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Miracles are all around us … from the way that our budget "stretches" and the beauty of spring to the Berlin Wall being taken down.  Our family is experiencing a huge miracle!  Between both families we will have 4 new babies this year.  And one very special one with the next couple of weeks.  My husband’s sister and her husband have been trying to have a child for a couple of years and last summer began the adoption process.  They found out last night in a beautiful letter from their birthmom (I was bawling when I read it) that she had chosen them to raise her beautiful boy.  He is due in the next two weeks!  So after waiting and hoping for so long, they are scrambling to get the room ready and make a quilt for the baby and their birth mom and make all the other necessary preparations.  What a blessing children are!  I am so happy that after many prayers and heartache their family is being blessed with a beautiful boy!

What are some of the miracles you have experienced lately?  A

Okay, today I went to the YUCKY doctor (OBGYN).  I know they have a very important role in our lives as women, and I LOVE my doctor, but really, isn’t it just YUCKY to have to go there.  It was just my annual exam, so don’t get excited!  But, I always, always bring stuff to do because you never know when you will be unavoidably detained because of an emergency.  Today was such a day.  I brought my basement sketch to begin working on designing my scrapbook room! and the rest of the wood letters I needed to design.  It was a good thing.  I was undressed and waiting when he was needed to deliver a baby.  So I waited … and worked.  I had spent the time in the waiting room working on the basement & spent this time (undressed, mind you) designing remaining the wood letters.  They are done!  I just need to scan them & take them to be cut tomorrow!  Yeah!  I hope my story gave you a good LAUGH!  Have a great day ~ A!

This is it!  My 2006 Creating Keepsakes Hall of Fame entry.  And, no, I did not win.  I am, however, very proud of my entry.  I know I did my best.  I would not want to be one of the judges.  I hear they received almost 1000 entries.  I don’t know how they could keep track of all the different entries.  I have dedicated a whole photo album to my entry.  I hope it helps to inspire you with your efforts! 

Post a comment & let me know what you think (I like to hear from you!).   Plus, you’ll be entered to win a layout designed by me.  So far this month, your odds of winning are pretty high!  I have photos from last month’s winner & will get her layout posted as soon as I get it done!  (Just between us:  I’m almost done designing next quarter’s letters!  I’ll be taking them to the wood shop in the next day or two to get them cut!  I’ll put a "snippet" up soon!) Happy Monday!  A

I am SO excited!  I love spring!  These are some shots from my yard.  I love to see the earth waking up from it’s winter nap!  I need to find the time to go out and shape up my yard.  I still need to cut down the perennials in the backyard.  We got the front cut down in the fall, but not the back! 

As much as I’d like to get in the yard this weekend, I still have the Basic Grey boards to do, the wood letters for next quarter to design AND we are having my in-laws over for Sunday dinner, so I need to get the house in some sort of order!!!  Wish me luck!  I am so thankful for your support!  A   

It just goes on and on my friend ,,, For those of you who have ever been to girl’s camp, you will appreciate that little ditty.  Okay, it’s now over a week since I got the brilliant idea to paint my bathrooms.  I am happy with the results, but I have a great story!  Okay, the pictures (but before you look, you have to promise you won’t look at the mess!) …

1. The half bath off my bedroom before
2. The half bath off my bedroom AFTER
3. The main bath before
4. The main bath during (colors #1)
5. The main bath AFTER (colors #2)

Okay, I painted the half bath in a day I’m just taking the top paint and painting the bead board the same color.  Everything went smooth.  I still need to touch-up just a couple of places, not big deal.  Then I decide to be BRAVE and go out of my element.  I had seen a photo of a bathroom in these colors and throught it looked very serene and calming.  I decided to go for it!  I had two coats of paint on the walls and ceiling and had it completely cut in and … I didn’t like it!  It was a beautiful color, but it was too Cool of a color and didn’t "belong" with the rest of my house.  So, I went out an bought two new colors and began painting, again!  And guess what … I liked the blue!  Yeah!  BUT, I had painted the ceiling just like I had with the lighter blue and it was too dark.  My sweet mom-in-law likes to paint her ceilings, but she deals with lighter colors, so I just did it.  I’m not saying I was thinking clearly, because it felt like walking into a cave.  So, I painted the ceiling white … whew!  A relief, the sun is out!!!  Then, all I had to do was paint the beadboard.  I got it all painted and (I had to do it 3 times to cover the white) … It was too "WOW, that’s green!"  So I added white and it was perfect!  So, after painting my bathroom 15 times, I love it!  I have never had this problem!  It’s just because I tried to go too far away from my comfort zone I guess.  I know I could have lived with it, but why do that!?  If you are going to do a project, you’d better work at it until it’s RIGHT!

Oh, yeah … the LESSON I learned about beadboard:  I have pine beadboard in both bathrooms (obviously), my son’s room and kitchen.  In my son’s room and kitchen, it’s natural (matte finish), but I had painted the beadboard in the bathrooms white.  MY LESSON:  If you are going to paint your beadboard white… use the "fake" stuff!  Pine beadboard has knots and they show through the white paint and look like your walls are "dirty"!

I’m going to start a "Designing Log" again ~ soon!  Because my class designs are due May 8th.  Be sure to check back for that and my HOF entry! Don’t forget to comment! A

Michelle … she posted on March 1st!  I have emailed her and when her layout is complete, I will post it here!

This has been a GREAT weekend, it was my church’s General Conference.  I am always uplifted and edified after this weekend ~ besides, it’s always nice to go to church in my pajamas (we can watch at home). 

I saw an awesome documentary that was a HIT at the Sundance Film Festival here in Park City, UT.  It’s called:  New York Doll (http://www.newyorkdollmovie.com/).  It’s about Arthur Kane who was the Bass player of the infamous New York Dolls, glam rock pioneers.  Bands such as the Smiths, the Pretenders & the Clash patterned their music after this group.  The group succeeds and breaks up, he hits rock bottom and then finds religion.  The music in it is awesome!  Especially the versions of "A Poor Wayfaring Man" & "Come, Come Ye Saints". 

I am almost done with my bathroom projects!  I’ll get those photos up soon!  I need to start designing the wood letter patterns for next quarter and I have some Basic Grey boards to do!  I’m also going to put my HOF entry up this week, so be sure to check back!  A  p.s. keep posting, there’s another contest this month ~ same rules apply!

Here are a couple photos of my mom, dad & hubby working on the eggs kits (look close, you’ll see my hubby is multi-tasking! & WE say men can’t do it).  My dad & hubby even cut the paper for me!  I am so blessed to have the help I have.  With working on next quarter’s classes, I would have been up way too late without their help!

What to do?  My classes are designed, I don’t teach until April 22, I need to do some boards, but I need a break also … I could do my eggs.  But, I realized yesterday that the main bathroom and my oldest son’s rooms are the only ones we haven’t changed since we moved in, gutted and remodeled the house … so I am going to paint the bathroom.  I have some ideas.  I’ll show you before and after pics hopefully soon.  Also, I really DO need to create some boards, so I’ll show you those.  And, I need to show you my entry into Hall of Fame.  I’ll do that the first week in April.  I don’t have all the time in the world, however because I received an email today with due dates for Summer Quarter and I need to have them designed by May 8 … I’d better get the wood designed & ordered soon.  A (bathroom color hint)

OH, YEAH!  THE POSTING CONTEST ENDS MARCH 31, so if you want a chance to win a page designed by me ~ POST! 

AND … I have put a link to the YAHOO!group to the right under "bloomin… email list"  Be sure to sign up for that if you want to continue receiving emails from me.  I will stop sending them from my email on March 31.  You can still email me at bloominmemories@yahoo.com, I just won’t be sending updates from there.

738! Okay, I know you are wondering what the significance of that number is … that is the number of times (as of this moment) this blog has been looked at since last Thursday.  Can you believe it?

Last night went EXTREMELY well!  I hope those of you who went had a lot of fun and weren’t too frustrated with the lines!  I also hope you were able to get all the classes you wanted.  A quick update on the status of my classes (as of last night at 9:30):

• Possibilities:  May 10 is full, May 23 had 2 signed up, & June 21 is half-full.
• bloom:  April 22:  9:30 is full, 1:30 is half-full & 5:30 has 4 signed up.
• bloom:  April 29 (the day after my birthday):  9:30 is full, 1:30 & 5:30 have plenty of room.
• liberty:  June 3:  9:30 is full, 1:30 has 6 available spots & 5:30 is full.
• liberty:  June 10:  9:30 is full, 1:30 is half full, 5:30 has like 4 signed up.

We had over 300 classes signed up for last night!  The sweet ladies at the front said the phones are still ringing off the hook today!  They say they still like me, I just cause problems!  😉  j/k!  If you know you want to be in a class, be sure to sign up soon!  I’m working on a Basic Grey board & am almost done.  I’ll finish it this weekend & put it on the blog next week!  Enjoy the weekend!  TTFN!  A

 

Here they are!  I am so thrilled with your response to the "snippets"  I hope you are just as (if not more) excited with the full photos!  I am looking forward to our open house tonight!  If you can’t make it to the open house (767 E 12300 S), you CAN always call (801)572-9199)!  Don’t forget to comment! 

The contest to win a layout created by me is still going on!  Thank you for your interest & support!  A

I have so many things to tell you about!  I’ll stick with just one ~ I had many questions on Saturday about my class at the Original Scrapbook USA Expo.  I wasn’t sure when sign-ups would begin for it.  I found out later that sign-ups have already begun.  I am teaching on Friday, May 5 & Saturday, May 6 from 2:30 – 5:30 each day.  The class is $35.  To register for the class, go to http://www.scrapbookusaexpo.com/classes.php ~ the class is titled:  All My Memories wood letters.  Check the classes you are interested in and go to the bottom of the page and click "register".  You can also see how many spots are left in the class on the site, so you will know if you need to sign up that day or if you can wait for later.  Keep checking and register when you can!

Don’t forget the Spring into Spring open house on Thursday, March 23 from 6:00 to 9:00 at the store (767 East 12300 South in Draper).  That’s also the day when class sign-ups start!  Also, the contest to win a page created by me ends on March 31!  A