Michelle ~ mother & scrapaholic!

Mom's back in town & she's ordering new products!

Mom's home... yippee!  She brought me chocolates, saltwater taffy for my hubby, and "texas" sized jelly beans for the kids.  Too funny.  I am totally jealous that she got the tour of the new Dallas Cowboys stadium during the American Idol auditions.  You'll have to read her blog for her trip details.  She posted a few times from the road, but she has much more to tell.  You definitely have to hear about the Argentinian restaurant (in Texas) with the Mexican server who had an Australian accent!!  Should I mention that she's Irish and her boyfriend is from Puerto Rico?  It so sounds like a bad joke... but I was rolling, laughing out loud hard when she told me about it!

Check out The Mom's Blog:   http://cricutswarm.blogspot.com/

Now that Mom's back (way earlier than I expected), The Pink House store hours will be back to some sort of regularity. 

Tuesday - Saturday

10am - 6pm

(closed Sunday & Monday)

I know some of you are confused about what's going on out in Goose Creek... are we closing - are we staying open - are we concentrating solely on events or are we still going to have a retail space?  We have SOME answers for you, but mostly it's all still being worked out.  I can tell you that we ARE NOT closing!!!  Mom finally decided to take over the store.  She was scared (IS scared), but your support has been so encouraging that she couldn't walk away.  We will be moving from our current location hopefully by the end of July, but where to is not 100% in writing.  We're very excited about the location across the street, but like I said, nothing's in writing yet.  I'll let you know when we get the keys!  (and when you can come help us move - again!)

Much love to you all.

Be on the look out for some great new products hitting The Pink House soon!

• Paperpacks by Laura Ashley & DoveCraft

  

• I-Top Brad Maker by Imaginisce

 
These custom brad makers are a new hot tool.  We already have 4 of these spoken for, so if you want one in the first round be sure to call and pre-order right away.
843-744-6911

Bird wings

Every once in a while, I come up with a good idea.  During Shere's amazing paperbag album class, I made bird wings from folded flowers.  Is this idea totally mine?  I can't say for sure, cause I'm always reading craft magazines and blog hopping the papercraft superstar websites.  But since I can't think of any place that I might have gotten the idea from, I'm going to claim it as my own.  :)

Here's the simple but cute idea:

Take an appropriate sized flower, fold it in half, place a glue-dot inside to keep the flower folded, then attach to the back of your chipboard bird.  VOILA, wings!

(i'll insert photo series here soon)

Now go and enjoy experimenting with this technique.

FREE digital class @ JessicaSprague.com

Here's today's newsletter from Jessica Sprague:

(FYI: Jessica wants this info spread, so no copyright worries.  Pass it on!)

.........

Birthday Bash Starts Today!

 

Greetings!

It's heeeeere! Today is the kick-off for the week-long Birthday Bash and I am SO EXCITED to spend this week with you! Every day this week, you'll receive an email from me with an exciting announcement and links to the daily freebie and the daily challenge. So, let's get started shall we?

FREE Photo Editing Registration is OPEN!
The Photo Editing: Frame-Ups & Special Effects class registration IS OPEN! In this brand-new class, you'll soak up dozens of awesome techniques to add effects to your photos, including brushes, frames, masks, textures, blending modes, filters and more! Don't worry about the class filling up- we've got plenty of space for you and your friends (bring it on!). Remember, class starts July 6 and FREE enrollment is from June 22-28 only.

Here's how to register:

1. Log in or create an account at JessicaSprague.com
2. Click the Redeem Gift Codes button on the right side of the home page, or click here.
3. Enter this code: FREECLASS062009
4. Check your My Classes link for a quick introduction to the class
5. Sit back and wait for July 6! I can't WAIT for this class!

SALE! 20% off Everything
We think the best way to celebrate is to have a sale. I hope you agree. :) We've knocked 20% off of everything in the entire site - self-paced classes, templates, digital product, EVERYTHING. If you've been holding out taking Now We're Rockin' or Digi: In Deep, let's say - waiting for a sale, mayhaps? Or perhaps you would like to take the companion class to our free photo editing class? Now's your chance to dive into summer by improving your digital skills!

If you're a connoiseur of fine digital product, you'll definitely want to take a look at the awesome new goodies by our new designer, Crystal Wilkerson! Her amazing style is bright and fun and full of color, and your layouts will thank you!

Daily Freebie
Although it's JessicaSprague.com's birthday this week, you're the one that gets the gifts... all week long! Be sure to download today's freebie between 10 a.m. Eastern this morning and 10 a.m. tomorrow, because it's only available for 24 hours! We'll post the new freebie at 10 a.m. each morning (just wait for your daily email if you don't want to sit on the home page refreshing. You know who you are. ;).

If you know anyone who would like the freebie, be sure to pass along this email to them so they get the goodies, too!

(The items offered as freebies will be available for sale in the store at a later time)

Daily Challenge
We've been having a daily challenge in our forums this month, and I'm taking over the challenge for today! Check out the Day 1 post on the home page at 10 a.m. Eastern for more details and a fun GAME!

See you in you inbox TOMORROW for more announcements as we continue our week-long birthday celebration!
 
Sincerely,

My CSU ID

I got up early this morning to straighten my hair, so yeah I was a few minutes late getting to Registration today.  oops!  I started out at the reception for the incoming Freshman before I was redirected to the Transfer Student Orientation.  I walked up to the sign-in table and the woman/girl looks at me funny and says "Are you a transfer student?"  Yes.  "Well,this is the Freshman registration.  The Transfers are meeting at the Nursing Hall."  SO, uhmm... how do you think she knew I wasn't a freshman?  Could it be all my gray hairs gave me away?

Can I just say one thing here?  I was prepared for all those teenagers to look like Nicole, my step-daughter (17).  But I was not prepared for them to like Zoe-13!!!  Those freshman looked like they should be in middle school-no kidding.  whoo-am I too old for this?  God help me!

Well I finally made it over to the old people (I mean "transfer" student) registration, but of course I was 10 minutes late.  So I sign-in, pick up my packet and notice that there aren't any seats left unless I wanted to do the movie-theater-slide across 10 people to get to the middle of the auditorium.  No thanks!  So, I stand there for a few minutes listening to some man at a podium reading info from a slide show in a terribly painful monotonous voice about the different types of degrees offered at CSU and the different departments,  blah-blah-blah, etc. 

My chest tightened and I could barely breathe.  I turned to the sign-in assistant and asked what was next on the agenda.  She pointed out that it was listed in the packet she had just given me.  Well, the next part of the day's schedule didn't start until 10am.  I asked her, "Does this last an entire hour?"  Yes.  

OH HECK NO!!  I was not going to stay in that auditorium for an hour listening to the teacher from Ferris Bueller.  I had to get out of there!  So, I went to my car and looked thru the packet, tried to get myself calmed down, and mapped out my game plan.  It was only about 15 minutes before people started coming out of the auditorium so I guess I didn't miss much.

So long story short... I had my meltdown early, got over it, and finished the day like the rockstar that I am!  :) heeeheee

Met w/ my advisor, got my schedule, got my CSU id (pictured above-whoohoo) Had lunch in the CSU cafeteria, shopped at the bookstore, and checked a book out at the library just cuz I could.  Registered for my parking decal and met w/ my financial aid advisor... who by the way said I was being offered the biggest package she had ever seen.  sweet!!

update cha later  :)

Just to be clear - The Pink House is NOT closing!!

Mom has finally decided/committed to take over The Pink House.  Whoohoo!  (It was scary there for a while.  Mom was leaning to closing the store and running the streets with her new boyfriend, but our favorite friends & customers have finally gotten thru to her.)  We've got some details to work out, but it looks like we'll be moving across the street to a bigger/better location.  Yeah!  No more wicked-witch neighbor, no more crooked floor, better parking and a bigger floor space for all the new goodies we'll be bringing you.  :)

Mom leaves on Saturday for her 3 weeks vaca, during which time I will have the store OPEN: Tuesday-Saturday 10am-6pm -ISH.  Some days I'll have to close at 5pm to get Zoe to cheer practice.  I may also take off for lunch or to run an errand.  Basically, if you see my car in the parking lot, then we're open.  I encourage you to call first just to make sure I'm there.

The July TPH schedule is rockin'.  I do have to say!  I'm getting everything in order as we speak.  Let me just leave you with 3 words... Christmas in July!!

Math Placement Test

Ooooh girls, I was sweatin' taking the Math Placement Test yesterday.  I called last week to schedule it, gave myself over the weekend to freshen up on my stellar math skills, and I was pretty confidant right up until Sunday night when the trig and the analytical geometry started looking like a foreign language.

Background ---  Earlier last week I had spoken with the Math Department Head, asked him if I could take Calc I at Trident Tech first (MUCH cheaper than CSU).  His response was, "What makes you think you're ready for Calculus I? ... If you haven't taken a math class in 10 years, then I recommend you start back at College Algebra." 

Let me tell ya, right before this phone call Mom had encouraged me to make good friends with this guy (he is the department head of my major after all.)  So I grabbed a hold of all the words that were trying to fly out of my mouth and let him know that I home schooled my now college step-son, back in the 20th century when I did have my last math class I got A's in both Calculus I & II, and I've already pulled out some of my old textbooks and feel pretty confidant starting back at Calc I.  That decision I had already made.  What I was calling about was whether or not the classes would transfer if I started at TTC first.

So Dr. Ashby says that I would be behind if I took Calc I at TTC, because CSU's version is way more indepth.  He highly recommended that I take my math classes at CSU since I was planning on getting a math degree from them.  I should also go take the Math Placement test just to be sure of where I should start.  I agreed to take the test in an effort not to tick-off my dept. head.

Monday comes rolling around and I've studied some, got a couple books from the library and pulled up a couple sites on the internet.  Like I said before, eveything was hunky-dory until about 10pm Sunday night.  I started getting worried... what if I go in there and don't do well, and then I get placed in a lower math class?  I would be so MAD!!  I started thinking, well maybe I should reschedule the test? or not take it at all, since my transcript already qualified me for Cal I?

I have to admit that I came very, very close to not going.  But finally at 8:00am Monday I said, "Okay Lord, I trust you.  I'm going to go take this test.  If I should start in a lower math class, then so be it."

Well, I started my test just after 9am.  I whizzed thru most of the questions, but then got very concerned by about 3-4 of them.  I ruled out as many of the answers as I could (you know, like how they taught you to do on the SAT), then I placed my best educated guess.

Once I finished, the exam assistant pulled my results off the printer and said "You did very well!  You've been placed in Calculus I."

Whoohooo!  Praise Jesus!  I trust in God and he delivers!

And that's not all...

Later the same day, I get a call on my cellphone from Dr. Ashby!  He says in a very friendly not-so-big-headed-voice " I'll be happy to sign off on you taking Calculus I at Trident Tech.  I'll leave the form on my office door."  Well, I had since decided to go ahead and start at CSU.  So he goes "Well are you planning on taking Calulus I @ CSU this Fall then?  Have you registered for classes yet?"  No, I'm not scheduled to register until this coming Friday, but I know that there were only 2 seats left in the Calc I class as of last week.  Dr. Ashby says, "Well, you just come see me.  I'll make sure you get into Calculus I!" 

another Whoohooo!!!  Mom was right.  All I had to do was keep my calm and go in there and show them what I can do.  They'll come around real quick.

Thanks Mom!!    :)

Blast from the Past

Oh no she didn't!  My good friend from high school just posted some pictures from way back in the day.  Here's me and Stef circa 1991 - 17 yrs old.

 

"Youth is wasted on the young." 

Enjoyed the Day

Thanks to the freedoms afforded me by the sacrifice of others, I was able to enjoy my blessed day off from work, school & cheer practice any way I pleased.  So how did I spend it?  Well, I got the cleaning bug and super-scrubbed my kitchen.  Now that may not be the ideal way to spend a holiday for most, but I tell ya what- when I get into the cleaning mood I have to go with it!  Waking up this morning to a shiny kitchen counter and hot cup of coffee set my day off right.  :)

I was even able to get some furniture moved and my scrap space picked up yesterday.  whoa!-I know.  I better be careful or I'll set some kinda standard here for what can be accomplished when I have an entire day without appointments, car pools or obligations to other people.

In the morning, I had the kids help me straighten the rest of the house for an hour or two, which is the best way to get them to play outside the rest of the day and not come back in until it's dark.  (Write that one down if you are a mother of young children.  It works every time!)  My husband had freshly mowed the lawn (after cooking a scrumptous breakfast -so he gets major brownie points).  The kids were soon covered in loose grass clippings begging for the slight rain sprinkles to turn into full-fledged rain.  They ran around in the backyard playing most of the day.  Zeus, our 100lb rottie, watched from in the house, running from window to window to sliding glass door trying to keep up.  (There was no way I was letting himm outside in that mess.)

Overall, it was a glorious day I truely give thanks for.  In addition to the random moments of silence and short prayers throughout this weekend, I pledge to remember our lost veterans always and to instill that value in my children.  That's one big way every parent can honor our soldiers the other 364 days of the year.

 

Funny story...

Tuesday night the girls and I get home from cheer practice and I start bragging about Zoe-13 hitting her backhandspring by herself.  Very proud mama here! (I also have to mention that Zadie-7 was throwing it without a spot for the first time that night!)  Very, very proud mama!

So anyway, my son Zane-10 decides he wants to be a little sh**t and starts chanting that Zoe's backhandspring is terrible.  She is totally just ignoring him, but I butted in... "Well, your tackling's horrible."  Let me of course mention that he knows that I am his #1 Fan and totally believe that he's the best defensive tackle ever to play the game.  Zane responded "Well, your parenting's horrible."

WHAT?!!!  I almost peed my pants laughing so hard before promptly bopping him repeatedly over the head with my potholder.  "Oh yeah? How d'ya like my bad parenting now?" 

I tell you what, I love that my family can joke with each other.  Humor is such an important part of living a happy life.  I was surprised, though, to realize that Zane (10 yrs old) already knows how important being a good parent is to me.  It's incredible how much kids observe and absorb and how fast they mature.  I'm relieved to know, too, that Zane understands I love him unconditionally and that he can tease me back.  It's really a turning point in a parent/child relationship when that happens.  I just didn't expect it so soon.

 

A piece of inspiration

Be the kind of woman that when your feet hit the floor each morning the devil says - oh crap, she's up.

:)  Lots going on here @ TPH.  I'll send an e-mail out soon, but the jist is that we're in a kind of limbo right now.  I'm going back to school in the Fall.  Is Mom going to take over the store, or is she not?  Are we selling or are we expanding?  (so yeah... it looks like we might finally get the other side of our building - shhhhh!  Don't tell anyone just yet, but yesterday my landlord asked if we wanted the whole place.  ummmm.... YES!) 

Much love to you all - Michelle