Thoughts and Prayers

My gosh it seems like all you hear about on the TV is violence, shootings here, beatings there, and I think till this economy gets better it may only get worse, people get stressed, and desperate and do bad things.  So lets just think happy thoughts and pray that things will get better soon. We need to sit back and be thankful for the little things, having a roof over our heads, being healthy, having our family and friends around us.  One thing I am thankful for are my friends.  I have many, some I have had for years, some are new.  Some I don't get to see as much as I used to, but I still think of them every day. 

I was looking around on my computer today for a card I made years ago, I could not find it, but I did find this.

Here is a fun picture of Sylvia, me, and my BFF Tracy.

Stampin' Up! brought us three together. Jeff and I met Sylvia and her hubby Ralph on our first incentive trip we earned to Alaska, at the time they did not charter the whole ship so there were "regular" people on the ship. When we got to our table, we were with our friends Cari (who was a Demonstrator at the time) and her hubby Vince but there were two empty seats.  We chatted amongst ourselves saying "oh I wonder who it will be" Ralph sat down first, he must have been 7 feet tall, and we all said hi and he said his wife was running late I think she was in the SPA, we commented we were with SU! and he kinda acted like he did not know what we were talking about, as he did not seem too excited about it. So we figured these must be "regular" folks. Then a few minutes later here come Sylvia, she is the same height as me…obviously you can see that in the picture, they are the cutest couple.  Then we found out Sylvia was a demonstrator, Ralph was just being a poop…some men are when it comes to the bizness, they pretend and roll their eyes "oh those stamps!" meanwhile they love the free trips! Gotta love 'em, and OMG! they could not have paired us with anyone else more perfect, we are still great friends to this day, and I love them to pieces.

Tracy and I met through Stampin' Up! cause we have the same up-up-upline and we knew of each other, I was like OMG Tracy Altemose, and I even called her years ago and asked her how she made something she had swapped with me, too funny years later when I told her that, she remembered the call but did not remember it was me.  Unfortunately for us, and we talk about this all the time, we did not get hooked up on the Alaska cruise, the guys met on a fishing trip. In fact, Steve caught a fish, and didnt want it, Jeff hooked a halibut and they let him play with it for a while but had to cut it loose, so Steve was like hey you can have my fish…so if only we had of got together on that trip. That would have been a whole extra year of knowing them for real, funny how these little rubber stamps bring people together ya know? It is like I found my female soulmate through Stampin' Up! God works in mysterious ways…

Today I was eating my lunch and trying to find a recipe so I got out one of my Gooseberry Patch cookbooks, those have the best recipes and the books themselves are so cute.  So I got to looking at the back of the book at the two woman that own the company… Vickie and Jo Ann, I am pretty sure they are just friends, but then I was like boy they could be sisters, the same blond hair,kinda the same hair cut, cute smiles….and then it got me thinking of my BFF, people could say the same about us. We could be sisters, we have the same hair color, the same cut (Tracy's has changed since this pic of us with Sylvia) we are the same height, gosh we always tease that we really are the same person. I just thought that was funny. I guess I just have been thinking more about Tracy lately and missing her so much, after the fun weekend watching Shelli with her BFF, the SU! Hawaii trip coming, and Tracy and Steve won't be there, so we are a little melancholy about that..excited to go…but knowing it won't be the same.

So I told you yesterday I would show you another card made with the Sweet Slumber paper, well here it is, and I am also going to demonstrate it at my workshop Wed night too.

Stamp Set: Thoughts and Prayers

Paper: Very Vanilla, Sweet Slumber Textured Specialty DSP, Ruby Red, Baja Breeze

Ink: Ruby Red, Sahara Sand, Baja Breeze

Misc: Baja Breeze Striped ribbon, sponge daubers, stamp a ma jig, dimensionals

TIP: To get the two colors on the flower and leaves image, I first stamped the whole image in Sahara Sand, then using my sponge dauber I inked it up with the Baja Breeze pad and carefully sponged the color on the flowers.  Huff on it (which means breathe on the stamped image – this moistens up the ink) and stamp…voila! two colors.  Look Ma, I can use a solid stamp!!! Ha! You all know I am a colorer, OMG! someone gave me a little button or flair on facebook, I wonder if I can show it here somehow, and it is hilarious, it is a little boy and his face is like manic and he is coloring and it says "I Freakin' Like to Color!" – that's me…but I love this card a lot and I love how pretty it is and how simple and fast it is too, as will the people taking my classes. – ha!

So American Idol.  My 3 favorites tonight and maybe my favorites for the whole show, are Danny, Adam and Alexis…and OMG! when Alexis started singing Dirty Diana, I almost freaked.  My girlfriend Mari (hey chicka) sings that to me when she calls, I answer "Hi", and she sings…"Dirty Diana"…ha! so it made me smile…cause well my name is Diana…nice to meet you, come here often? I love what you're doing with your hair!….and some day down the road I have a secret little wish…shhh…I am only telling you…..that I will be asked to be a Dirty Dozen girl on Splitcoast Stampers….hey we all  have wishes right?

As for American Idol, was it just me or did Paula change her bracelet from one wrist to the other half way through the show?  I mean the thing had this huge glittery luggage tag on it…it was hard to miss.

Ok, that's it for my blabbering for the night, I have to hit the hay.

Have a great Wednesday, I will be demonstrating at Kim's workshop tomorrow, so will miss AI and the results, I do think that the surprise will be that our votes will tell one person is leaving and the judges will choose the second person…that is what Jeff and I think anyway.

Hey thanks for stopping in, I really appreciate you hanging out with me each day for a little bit!