Circle Journal Time!

While I was at Creative Escape this year I decided that I wanted to participate in a Circle Journal.(Actually, I had some friends joining one and we thought it would be fun to do together!) They're supposed to be fun right? That's what I thought until it came down to finding the time to make it! But I found the time and completed it and it's on it's way to Michelle in Arizona! Michelle will be very happy when it finally arrives there.

I thought that I would post some photos of my journal so that the others in my group would be able to get a sneak peek of what's coming there way. Or in other words, to get prepared.

A circle journal is a journal that you create about a topic that you want it to be about. The journal travels around a circle of friends, and each friend adds there own entry into the journal, following your topic of course. For my topic I chose, "Well, isn't that Special...5 Random Things". What's that supposed to mean? Well, what I wrote in my journal is that everyone has some random things that are around there house...or even on display. And I'd like them to share what they are, and why they are special. Now for my entry, I got a little carried away with the number of things and well, I went over the five items. But that's okay! It's my journal. And since It's my journal I also created some "Rules and Regulations" or Guidelines for them to follow. I can't wait to see everyones entry. When will I get my journal back? Next August when I go back to Creative Escape!

End of October....

And I'm tired, but I wanted to post some projects that I did for this month. Have a Happy Halloween!

Happy October!

October! It's starting to feel a little cooler here in Texas! Yeah!!! I LOVE it went it gets cooler...mind you I still walk around in my shorts, t-shirts and flip-flops!

I am basically about two months behind in things. And yes, I realize that. I have a LOT of projects that I have to get going, get caught up on and finish. Of those I have a circle journal to start (i.e., create), projects from Creative Escape to finish (Quote Swap Book, 7Gypsies Project, Heather Bailey Project, Carol Wingert Project) and a bunch of other stuff to get done which also includes Christmas Shopping.

In August I went to Creative Escape in Phoenix and before I got there I participated in a "Quote Swap". When I first heard of this swap I KNEW what quotes I was going to use! Isn't it funny how you can decide what you are going to do before you officially join a swap? Here are some photos of my pile of quote cards as well as the a photo of each of hte complete cards.


This photo is of all of my quote cards that I made. I thought it looked neat so I had to take a picture of it!


Yeah...everyone knows how much I love my pets! And this is one of my most favorite quotes, so it was a given that I would do this one.


This quote cards was fun to make. I LOVED this saying when I heard it on "October Road" (you rember that show don't you?). The lead actors mom told him this saying when he was growing up, and when I heard it, it sort of stuck in my head. So now, don't laugh, but you know everything is an adventure! And without hearing this quote I probably would have chickened out of going to the Grand Canyon by myself last year...I even went on the skywalk ALL BY MYSELF! Now that was an adventure!

What else have I been doing? Well Rusty Pickle projects of course! Here are my latest ones!


This photo was taken last year at her Choir concert. They were allowed to wear a nice dress to the concert and well, she wanted to get this dress and she wore it with blue Van sneakers...she looked really cute and a lot of the other girls there said they wished they had thought of wearing sneakers! For this page I used the "Girlfriends", Rockin' America, and Brass Knuckles line along with some chipboard, ink and glimmer mist.



This is a photo of my daughter that I took at Christmas while we were at the Gaylord here in Texas. There was this big glitter star and I thought it would make a great page! I used the Brass Knuckles line along with some rubons, glimmer mist and ink.


Okay, I think that Panama Jack has become one of my most FAVORITE lines from Rusty Pickle. I have been using it for everything! Everything in this layout is from this one particular line!

And I have one more project that I made using this line! I love to make album covers! And if I'm making a special album for myself the first thing I create is the cover because the decides how I am going to make (design) the rest of the album. Here is an album cover that I made for some of my cruise photos.







And finally, i really don't want to end on a sad note, but I wanted to say Thank You to my friends who thought of me last week (or two weeks ago really). The house is quiet without Joey cat, Snoopy is a little lonely without his friend, and his family really misses him, but we are okay. And we all realize that Joey is okay too...he was a very speical kitty cat, and well, he really is going to be missed. And it really was sad that it happened on my birthday, but you know sometimes you just can't help when things happen and this was one of those times. I've started to print out all of my photos of Joey, and i'm putting them into a special book that is just for him....

I think that's it for now....

Jill

Yes, Today is my Birthday....

And i should be celebrating. But as I have told my husband, this year my birthday has been canceled. How am I supposed to celebrate my birthday when today would be the last day that I got to see my Joey cat.

Yes....Joey is gone.

Last week I had to go out of town. Simon and I knew that Joey hadn't been feeling well, but I had to leave him in charge of things. When I was out of town Simon brought Joey to the veterinarian and they took some x-rays and found some things that were not normal. I'm not going to go into it...but it was bad.

When I left on Wednesday I was in the garage saying goodbye to Simon. I knew that Joey wasn't well, and I just had a bad feeling...I should have stayed home with him. But...I had made a commitment and well when I say I am going to do something I do it. The last thing I said to Simon when I left home was...."Keep Joey alive until I get back."

I was gone from Wednesday through Sunday...when I returned Sunday I thought that everything was fine. But then Simon and Sarah walked into the TV room, shut off the TV and sat down. Simon said "we need to talk about Joey". And that was when I was told that we had to put him to sleep...there was no hope for him and he was in a great deal of pain. Simon told me that the Emergency Animal Clinic was open until 8:00 the next morning and we could go at any time....but I didn't want to do it. I knew we had to, but I didn't want to.

I sat on the couch and cried (okay, so I'm still crying). And I told Simon that there was one thing I had to do. I need a paw print of Joey to keep. You see, Joey was "Special"...he was a Hemingway Cat and he had seven toes on his front paws. I told Simon that it was important to me to have this and that I needed it. He asked me where to go to get the things to do the print and I told him exactly what store to go to and where it was. You see...I knew that I had wanted this for awhile.

My husband, my daughter and myself sat at the kitchen table last night doing paw prints and presses of my cat's right paw. It's sitting here next to me at my computer. I wanted it so that I could look over it to see and so that I could remember the times that I had with Joey....

Later last night Simon came to me and said that he really didn't want to go to the Emergency Animal Center...he wanted to wait until today to take him to our regular veterinarian because they knew him, and would take care of him. I told Simon that that was what I wanted to. I wanted him to be with friends. And I knew that that was where we had to go.

This morning we woke up and talked to Joey, we pet him and told him how much we loved him. Then at 9:45 we all got into my car and drove to the vet's office. We were immediately brought into the patients room and the assistant came in. She asked us the questions of if we wanted his remains and the answer was of course yes. I have to have Joey back with me.

Then the doctor came in, explained to us what was going to happen and they gave Joey the injection. I pet Joey all the time, gave him a kiss on top of his and told him that I loved him. And then he was gone.

And that is how I spent my birthday.

I will always remember you my little furbaby....

Joey Cat dob: 9/18/91 dod: 9/21/09

Jill

Where did it go?

So I had this really, really long post about what's been going on here and I guess right in the middle of it when I lost internet connection is vanished!

So, I'll recreate it later! But, for right now I just wanted to post some photos of some projects that I did for Rusty Pickle!

So at our house we have one English Dude and one (okay two) American Chicks....so we really don't decorate for fourth of July or well, Thanksgiving either. But since Rusty Pickle came out with the New Rockin' America Line I decided to make a USA Banner!








On June 9th we went to see an Elvis Impersonator and these are some of the photos that I took. We're going to go back, hopefully in July so I need to remember to bring my good camera.



My daughter and I love animals. Especially baby animals! So whenever we see baby animals (okay, anything really cute) we take a picture! I used the Rusty Pickle Candyland Line for this layout.




I'll rewrite that previous post later....

{Jill}

It's Going to Be a Busy Week!

LOTS of stuff going on this week!

Today and Tomorrow I have to clean and get my house in order. I have a houseguest coming to visit for two week. Yep...it's Mother in Law time. Simon and I have LOTS of stuff planned and Sarah is going to even cook dinner for her Granny this Friday Night. Why you may ask is Sarah cooking on Friday? Well, Simon won't be home and well I won't either.

Wednesday I leave for GASC (Great American Scrapbook ConventionO in Arlington! I can't wait! This will be my 12th year attending this convention! I haven't missed a year yet!!! Then on Saturday is Sarah's dance recital. She's been dancing for 11 years and will receive her 11 year trophy on Thursday Night. Yes, she started to dance when she was 2 1/2. But she likes it so why should she have to stop! So next week I should have LOTS of photos from the Convention and the Dance Recital to share.

Just thought I'd post a few New Projects that I had been working on....

American Idol Sadness....

Yes, It has taken me a week to sort of get over my Idol Sadness. For the record I voted for Adam. Every Week I voted for Adam. The most votes I ever did on a Tuesday night was 141 votes...all for Adam.

On the final Tuesday I voted for Adam.

Wednesday I was SO excited because I knew that Adam would win!

Wednesday night the winner was announced and it wasn't Adam.

Friends have told me why Adam didn't win....I guess I was among the minority in my small group. The friends said that "America" wanted somepme who was Clean Cut...well that's not Adam. But, Adam has style and talent and that is what I was looking at!

I REALLY want to go see the American Iodl tour when it comes to Dallas in July (the 23rd)...but I'll be in Florida then. Didn't think about that when I was making my travel plan. I DID think of driving down to Tampa to see him on the 28th...but that's the day before I come back home. All I can do is hope that Adam will be back in Dallas (or close to it!) sometime in the near future.

Adam will be my American Idol! Okay dd's too! Okay, so my husband voted for him too....ALL of us! And when Adam goes on tour I will be there. Now I am off to Cafe' Press to purchase my Adam Lambert T-Shirt, and yes...I have also already joined Officialadam.com...Adam's Official Website.

{Jill}