted me, so I chose a new winner.  Congratulations to:

Cathie said...

Wonderful journal. I'm a new follower

Both of you should e-mail me using the "Contact Me" tab at the top of my blog no later than Friday, November 9, in order to claim your prize.

Thanks again to everyone who stopped by!  I'll be having a 200-follower giveaway soon, so be sure to stay tuned!  Happy scrapping everyone!

Triple Stamp Card Blog Hop

Happy Halloween!!!  If you're going trick-or-treating with your children tonight, I hope you have lots of fun, and I hope your kids get more candy than they know what to do with!  My husband and I will be taking our youngest son downtown where our local Main Street businesses stay late and hand out candy in a safe environment, and then we'll stop by my parents' neighborhood so they can see little Woody from Toy Story.  Joseph is so excited!

If you just came across my post and the hop by chance, please visit Ashley's blog to get started (She's got blog candy, too!!!).  If you came to me from Janea's blog, then you're in the right place!  The theme for today's blog hop is Triple Stamp Card!  I'd never made one of these before, so I looked at several examples and watched LOTS of videos on YouTube.  I looked through my stamp stash and finally decided on making a Christmas card using my wreath4me stamp from The {Stamps} of Life.

I don't think I got the wreath portion lined up exactly right on each layer, but overall I like the way it turned out!  It's a neat-looking card and one I think I'll try again.

In case you get lost along the way, here's the full hop lineup for you:

Ashley

Jamie

Rebecca

Pam 

Kate

Tonya M 

Suzanne 

Janea 

Ashley W <<==YOU ARE HERE!

Michele - Your next stop!

Your next (and last!) stop is Michele at Michele's Craft Room!  Just to thank you for stopping by, I'm giving away a Halloween stamp set of your choice from The {Stamps} of Life!  I'd love for you to become a new follower of my blog, but it's not required to win my blog candy.  All you need to do is leave a comment!  I'll post the winner on Saturday.  I recently hit 200 followers, so I'll be having ANOTHER giveaway very soon.  Be sure to check back!

Be safe as you trick-or-treat with your kids tonight!  Thanks for stopping by, and happy scrapping!

Blog Hop winner!

Thanks to everyone who stopped by and left comments during the Altered Journal Blog Hop!  I really enjoyed participating in the hop and seeing everyone's creations, AND I reached 200 followers!!!  My apologies for being late in posting my winner, but I used random.org to select a number from the twenty-seven comments I received.  The winning number belongs to Mary!!  Congratulations!  Please e-mail me using the "Contact Me" tab at the top no later than this Friday, November 2, to claim your prize or I will select another winner.

Please be sure to stop back by on Halloween for the Triple Stamp Card Blog Hop!  Since I reached 200 followers during the Altered Journal Blog Hop, I'll be having a giveaway very soon as well.  Don't miss it!  Happy scrapping, everyone!

Bio-Poem

PLEASE CLICK HERE FOR THE ALTERED JOURNAL BLOG HOP!

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My tenth-grade English students at Batesville High School recently wrote bio-poems as part of our first nine-weeks study of a memoir and in preparation to help them write a narrative.  I promised them I would write one, too, and would share on my blog (as they also had to do).  They were given two versions of the poem and had to choose one.  I went ahead and wrote both, so I hope you enjoy!  If you'd like the template to either of these, please e-mail me using the "Contact Me" tab at the top, and I'll be happy to share!

My Heart is an Overflowing Vessel

I am leading an exciting life.

My life is as interesting as a new adventure.

I had a wonderful childhood.

My childhood was as calm as the ocean.

I had a cat and no siblings.

I read Jackie Collins and Nathaniel Hawthorne.

I thought I was more popular than I was.

And now at forty-one

I have seen a terrorist attack

I have heard my father cry

I know the unconditional love for a child

I don't know why people murder or abuse innocent children

I hate Osama bin Laden for what he did

I love my husband with every fiber of my being

I've lost my favorite pet

I am looking for a way to travel all the time

I wish I could have my Mamaw back.

My heart is an overflowing vessel.

For the second bio-poem, I feel as if I need to share some previous versions, as this one has been a work in progress as I've traveled and lived across the country.  The first version, written in 2005, was completed when I was teaching a Creative Writing course at Beaufort High School in Beaufort, South Carolina.

Bio-Poem 2005

Ashley

Caring, fun, sensitive

Mother of Kennedy

Lover of exotic places, my Marine, and chocolate

Who feels happier than ever, glad to have a job, and NASCAR rules

Who fears not gaining custody of her son, losing her husband in war, and another terrorist attack

Who would like a new SUV, time to finish all her projects, and a new baby

Resident of Beaufort, South Carolina (via Arkansas)

Walker

Version two was written in 2010 (I think!), when I was teaching English 7 & 8 at Army and Navy Academy in Carlsbad, California.

Bio-Poem 2010

Ashley

Caring, fun, crafty, sports lover

Mother of Kennedy & Joseph

Lover of exotic places, my Marine, and chocolate

Who feels happier than ever, glad to have a job, and NASCAR rules

Who needs more hours in the day, a bigger house, and a SERIOUS vacation

Who fears losing her husband in war, another terrorist attack, and plane crashes

Who gives all she has to teaching, unconditional love to her family, and extra credit to her students

Who would like to see the Eiffel Tower again, a baby girl complete her family, and her husband get promoted

Resident of Oceanside, California (via Arkansas & South Carolina)

Walker

The most current version was written this year as my students were also completing this assignment at Batesville High School in Batesville, Arkansas.

Bio-Poem 2012

Ashley

Caring, crafty, crazy, sports lover

Related to a World War II Navy Purple Heart recipient

Lover of my sons, my retired Marine, and my craft room

Who feels glad to be home, teachers don't get paid enough, and everyone should see the Eiffel Tower

Who needs a nice vacation with my husband, a teacup Yorkie, and a new SUV

Who fears losing my parents, another terrorist attack, and losing my husband too soon

Who gives unconditional love to my family, handmade gifts at Christmas, and counseling time to students

Who would like to see my Mamaw again, the world with my husband, and a baby girl complete my family

Resident of the oldest city in Arkansas and the perfect house

Walker

I hope you've enjoyed this little bit of insight into my life!  Thanks for stopping by! 



Altered Journal Blog Hop

Welcome to our Altered Journal Blog Hop!  If you came here from Melissa, then you are on the right track!  If you happened to stumble upon this hop, you can begin hopping at our host, Pink Polka Dot Scrapping.  Our sponsor for this hop is Zannie Berry.  She's donating two Cuttlebug folders and ten Colorbok embellie packs!  Thanks so much!!

Here's the before pic of my altered journal:

I purchased this at Wal-Mart, but you can get something similar at Dollar General or Dollar Tree.  Once I was done working with it, my finished product turned out like this:

I'm REALLY happy with the way the journal turned out!  Since this is a travel journal, my first entry would be the first day of a family trip!  It has to be just the right trip, though; not just any old weekend trip.  I'm waiting for that very special family vacation and will let my boys Kennedy (age 13) and Joseph (age 3) help with the entries.  That way, it will be that much more special!

Your next stop is Jenn J.  Here's the entire lineup in case you get lost on your way:

1.  Melissa
2.  Ashley W <= YOU ARE HERE!
3.  Jenn J - Your next stop!
4.  Robin C
5.  Connie
6.  Robin S
7.  Dena
8.  Maria Matter
9.  Lucy
10.  Sandra
11.  Rachelle
12.  Sharon
13.  Shawnee
14.  Pam L
15.  Suzanne
16.  Cathie


Thanks for stopping by, and thanks to Melissa for hosting such a wonderful hop!  As a small thank you for taking time to hop through, I'm having a little giveaway of a tin full of all sizes of Maya Road antique chipboard keys.

All you need to do is become a follower and leave a comment.  That's it!  If you're already a follower, be sure to let me know in your comment.  You'll have until Sunday night at 10:00 p.m. Central to leave a comment.  I'll choose a winner and post on Monday.  Happy scrapping!

LOTS of happenings!!!

Hello, my wonderful blog friends!!!  Oh, how I've missed all of you!  Things have been super crazy for us as we transitioned from California to Arkansas, stayed with my parents for a few weeks, and now have our own house.  I was able to secure a teaching job at my alma mater, Batesville High School, without even being back in Arkansas for twenty-four hours.  WONDERFUL!!!  I'm teaching English 10 and pre-AP English 10 and loving every minute of it!

Many of you may notice that I added a "My Reading Bucket List" tab on my page.  As we are encouraging our students at BHS to read twenty-five books this year, all of my students are required to fill out a reading bucket list.  The list contains ten books, their authors, and a fifty-word note on why they chose to put that book on their list.  My kids are also required to have a blog and will be posting several things on their blog this year.  I'll be joining them in some of their posts, so I thought I'd start by adding my reading bucket list to my tabs.  I'll be adding links to all of the books, my fifty-word notes, and reviews about each one once I get finished.  If you're a book lover, please check back for updates!

In the crafty world, I'll be getting back to crafting this week!  My new craft room is nowhere NEAR being organized yet, but I have GOT to get back at it!  The wonderful ladies at LiaStampz have graciously allowed me to join the Design Team again, and the next challenge will be up on September 15.  Be sure to check back to see what I create!

It's so nice to be back in the blogging world!  As soon as I get my craft room organized and set up, I'll be sharing pictures and asking for other suggestions.  Until then, happy scrapping, everyone!

WE HAVE A HOUSE!!!

Just a quick update on our house hunting, as one of my friends from Missouri asked me tonight how it was going since I hadn't posted an update on my blog.  We have a house!!! 

I'll update more as it gets closer to time for us to move in.  Have a great weekend, everyone!!!

 

House hunting--Day 2

Today was Day 2 of the house hunting adventure in Batesville!  We were originally scheduled to see FSBO homes at nine and one, then four homes with a realtor beginning at three, and finally another FSBO home at seven.  Our realtor ended up having to go to a closing in Little Rock this afternoon, so the showings of those four got postponed. 

This was the first home we saw this morning:

After seeing the home and walking through, it was AUTOMATICALLY eliminated!!  No one's been living in the home for quite a while, apparently.  The gentleman showing the home said his ex-wife lived there for three or four months after they divorced, then she took the kids and moved out, leaving behind a couple of dogs and a trashed house that he's left to clean up.  He's got a LOT of work to do!

This was the second home of the day:

This is our new favorite home!!!  It has the kitchen we're looking for,

a big backyard for the kids and Sweet Pea (including a three-hole putting green for Adrian!),

and a craft room for me!

We looked at one other FSBO home this afternoon,

but the house just didn't "feel" right when we walked in.  It had lots of square footage, but we thought it was a little pricey, and the backyard was all trees, leaves, and rocks.  YUCK!

Our top choice now is the second home we viewed today, and we're hoping to make an offer on it tomorrow or Thursday.  If you are a praying person, please pray that everything goes well for us with our offer and financing.  If things don't work out with the offer, then we'll be visiting the other realtor-listed homes at the end of the week.  Wish us luck!

House Hunting--Day 1 (Part 3!)

It's the final post about Day 1 of our house hunting adventure!  The next-to-last home of the day was a historical home on Eighth Street in Batesville and was once the home of the tenth governor of Arkansas, Elisha Baxter.

This was MY favorite house of the day!  I loved the staircase,

the den,

and the kitchen,

but my absolute favorite part of the property was this,

which included a workshop on the bottom floor and this BEAUTIFUL studio on the top floor.

The opposite wall was solid windows, and I knew this would be the PERFECT craft studio for me!  Unfortunately, though, the home only had two bedrooms upstairs, which just doesn't work for us.  IF ONLY!

Adrian's favorite property of the day included a home (which I unfortunately did not get a picture of the front of), an in-ground pool inside a pool house,

and forty-eight acres of land.

This is Adrian's DREAM property!  Unfortunately, though, we think it's just too much land for us to handle at this point in time.  One of these days, I promised Adrian we would own property like this!

Day 2 of our house hunting adventure continues tomorrow with six more properties!  Hopefully one of these will be the magic one.  I'll be back tomorrow or Wednesday to share our new adventures!