Scrappersaurus remembers... 5 Year Anniversary of Hurricane Katrina

I wanted to write and let everyone know why I haven’t been blogging. There’s been a LOT going on in my life lately which has prevented me from blogging regularly as I intended to… which has prevented me from running the Scrappersaurus online store as I intended to… which has prevented me from crafting, even, or just doing mundane household things.

I’ve recently learned how important it is to take the time—to MAKE the time even—to stay in contact with those you love the most, and let them know how much you love them. I’ve (re)discovered that life is very, very fragile and it is of the utmost importance to stop the frenzy of the workaday world at times to really be able to LIVE. My best friend of 20 years needs a heart transplant immediately. The sister of another of my best friends had a massive heart attack and passed away unexpectedly. My 11-year-old Australian Cattle Dog, Ally, also passed away recently; that alone was a very, very traumatic experience for me. Add to that the trauma of having to leave my hometown of New Orleans and move to Texas. And now, here we are, five years later after Hurricane Katrina obliterated our first scrapbook store.

Katrina took a lot more from me than most people realize: she took my best friends, my network of physicians and proper medical care, my business, a lot of personal items, my family’s entire pictorial history, and our family Camp in Lake Catherine where we spent the majority of our holidays and all of our summers. And worst of all, she took away the beautiful City that I grew up in. She took away my history, actually. The schools and church I attended are now razed—they simply don’t exist any longer. The high school I graduated from doesn’t exist any longer. The neighborhoods I grew up in are still largely boarded up or considered “blighted property”. And yes, this is in New Orleans proper, where most of America thinks things have “gotten back to normal”. Sorry to say, there will NEVER be any getting “back to normal” at this point. Some of us will NEVER recover from our losses. Hard as we try to move on, there’s always something there to remind us of that awful saying, “You can never go home.” Or the song lyric that says, “You can get back to the place, but not the time.”

On Yahoo! News today I read an article that gave 3 different accounts of people who had “survived” (did any of us really survive?) Katrina, and where they are now. One gentleman, an attorney in the City, said he felt that New Orleans had “matured” after Katrina. Yeah, well, guess what… he lives Uptown and I think his life is probably totally different from the majority of others who live in New Orleans. Uptown is pretty much “back to normal”, I guess you’d say. Uptown has the funds and resources to rebuild, and cover up the devastation--for that, for them, I rejoice. But I don’t think he’d say that if he went and lived in New Orleans East or Saint Bernard Parish for a month or so. Heck, even a week. Then he’d know…it’s just a shell of what it once was, and is not really a lifestyle anymore.

I miss Methodist Hospital and Chalmette Medical Center. I miss the people who worked there with me. I had worked with Methodist since 1988 or 1989, I guess. I knew most of the staff, regardless of the department they worked in. I saw many department heads come and go; many changes to the operations of the hospital. Throughout it all, the people remained the same: caring, giving, and loving, regardless of who you were or why you were there. And when the radiologists at Methodist asked me to transcribe for them at Chalmette Medical Center, I got to know those people, as well. They, too, were the same kind of caring, giving, loving people. Just in a different parish. But all of it was still “New Orleans”. New Orleans people CARE. That’s why we want our City to come back to life as it was originally. We have opened our doors to people—tourists and different ethnic groups and cultures—for centuries, and blended them in with our way of life. Growing, changing, evolving, with the addition of every new person to our community, yet still staying the same caring, giving, loving “family” that we always have been.

Here’s an excerpt from my journal a few months ago. I think it is very appropriate to include it here, now. 

“... I’m really depressed. I realized this afternoon that what I’m going through right now is actual grieving for all I have lost. I lost all my history in New Orleans in Hurricane Katrina in 2005, causing me to lose all my friends, doctors, and work over the next couple years. Then I ended up losing both my stores to the post-Katrina economy.

Now, living in Texas, I’m grieving the loss of the friends I had made after Hurricane Katrina and the doctors and medical network I had finally gotten into place after all my original doctors either moved out of state by choice or couldn’t return because they had no home or business to return to. I’m grieving also because there has been an immense oil spill disaster in the Gulf of Mexico, about 40 miles south of the Louisiana shoreline that has absolutely halted the Louisiana way of life for most people in the coastal area, killed a lot of wildlife, and is preventing tourists from going to Louisiana for vacation now. Yes, it’s affected Mississippi and Alabama, and even Florida already (its been two months), but Louisiana is my HOME—it’s where my roots are... where my family is from... where my family still is. I grieve for the loss of all that I knew and can never have or even visit again: the schools I went to, the churches I worshiped at, even the hospitals where I worked, and the apartments and houses I rented and owned are all GONE.

This afternoon we had to go pick up antibiotics for my dog from the veterinarian’s office, which was on South Padre Island, a ways away from where we live now in Corpus Christi. As Felix drove, I looked out over the waters, over the beaches and the marshes, watching the people fish or kayak or boat or just sit on the beach. It smelled so wonderfully familiar, just like when I was a little girl and we were at the Camp in Lake Catherine—something else we lost completely to Hurricane Katrina. He made a comment on how it smelled, and it reminded me of home, which actually made me even sadder and more depressed. I thought of all my family on the Bayou—Bayou Des Allemands and in Cutoff. I thought about what their lives must be like now. I thought about how much I missed smelling that wonderful smell of the melding of the sea and the sky, and the lifestyle to which I can never, ever go back. And it made me very, very sad, and I realized there’s no home anymore. There’s nowhere to go. I thought about the people whose sweat dug the canals crossed over by cars on the roads of the city, or the fishermen who left their families for sometimes weeks or months at a time to go out and catch the fish, shrimp, and oysters eaten in local restaurants and literally, around the globe. And I was so glad that I grew up where I did—in New Orleans. I know my great-great-uncles and cousins dug the Irish Channel and a lot of the canals in New Orleans. I know my great-grandfather was a butcher and a preacher, and my great-grandmother raised her own animals and butchered them herself for meals. In some ways, she never quite recovered after her first child was murdered, but she went on with life nonetheless—as we always do here in Louisiana—rearing her children and doing what she needed to do. I know her son, my grandfather, spoke our native Cajun French until he went to high school or college, and that although he was newly married with a child on the way and only 18 or 19 years old, served in the military to keep our country free so we would have these treasures to fall back on. And I know the true value all of that is. People who are not “from here” simply don’t comprehend it. And they miss out on the real richness these people have shared with everyone else. And so they do not understand our grief on having to give up all of that, simply because a Hurricane named Katrina decided to come here to visit, too...”

So, be real. Be real in your journaling, real in your blogging, real in your scrapbooking, and most importantly of all, be real with yourself. Know and allow yourself to feel the feelings you have, however much you wish to suppress them. Every now and then, just like the old photo or scrapbook albums you take out of the closet to look at—take out those feelings, dust them off, remember them, and then put them away and get back to real life. Today. And live the moment. From the time you are born, your moments are numbered. You never know the actual number you have left, or the number your friends or family members have left, so live in the moment, and love in the moment. Give yourself to reality every day. As the sun rises every day, we are given another fresh start, another chance to be the person we know we are inside, and another chance to love and give love to others. Bring joy to those you love. It will come back to you, a thousand-fold.

My love to ALL of you,

Dee

Louisiana Friends (Family)

A customer sent this to me, and it couldn't have come at a more appropriate time in my life!  I was recently trying to explain to someone how its just different here, and how indelibly connected we all are.  This sums it up perfectly!

FRIENDS vs. LOUISIANA FRIENDS

FRIENDS:  Never ask for food.
LOUISIANA FRIENDS:  Always bring the food.

FRIENDS:  Will say "Hello".
LOUISIANA FRIENDS:  Will give you a big hug and a kiss.

FRIENDS:  Call your parents "Mr." and "Mrs."
LOUISIANA FRIENDS:  Call your parents "Mom" and "Dad".

FRIENDS:  Have never seen you cry.
LOUISIANA FRIENDS:  Cry with you.

FRIENDS:  Will eat at your dinner table and leave.
LOUISIANA FRIENDS:  Will spend hours there, talking, laughing, drinking, telling stories, and just being together.

FRIENDS:  Know a few things about you.
LOUISIANA FRIENDS:  Could write a book with direct quotes from you.

FRIENDS:  Will leave you behind, if that's what the crowd is doing.
LOUISIANA FRIENDS:  Will kick the whole crowds' back-ends that left you.

FRIENDS:  Would knock on your door.
LOUISIANA FRIENDS:  Walk right in and say, "I'm home!"

FRIENDS:  Will visit you in jail.
LOUISIANA FRIENDS:  Will spend the night in jail with you.

FRIENDS:  Will visit you in the hospital when you're sick.
LOUISIANA FRIENDS:  Will cut your grass and clean your house, then come spend the night with you in the hospital, and cook for you when you come home.

FRIENDS:  Have you on speed dial.
LOUISIANA FRIENDS:  Have your number memorized.

FRIENDS: Are for a while.
LOUISIANA FRIENDS:  Are for LIFE!!!

Hopefully, this will help non-native Louisianians to understand the deep connection we have with one another.  In Louisiana, Friend = Family. There's really no difference!

Until next time, happy scrapping and stamping!

Dee

Tips and Techniques / Updates

Just a quick post to say "Hello!" and let you know I've been updating the Website and separating out the Tips and Techniques onto different pages.  This way if someone is searching for help with something, they can click directly on the tab that leads to that specific Tip/Technique, and get help right away without having to scroll through the entire list.  Plus, I've been updating and adding to them as I do this, so you may want to keep an eye out and see the changes made. 

If anyone has a Tip or Technique they would like to submit for inclusion on our website, please email it to me at Scrappersaurus@Yahoo.com, and put TIP/TECHNIQUE in the Subject Line so I'll know immediately what it is for.  If I have questions about what you've submitted, I will email you back or give you a call.  Please make sure to let me know if you wish us to give you credit for submission by including your name or not.  You can submit anonymously, if you prefer.

Also, we're very excited about some new products that should be arriving later this week.  It is a collection of Little Boy and Little Girl fleur de lis papers, with other coordinating papers in the collection.  We already have everything in place to add them to the website as soon as they arrive, and we'll also send out a post.

Well, I'm off to work on the website some more.  Have an amazingly awesome week!

Until next time, happy scrapping and stamping!

Dee

Where Puzzle Pieces Come From

WOW!!!  What a response to my last blog!!!

I would like to sincerely THANK ALL who commented, called, texted, and emailed regarding that post!  Especially those of you who said that I was also an important puzzle piece in their life! 

So, exactly where do puzzle pieces come from?   Well, the goal of my last post was to have you all realize how important everyone (each a puzzle piece) and every experience (more puzzle pieces) is--not how important *I* am! LOL!!! I was merely trying to illustrate what I meant by giving you an example of that in MY life.

I do want you all to know and understand that every person whom I have ever met throughout the course of MY life--be it in the health care industry (30 years) or in our scrapbooking business (5 years), or anywhere in-between--each one has taught me something in some way or given credence to other ideas or judgements I may have been in the process of forming.  And THAT is why I feel documenting our lives in scrapbooking so important!  Every person makes a differnce in their own way, and every experience--regardless of what it is--helps us become who we are. THAT is why I believe scrapbooking is so important!

Rascal Flatts summed it up very well in their song (Bless the Broken Road): "Every long lost dream led me to where you are; Others who broke my heart they were like northern stars, Pointing me on my way into your loving arms.  This much I know is true:  That God blessed the broken road That led me straight to you..."

Please take some time over the next few days to think about where you are in your life right now, who you REALLY are, and the people and experiences that helped get you to that point.  I'm certain you'll find there are many, many people out there who have helped you to become YOU, and when you realize who they are--do what my sister did--TELL THEM!!!  Remember, most people are eager to point out any flaws, yet extremely hesitant to give someone credit for something good or nice or positive.  We have more than enough chaos and sadness in the world right now, so lets start looking for that silver lining when the clouds come.  I believe God is in control of our Life and where we are on the Road, and He will always lead us to something better, if we keep the Faith.  I hope you can find that Faith in yourself, and Believe, also.
 
Now, in Michael Jackson's own words: "I'm Starting With The Man In The Mirror; I'm Asking Him To Change His Ways.  And No Message Could Have Been Any Clearer--If You Wanna Make The World A Better Place, Take A Look At Yourself, And Then Make A Change!"

Please at least journal your thoughts or make a few layouts (or just a big collage) of all the people and events that have helped you to become YOU.  Take time for YOURSELF for a change, and scrapbook YOURSELF.  We are so much in the habit of scrapbooking our families, friends, pets, hobbies, and very few of us scrapbook and document OUR OWN LIVES.  Change that!!!  When you are long gone and your scrapbooks are still around, the people who look through them are going to wonder whom they were created by, and what type of person they were. What were some of the events and experiences in the scrapbooker's life?  Give them that, and they will truly have a treasure.  As will you!

The person who taught me the most about what scrapbooking really is and is meant to do, is Marlane Mayo.  She was an SDU Teacher of mine and Emery's at The Scrapbook Nook in Metairie way back when... and when The Nook closed, I asked her to come teach for us at Scrappersaurus.  She taught me--through working with her and through a close friendship--immeasureable "little" things that helped me to become a better crafter, a better teacher, a better retailer, and a much better person.  She explained to me that people always asked her, "Marlane, why do YOU scrapbook?  You don't have any children?!"  And she told me her reply was always the same, that when she was older and possibly in a nursing home, she wanted to have documentation of what she did and who she knew and where she went during her (younger, active) life.  She wanted to be able to relive those times and remember all her accomplishments, whatever they may have been.  That's what it's really all about, now, isn't it?

Have an awesome day!

Until next time, happy scrapping and stamping!

Dee

YOU are the Puzzle Piece!!!

Hello All!

I want to tell you why I feel scrapbooking is so important, to everybody. I believe that each person's experiences shape who they are and who they become. I believe that through scrapbooking, we get to write our own sort of "history book", and show what things have helped us to get to the place where we are now. And EVERY experience helps shape us. Just as every person with whom we come in contact. Let me explain what I mean, in MY personal experience with this:

The other day I found a single jigsaw puzzle piece in a parking lot when I went to the grocery. It kind of stood out, bright blue against the black asphalt, and I bent over to pick it up. I found it sort of mystical to come across one single puzzle piece... I've always described my life as a puzzle-piece sort of life, made up of bits and pieces here and there. And I think I have finally come to the realization that it's ALL about pieces. Our lives are made up of so many little pieces, and each one, however frustrating or ecstatic, is an important piece in the BIG PICTURE called our "Life". Imagine for a moment, that you are sitting down putting together a jigsaw puzzle, and that it is one of those puzzles that you have to try each piece here and there, and then put off to the side for a bit until you can figure out where it really goes. When you find where that piece goes, you're elated! Finally, you put all the pieces together, only to realize that there is ONE piece missing! You cannot complete your puzzle now, all because of ONE piece missing!!! Well, I want to tell you, WE are ALL one piece to the big jigsaw puzzle of Life, and regardless of how insignificant we may feel at times, we ARE in fact, indispensible. We ALL make up the big picture of Life. And today I received confirmation of that, most unexpectedly!

My sister called me this afternoon and told me she had been chatting with a friend earlier, and that her friend told her she thought my sister had very strong roots in and tendencies for advocacy--for all sorts of things. My sister now lives in Minneapolis and is a Rape Crisis Counselor, and while living here in New Orleans, she was a nurse in the CARE Center (Children At Risk Evaluation Center) where she worked with children who had been molested and abused. She was also a volunteer with New Orleans Cares, at the Homeless Center and Food Bank, and did Graveyard Restoration for the Indigent. To sum it up, she cares A LOT, and she gives A LOT. Well, of course, *I* knew all of this already, but what she told me next really took me off guard. She said that growing up (she is 8 years younger than I am) and seeing me rearing my son (Emery) and fighting for rights for people with disabilities and helping people overcome obstacles of many kinds, and NEVER giving up, helped HER to become the same way, and to help her to grow into the person she is today. I was totally, TOTALLY humbled and stunned. She asked me if I was aware of just how many lives I had touched. Of course, you know me, I began to cry, overcome with emotion. No, I was NOT aware of anything of that sort! I had absolutely no idea that me, in my own little way, had provided the one puzzle piece in her life that helped her to form HER big picture, and in turn be a puzzle piece herself in other peoples' lives, in THEIR big pictures.

I truly don't consider myself all that great for what I did. AT ALL!!! I thought I was just being a regular mom, trying to help my child who had been born with limited abilities to live as "normal" a life as I could. I DEFINITELY didn't see myself as any sort of role model! But she felt I was, and she gave ME the credit!!!

Please know that whomever you are, whatever you do, YOU ARE IMPORTANT in this big picture called "LIFE". YOU ARE THE PUZZLE PIECE that completes someone else's life, even if you don't know it! EVERY SINGLE ONE OF US MAKES A DIFFERENCE!!!

At this difficult time (poor economy, Gulf coast disaster, troops still overseas, etc.), I wish you ALL happiness, wealth, prosperity, and most of all, I wish you all the understanding that YOU are important, even when you don't realize it.
Until next time, happy scrapping and stamping!
Dee

Finally, Kokuyo replacements! And MORE kits!

Wow, what a week!  We've discovered and gotten THE adhesive that will make former Kokuyo-addicts THRILLED, and I've been busy putting together more kits.  Hopefully we can get them on the webstore sometime this weekend.  Our goals are to: 1) Teach different techniques with each kit, and 2) Provide different types of products to work with.  This way, you can determine which techniques and products you like, and which ones you don't feel "fit" with your style of crafting.  If you have a specific technique you want to learn or product you want to try out (in kit form), please email me and let me know what it is.  I'll do my best to put together a kit for you and, if necessary, prepare one customized JUST FOR YOU!!!

A lot of you may remember I owned a transcription company for about 25 years prior to opening our stores.  We mainly transcribed medical and legal documents, and my mother was my business partner.  She is still a transcriptionist, and sent me an absolute gem yesterday, which she received through her email.  As you know, in any business, there are exchanges between different parties involved that are sometimes extremely hilarious when you take a closer look.  And then there are those that you don't need to look at closely, because it just kind of slaps you in the face.  The following are supposedly excerpts taken from actual legal cases in a real courtroom.  So, if you want a really good laugh, take a bathroom break (trust me on this!) and then come back and read below. 
----
ATTORNEY: What was the first thing your husband said to you that morning?
WITNESS:  He said, 'Where am I, Cathy?
ATTORNEY:  And why did that upset you?
WITNESS:  My name is Susan!
----
ATTORNEY:  This myasthenia gravis, does it affect your memory at all?
WITNESS:  Yes.
ATTORNEY:  And in what ways does it affect your memory?
WITNESS:  I forget.
ATTORNEY:  You forget? Can you give us an example of something you forgot?
----
ATTORNEY:  ALL your responses MUST be oral, OK? What school did you go to?
WITNESS:  Oral.
----
ATTORNEY:  The youngest son, the twenty-year-old, how old is he?
WITNESS:  He's twenty, much like your IQ.
----
ATTORNEY: Were you present when your picture was taken?
WITNESS:  Are you sh**ting me?
----
ATTORNEY:  What gear were you in at the moment of the impact?
WITNESS:  Gucci sweats and Reeboks.
----
ATTORNEY:  How was your first marriage terminated?
WITNESS:  By death.
ATTORNEY:  And by whose death was it terminated?
WITNESS:  Take a guess.
----
ATTORNEY: Are you sexually active?
WITNESS:  No, I just lie there.
----
ATTORNEY:  So the date of conception (of the baby) was February 1st?
WITNESS:  Yes.
ATTORNEY:  And what were you doing at that time?
WITNESS:  Getting laid.
----
ATTORNEY:  She had several children, right?
WITNESS:  Yes.
ATTORNEY:  How many were boys?
WITNESS:  None.
ATTORNEY:  Were there any girls?
WITNESS:  Your Honor, I think I need a different attorney. Can I get a new attorney?
----
ATTORNEY:  Can you describe the individual?
WITNESS:  He was about medium height and had a beard.
ATTORNEY:  Was this a male or a female?
WITNESS:  Unless the Circus was in town, I'm going with male.
----
ATTORNEY:  Are you qualified to give a urine sample?
WITNESS:  Are you qualified to ask that question?
----
ATTORNEY:  Now doctor, isn't it true that when a person dies in his sleep, he doesn't know about it until the next morning?
WITNESS:  Did you actually pass the bar exam?
----
ATTORNEY:  Doctor, how many of your autopsies have you performed on dead people?
WITNESS:  All of them. The live ones put up too much of a fight.
----
ATTORNEY:  Do you recall the time that you examined the body?
WITNESS:  The autopsy started around 8:30 p.m.
ATTORNEY:  And Mr. X was dead at the time?
WITNESS:  If not, he was by the time I finished.
----
ATTORNEY: Doctor, before you performed the autopsy, did you check for a pulse?
WITNESS:  No.
ATTORNEY:  Did you check for blood pressure?
WITNESS:  No.
ATTORNEY:  Did you check for breathing?
WITNESS:  No.
ATTORNEY:  So, then it is possible that the patient was alive when you began the autopsy?
WITNESS:  No.
ATTORNEY:  How can you be so sure, Doctor?
WITNESS:  Because his brain was sitting on my desk in a jar.
ATTORNEY:  I see, but could the patient have still been alive, nevertheless?
WITNESS:  Yes, it is possible that he could have been alive and practicing law.
----

I hope you enjoyed this as much as my mom and I did!

Until next time, happy scrapping and stamping!

Dee

Kits on Webstore / Update on Donna / Ham Lasagna

Well, today I finally got one of the Disney kits up on the webstore ( http://scrapbook-store-scrappersaurus.com/didolaandbom.html ) that our very own Design Team Member Heather Landry created.  We have several kits left over from some of the great workshops we had done in the stores, and I'm trying to re-write the instructions and put pics so I can sell them as kits now.  I chose to put the Disney double-page 12x12 layout kit up first because, well, its DISNEY!!! LOL!!!  Lots of people are planning their summer vacations to Disney already, and this layout and mini album kit will give them a good start on scrapping their trip.  Next, I think I'll put up some of the unclaimed Layout of the Month kits.  I know, it's hard to believe there are actually any left, especially since so many people who were NOT members would routinely ask after the kits were sent out "just in case" there were any "left over"...  Then I plan on putting up kits using the embossing pastes (by special request!).  I'm including just about all materials needed to finish the kits, and all you would need to have is your adhesive and tools.  Complete written instructions and photos of finished samples are included to help guide you.

Also, I want to update everybody who has been praying for my friend, Donna.  For those of you who were unaware, Donna has been my best friend for 19 years, and she was recently told her heart simply was not capable of doing the job it needed to in order to keep her alive, and she needed a heart transplant.  They told her there was nothing else they could do for her.  She even traveled a whole day to visit a special advanced cardiac clinic in another state, only to find they couldn't help her, either.  Then she was told she didn't qualify for a heart transplant because her body mass index was (minutely!) higher than they allow.  I cried a lot, and thought a lot about what I could do for my friend.  All I COULD do, was to pray, and to get as many people as possible to pray with me for her.  So, that's what I did.  I sent out emails to relatives, other friends, customers, and even manufacturers--anyone and everyone that I thought MIGHT pray for her.  I asked that she be put on prayer chains and have candles lit.  I am EXTREMELY happy to let you all know that YOUR PRAYERS ARE WORKING!!!  She called and told me that she went to another doctor and was told she didn't NEED a heart transplant, and that although she had serious cardiac issues, he believed that he could help her rehabilitate herself back to a healthy condition.  He put her on a special diet (for better cardiac health, not for weight-loss) and told her how to exercise daily, among other things.  She went from not being able to shower and dress herself to being able to walk several blocks at a time now!!!  THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU all of you that prayed for her!!!  PLEASE KEEP PRAYING for her, because she's still not out of the woods.  I will keep you all updated.

Oh, and to all of you who laughed when I said I was going to make a ham lasagna--IT ROCKS!!!  Felix told me he loved it better than "regular" lasagna!!!  I was amazed!!!  I went online and did a search for recipes, then kind of did what I always do--I combine them in my own way, and make my own version.  Well, this one was definitely a winner!  Email me if you want MY recipe.

Until next time, happy scrapping and stamping!

Dee

FREE - FREE - FREE Shipping.....

Did I happen to mention that orders over $50.00 are now shipped FREE in the Continental US? Well, if I did not, I just did.


Thank you for your support.
Felix
And.. you know..

Tim Holtz Scissors and why we love them!

Tip # 9999 for Tim Holtz Scissors! DOG-Grooming Shears!!!

Until next time, happy scrapping and stamping!

Dee (ok, not really Dee, its ME Felix - and YES, TH Scissors ROCK!)

It's all in your Perspective... New Project... Contest/Giveaway!!!

I know, the original of this post had incorrect dates, and I'm sorry I had to edit and resend it, but I didn't want any confusion about what needed to be done by a specific date. I also edited the instructions for the project and hope I clarified what a couple people may have found confusing!
=======================================================================
I went to bed last night about 12:30, and read to Felix while he rubbed my head. It is an almost nightly ritual that helps relax me so I can get maybe a couple hours of sleep (I have insomnia). I was happy, relaxed, fell asleep and awoke about 3:00 AM. I decided to go do the dishes, as they had piled up from me being "off" on Tuesday and Thursday! While working my way through one side of the divided sink--two dishes, a cereal bowl, utensils, a frying pan, ANOTHER dish--I got angry because this last dish had on it about eight large macaroni noodles, and Felix had put it in the right side of the divided sink. I am constantly reminding him that the garbage disposal is in the left sink, but to no avail.

I was frowning, picking up soggy noodles, trying to think of what I was going to say to him THIS TIME that might perhaps take hold in his memory banks so he would stop doing that... Then it dawned on me--those eight noodles were there reminding me that he didn't mind me being "off" on Tuesday and Thursday, and he cooked for me and cleaned as best as he could. He loves me that much. And I felt ashamed of myself, then, for being angry with him at all.

I know in my last post I spoke also of changing one's perspective (mine was about my physical pain), and I am thinking that perhaps there's a lesson or two here I REALLY need to learn--perhaps one of gratitude and perspective. Otherwise, why would something like this keep coming up in my life? There are so many people I know of who would LOVE the opportunity to clean up after someone else--anyone else--because they are alone. And when I think about the hundreds of thousands of others I do not know... well, that is pretty humbling!

My best friend in New York began a gratitude journal many years ago. I thought she was weird, writing down something she was grateful for, every day! I had never heard of such a thing! Then, over the years, I heard of it, more and more, from all sorts of people--people who were religious, people who were sad or depressed, people who were grieving, young people, old people, just people in general. And when I became a retail store-owner, I then had people coming in with scrapbooks that had begun as gratitude journals and evolved into an album, or that still were gratitude journals only. I realized that there must be something to it...for others. Never for myself. I didn't feel I really "needed" something like that--I was always grateful and was constantly praying throughout the day and telling God how grateful I was for everything that I had been blessed with. I didn't NEED to do something as silly as writing it all down!!!

Well, I am now convinced that this is EXACTLY what I need in my life, at this moment in time. I'm going to start with this blog post, and tell you one thing I am very grateful for--YOU!!! Thank you, my readers, customers, friends, and family for sticking by me, Felix, and Emery through everything Scrappersaurus has gone through (Hurricane Katrina, rebuilding, reopening, closing, health issues, etc.). For all of you, I am truly grateful.

Now, how about we add some fun to this post?

I was reading a new products catalog and came across a manufacturer that had records in one of their designs--you know, the old kind, like 45s or LPs--and one of the embellishments was so precious. After looking at it for a moment, I came up with my OWN way to make it, in the colors *I* want to make it. No, I do NOT have a picture of a finished product, and I'll tell you why at the end of these instructions. Make sure you read them fully before beginning. GO!!!

1. Cut a scalloped-edge circle the size you want your FINISHED embellishment to be. (You want to make it a color that coordinates well with your page as well as the other colors you choose for your "record".)
2. Using another piece of paper, cut a plain circle slightly smaller than the scalloped-edge one, so that when you place the plain one on top the scallops, only the scallops will show. This will be your "record". (Remember--although the majority of records came in black, there were some special editions released in other colors, like Elvis Presly's "Moody Blue", released in 1977, which was--sadly--the last album he made.)
3. Using another scrap of paper, cut a small circle to fit in the center of your large circle, which would be where the "record label" is with the song titles. (You can make your inner label any color you desire, as those came in different colors, usually depending on which record label (company) released the record.)
4. Using the Crop-A-Dile or a hand-punch, punch a hole in the center of #3 for where the spindle goes through on an LP, or for a larger hole use a circle punch for a 45.
5. Attach a small scrap of paper to the back of #3 to make #4 stand out.
6. Put your layers together, and now you have your very own record embellishment!

Above all, remember--have fun with your craft, and don't be afraid to experiment! Make records of all different colors with scrap paper to see what works best for you. You could even make the record large enough to fill an entire page, depending on what you want your finished project to look like. If you have a Cricut, it should be relatively easy to make different sized embellishments.

As an incentive to get you going and moving towards creating SOMETHING this week, I am going to give away a Tinkering Ink Peekaboo Album (4 Chipboard pages, 3 Clear Acrylic pages) to the person who uploads (via email attachment to Scrappersaurus@Yahoo.com) a completed "record" embellishment and receives the most votes. We will accept entries beginning today through Thursday, March 18th at Midnight. Sorry, no late entries, and we are not responsible for lost or misdirected email! On Friday, March 19th, at 12:01AM, we will open up VOTING FOR 48 HOURS ONLY. On Sunday, March 21st at 12:01 AM we will announce the winner. The prize will be mailed out to the winner the next day. We will also announce ANOTHER GIVEAWAY next Sunday!

CONTEST ENTRY RULES:
1. Create a completed "record" embellishment in your own choice of color scheme.
2. Send an email to Scrappersaurus@Yahoo.com with CONTEST ENTRY in the Subject Line.
3. Include in your email to us: a) Your full name, b) complete street mailing address, c) daytime phone number and cell phone number so we can contact you if necessary, and d) your RECIPE for which materials and tools you used to create your finished product. You do NOT have to give dimension measurements unless you wish to include them so others can duplicate what you've done.
4. Attach your entry to the email. You may scan it or take a photograph of it--it doesn't matter, however, it MUST be in a .jpg file format. Please make sure your image shows the entire embellishment, and that it is clear enough to make out the details. If you put journaling on it and don't mind sharing, you can include in your email to us what the journaling says, and we'll add it next to your entry.

THIS is why I didn't include a picture of one already done!!!

Until next time, happy scrapping and stamping!

Dee

Get Real!!!

Today I received an e-mail from another retailer, and in it she had a link to Ali Edwards' blog post. When I went to it and read it, I was amazed--it seems that I always receive e-mails from sometimes even strangers about things that are SO relevant right NOW in my life. This was exactly the case. Ali is an avid scrapbooker, a very creative designer, and the author of some really helpful publications. I am fortunate enough to own several of her works, and I find her perspective helpful to me because it makes me think of things I don't normally think about. And this blog post she had today was totally in keeping with that. It's about Getting Real in your life. Beginning things you need to finally get started on, and ending things that no longer bring you what you need or want in your life. Please check it out. I'm certain a lot of you will find it as wonderful as I did. And with Spring Cleaning being on everyone's mind now, reading her post certainly gave me some ideas for what I want (and need) to do in order to REALLY get things into better shape. Nobody's perfect. Nobody's life is perfect. If it was, it wouldn't be worth living, now, would it? The ideas she gives in here gives a jumping-off point to making it more the way you would like it to be, and less of the way you don't. Enjoy! http://www.aliedwards.typepad.com/

We are still adding new items to the webstore... seems like I'll never finish! And, of course, in reality I hope I never do... I would love to be able to bring y'all new items frequently. I am, however, going to be more disciplined in working on the Layout of the Month and Card of the Month Clubs, and have already told Felix I won't be answering the phone, turning on my computer, or even cooking dinner on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Those two days of the week are going to be devoted entirely to creating my kits and trying out new products and techniques so I can bring y'all the best in learning and trying out new techniques and products without breaking the bank. Yours or mine!!!

I'm also working on contests now, and surveys, and giveaways. And my designer is still working on the online video classes. Something else I have up my sleeve (yeah, it's pretty crowded up there!) is ONLINE VIDEO CROPPING where I can have a number of people online at the same time, and they can all see each other. Not like Skype or AOL or Yahoo!'s Messenger services. I'll let you know how it is coming, and when we'll be able to start. I miss my customers and friends in Louisiana so much, and I want to be able to see my customers around the globe who purchase from us, too. This video crop is the way to solve that, I think.

This weekend I learned something I'd like to share with you. You all know how much trouble I have with my back. Well, I was sitting on my pity-pot moaning about my pain in my leg, when I realized I needed to thank God that I had a leg to have pain in. I met a double-amputee this weekend, and I'm certain he would love to have pain in his legs because then it would mean he wasn't an amputee. It actually helped me to deal with the pain better. I am trying to correlate that to everything else in my life that I find I have issues with, and I find that things are actually going more smoothly for me since I have changed my focus from what is wrong with something to being genuinely grateful for it. I hope it helps you, too, in some way.

Have a wonderful day, and an even better week!

Until next time, happy scrapping and stamping!

Dee

Always something new at Scrappersaurus!

Well, what can I say? Felix just has to have his hands into everything, including my blog, you know?! LOL!!!

Anyway, he's right--we're constantly adding to the website. We have a goal of putting at least 5 NEW items on the webstore DAILY now, and I'm going to do my absolute best to give you at least WEEKLY UPDATES to the TIPS & TECHNIQUES section. Felix has already gone to bed for the night (yeah, I'm a late-night owl) and so I can't put the newest one on--I'll have him put it on tomorrow evening. It'll be ALL ABOUT RUB-ONS!!! How to pick them, how to tell if they're fresh, how to store them, how to get them to transfer perfectly... Lots of people talk about rub-ons, and I hear so much frustration from customers because they simply don't know all the ins-and-outs of rub-ons. Well, that mystery will be totally solved tomorrow, so STAY TUNED!!! After the new tip, you'll be a RUB-ON EXPERT!!!

Tomorrow morning I have an appointment with a new orthopaedic surgeon. He actually did surgery on my brother-in-law here in Texas, so I want to see what he has to say about my case. I'm kind of nervous, as you can expect. I do NOT want to have to have surgery if I don't have to, but I'm thinking that may be the only route I have available to me at this point. If you're a praying person, please keep me in your prayers. And just so you all know--I am a praying person, and I pray for ALL of you, daily. I still remember all my customers, their family, health (and sometimes even financial) situations, and I am constantly talking to God about y'all, praying for your good health and a happy life. I might forget a lot of things, but to me, my customers are the one thing I won't ever forget. So many wonderful people have been brought into my life via this business, and I will always pray for you. And I sincerely thank those of you who pray for us, too.

Tomorrow evening you can also look for MORE Pirate, Casino and Sweetheart papers, and I'm working on putting up all the Military, Patriotic, and Service People's papers and embellishments. We have tons of those, and I want to be sure to get them up as soon as I can.

The webstore is a neverending task, because there's always new stuff being released and new products arriving, and so there will always be new goodies going on the webstore. If it isn't new to this current season's releases, it may still be new to you, so be sure to check the webstore frequently.

We will be re-starting the Layout of the Month Club and Card of the Month Club again in a few weeks, and we'll post and blog about it again when everything's ready.

We're also going to be doing Video Classes soon, in about another 6 weeks. I have one of the Design Team members working on that right now, and will let you know when those start up.

In all, we're pretty excited here at Scrappersaurus. We have lots of great things planned, and we hope you'll continue to watch us grow. As usual, any comments or suggestions to improve what we're doing are ALWAYS welcome, so please feel free to email us or just pick up the phone and call us to discuss whatever's on your mind. YOU may have the next best idea for us to share with everyone, and we want to hear about what you're thinking.

I hope you all have a most wonderful week!

Until next time, happy scrapping and stamping!

Dee

What's New?

What is better than purple, green, and gold specialty scrapbook paper? Purple, Green, and GOLD SELF-ADHESIVE specialty scrapbook paper!

Great find from Stamping Station, just added to the website!!



12x12 SHEETS of Mardi Gras Purple, Green and Gold! Peel off the backing and it is STICKY! lol.. Cool.. no? yes! :)

Also, lots of new papers added to website, Dee is working me like a DOG over here! (yep, its Felix in case you haven't already guessed by all the typos and the misspellings.. :)) Dee is busy putting kits together for future sale, so I got the honor of posting on the blog tonight. :) Go me.. go me..

Remember, the SAINTS coupon code ends on March 1st! So many people have taken advantage of this great sale, don't miss it!

We also want to personally thank each and everyone ONE of you attending that crop this weekend! The sales have been THROUGH the roof so to speak, and we truly appreciate it. Miss you all! :)

Felix

Fit for a Queen...

I want to share something personal with you today. I have a picture here of what happens when you mix two different types of kibble for your dogs to eat. One (good) dog, Ally, eats everything you put in front of her (literally!). One (not-so-good) dog, Renee, thinks she's the Queen and deserves only the BEST. So, apparently only ONE of the two types of kibble I had mixed for them is up to her standards--which she ate--and the other she discarded. This picture shows her displeasure and what happens when I try to get her to eat substandard kibble. Go figure! Now THAT's something to scrap about! LOL! I'll upload my layout once its done!

In the meantime, check out the website as we're changing daily and I'm about to have Felix add a new Techniques article.

Until next time,

Happy Scrapping and Stamping!

Dee

New Orleans Saints, Mardi Gras, and...

Hi everyone! It is Felix! I am hiya-jacking Dee's blog tonight because I can! I wanted to share some info that some might just have to have. We have the above Lasercut now in stock and ready to ship. Check out www.scrapbook-store-scrappersaurus.com to order! We also have WHO DAT? Lasercuts and Saints Stamps! Perfect for your celebration scrapbooks of OUR Super Bowl Champs! Also, we are fully stocked with Mardi Gras Stickers, Papers, and Embellishments. And even MORE good news, yep, we are having an awesome SALE - just use the coupon code SAINTS when you are checking out and you will get 31% OFF your entire order! Go Saints! Go New Orleans! This code will work only until March 1st! So don't delay!

Also, we have sorted and organized approximately 100 themes of BRADS today and are going to be adding them to the website! We are going to offer them in small sets! Totally awesome - Fleur de lis, footballs, soccer balls, basketballs, elf shoes, teeth, baby items, wedding items, etc! So many brads..

Until next time!
Felix

New Year, New Start

Greetings, All!

We've been busy, busy, busy liquidating and packing and making preparations to move to a new home and set up the webstore in a completely different and BETTER way!!! Which is why we haven't had much time to blog or put new Techniques on the website. So sorry!

We are about to take down our PCs for the actual move, and will not have internet access until perhaps Saturday, so if there is anything you need and you e-mail us, please understand that we cannot answer until then. Once we get things back up and running, which we anticipate will be fairly quickly, we will post and blog again, and then announce some awesome new products we have on the way for you. Of course!

Remember, CHA (Craft and Hobby Association) is just around the corner, so all the manufacturers are gearing up to present their new lines. That means NEW PRODUCTS AT SCRAPPERSAURUS soon!!! Woooo hoooo!!!

Until this weekend,

Happy scrapping and stamping!

Dee, Felix, and Emery