Did you know ....

Did you know that MemoryWorks now carries Creative Imaginations?? Creative Imaginations has a variety of scrapbook products for ALL types of scrapbookers!

Some of the things MemoryWorks will now carry is Licensed / Signature Collection (Disney, Lego, StarWars), Foiling Kits, Creative Cafe and much more! Take a look and if you are interested place an order. Don't forget to check out all the other GREAT products in the MemoryWorks Catalog as well!

"Magic"

"Princess"

"Sticky 2 - Sunset Sparkle"

My Sweet little Nephew

Here are some pictures of my darling little nephew!! I was able to come down to the cities this weekend to see him. He is getting bigger!! And is so adorable! He is a little fussy due to his 2nd tooth coming in. Poor guy. But still can be pretty happy (at moments).

Lucas Eating Cereal

Lucas Petting the Cat

Cat hair on lucas' hand - Ick... we washed it off

Auntie Lacey & Lucas!!

My Scrap Deals

Hey - Check out this site!! It's called My Scrap Deals and there are awesome deals on there - SERIOUSLY!! My friend just started it. Definitely some great finds at a REALLY reasonable cost! Check it out! I would check back often as well as I'm sure things will be added often.

JabberBox Marketing

I'm starting a new adventure in my life. In the past few years I have been doing various marketing things for friends & family. It all started in college (sort of) when I put together a few flyers / postcards for Theatre Scholarships. Well. I have come a LONG way since then.

When I moved back to Fargo I was given the opportunity to be Marketing director for the Gooseberry Park Players. I created ads, put out press releases, added the production dates to local calendars, contacted local groups, etc. This is where it all began. I did this for 2 years and it was time for me to move on.

Since then I have done lots of things for Gasper's School of Dance and the FM Ballet Company. Including brochures, postcards, flyers, production programs, photography, newsletter and press releases. While doing this I really enjoyed the process, creating digital art and exploring my talents in this field.

Last fall I met Monty Moran. He approached me at the Sports Center (where I work out) and asked if he could work out with me. I said sure. I find out he is a personal trainer. I was interested, because I needed a trainer to take me to the next level. He said he was getting a flyer ready. I invited him and his daughter to come to FM Ballet's Spooky Ballets and he agreed. It was at the Spooky Ballet when I asked him again where his flyer was. He said something along the lines of - I'm having trouble getting it together. I chimed in (thinking WHY am I about to say this!!) and said "I can help you out!" I told him I do everything for the dance studio and ballet company. He said sure.

Our first meeting was November 8th (or something like that). And since then I've helped him grow his personal training business, start new programs, get print material out (flyers, brochures, etc), posted to online calendars, and much more. All on a limited budget.

My focus with marketing is to get the most out of it that you can without spending thousands of dollars. There are many inexpensive ways to market yourself. And the key is go out and MARKET yourself to others.

Anyway - My company name is JabberBox Marketing. Here is my logo I designed. I will have price sheets soon with a list of what I offer.

If you are interested in my new adventure - email me at jabberboxmarketing@gmail.com

July Express projects

I just wanted to share some MemoryWorks - July Express Kit projects.

Layout - From my Vegas Trip last October

Layout - pictures to be put in later

And a "postcard" it's 4x6

People

On Tuesday Helen Cermak passed away after battle cancer. She was an incredible woman with an amazing heart. Helen was a college professor at Concordia College (my college) in the Theatre / Communications dept. I didn't get to really work with Helen until I think about my Junior year. I finally had a class with her and I was working on theatre scholarship (I was the chair) with her. She became a warming figure in my life, a great mentor, friend, and someone I knew I could always talk to.

She was excited to see the things I did for my Apparel & Design classes and she would always guide me through "random" situations in life. That I now live by. I will greatly miss her presense. But am fortunate enough to know her family. Her daughter A.J. walks in her footsteps. A great person with lots of drive, ambition, friendliness, quirky, and easy to love. Her husband Jim (also a mentor, friend, advisor of mine from Concordia) has the biggest heart of anyone I know. He is a big teddy bear and has always been there for me. And though I don't know Jamie very well, he has always been kind. Helen definitely lives through her family and they will carry her with them till they part with this world.

This year has not been easy in terms of people in my life passing away. But it reminds me how short of a time we have here. And to cherish those around me and the time we spend together. Death is never easy for those of us that are still here. We grieve, cry, miss, heartbroken, and wish we could have spent one more day with that person or had one more conversation or weren't too busy to make time for someone.

MAKE TIME FOR EVERYONE! You don't want regret to live with you. You don't want to miss an opportunity because you were TOO busy.

I visit other blogs and one that people have directed to me before (and I decided to check out today) is Confessions of a Pioneer Woman and a post from yesterday really hit home (and there is a great give-away, but honestly that is besides the point to me). And it made me continue on to her friend "Fatty's" Blog. Fatty's wife is battling breast cancer. His blog is: Fat Cyclist. Honestly, if I think my life is EVER bad - I just need to read his latest post to get a reality check.

When I was in college, my grandma (Omi) passed away from cancer. Her final cancer was brain cancer. It is never easy to see someone you love dearly go through the pain, the suffering, the treatments, and everything else that comes along with cancer.

Today, HUG the people you love, TELL them you love them, and CHERISH each moment.

I will be hugging many people today. As Helen's visitation is this evening and funeral is tomorrow - or Celebration Service as I like to call them.

Running...

So... I have decided to run a 5K in October (October 3rd). I'm really wondering WHY I decided I wanted to do this. HONESTLY! Running is torture! I know it is only a 5K - but as a non-runner. That is a lot of running!

I started training this weekend for it. I ran 1/2 of a 5K on Saturday morning (long story on why I only did half - but I think it's good I train at half - to understand the mechanics of running long distances). And the full 5K on Sunday morning. I completed the full thing in 37 minutes and something seconds. Which isn't bad for my first time I guess.

My sister-in-law posted on her Facebook not too long ago about running the TC Marathon. I thought "Oh, I should do that too!" She was only running the 5K and I thought - that's a perfect start - I don't want to run more then that.

Then my dad commented that he would run the full marathon in 2010. Um... a little ambitious for me. I thought long and hard about that one and nope - there is no way! LOL I told him this too. He thought about it too and it may take longer then a year to get ready for that. So, he may run the 5k this fall too and my brother may now as well.

My mom & Lucas can cheer us on. Well Lucas won't really know what is going on. LOL.

Monty (my trainer) will also be running it. He isn't a long distance runner either, so this is becoming a challenge for both of us. However, we have 3 months and both of us are determined!

My Goal
1. Run the entire thing (no walking)
2. Finish in under 30 min (ultimate goal 25 min)

Mini-Album

I finally got to scrapbook last night!! It was nice! All my stuff is still packed away. But I had some things from the retreat setting out (that I bought). And a project that I had brought with to work on at the retreat (which I never got to). So I worked on it last night and finished it!

I made a mini album (4x6) for my friend who passed away in May - Matthew T. - mom. It is titled "a Son's Life through his mother's eyes" (I will post album pics as soon as I find my camera battery).

But here are the supplies I used for it:

• 1 4x6 album (easy to put pictures in)
• Pebbles: Theme Set - So Tweet
• Fancy Pants: Acrylic Stamps - On a Whimsy
• Fancy Pants: Acrylic Stamps - Delight
• Ranger: Distress Ink - Vintage Photo
• Colorbox: Fluid Chalk Cat Eyes - Dark Brown
• BoBunny: Stamp and Store - Write On
  

It was a simple album to create. I first cut the cover & back cover pieces (since they are larger then 4" x 6". Then I cut the rest of the paper at 4x6. Placed them in the album (17 total) and went through and decorated each for journaling purposes.

Here is the paper I used:
Pebbles: Theme Set - So Tweet
The awesome thing about Pebbles papers is that the border at the bottom (with the paper info) has a pattern board on one side! No need for it to go to waste then!

And look at these adorable Fancy Pants Stamps!
Delight (love the versatility of these stamps!)

On a Whimsy: Super cute doodle images!!


I will post pictures of the album soon!

Photography

I go in spurts of things I fall in love with doing. One month it may be knitting, the next scrapbooking, the next photography and so on. I always find things I'm inspired by and I know recently I have slacked on my photography. I did get the opportunity to be the "official photographer" for the MemoryWorks retreat and that was lots of fun.

I stumbled across Photographers Limited Edition today! It is very artsy. I love artistic photos and really try to study and understand the composition of them. I love to just take pictures - but I would LOVE to become a photographer with an eye.

My friend Charles has an eye for things. His work really inspires me. He has taken a lot of awesome shots from downtown Fargo. He makes Fargo look cool!

My friend Ben Kusler is a photographer out in Los Angeles and I love his work! I've seen many of his headshots and he really captures a persons personality and beauty. So if you are in LA and looking for a photographer - hit him up, seriously!

Finally, my friends from High School - Josh & Laura have a photography company here in Fargo/Moorhead. I love their quirky take on photos and adore their engagement photos. Their company is Frozen Music Studios.

I love my little practice niche of photography. I love capturing dance. Maybe because dance is an escape for me. And capturing talented dancers is something I really enjoy. I'm so lucky to have the opportunity to photograph dancers both on and off stage. With the FM Ballet and Gasper's School of Dance I have had lots of chances to catch dance in action.

So right now I guess what I'm saying is I'm inspired by photography and really want to get out there and take some shots. Which reminds me - I need to set up a session with Molly!

The Move

Well - I'm exhausted (still). This past weekend I moved to a new apartment. I no longer live in Downtown Fargo. ::tear:: I now am a South Fargo residence. This weekend was crazy. We moved ALL of our stuff (furniture and the rest of the 'little' stuff), primed the living room, CLEANED the entire apt and started to sort of organize the new place. Mikael bought champagne to TOAST to our new home.

I will post pictures soon! Right now the place is a DISASTER! Boxes everywhere, stuff EVERYWHERE. It's crazy! I can't even find clothes to wear.