Greetings, folks!
As you know, we've been working diligently on getting our main website and webstore updated, and its a constant process. Well, during that process, the links to the webstore and this blog were (temporarily) accidentally "lost"; if you weren't able to access the webstore or my blog earlier, they should both work properly now!
Also, the "About Us" button was incorrectly linked to the information page on the ORIGINAL, pre-Katrina store at 3501 Severn (which has been closed since 2006)!
Whoooopsie!!! Okay, so I messed up on a few things!!!
The "About Us" button has been removed temporarily until the proper link can be reworked, and we should have that back up again very soon.
And, yes, we are aware that the Tips & Techniques "Un-Du" page still has to be separated out, and buttons put up for each individual tip (among other things!).
PLEASE let us know if you see anything else that doesn't work properly on either the main website or the webstore so it can be corrected appropriately!
Thanks so much for your understanding and patience while we try to bring everything up-to-date!
Until next time, happy scrapping and stamping!
Dee
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Friday, March 25, 2011
More Themed Brads/Eyelets; Creatively Using Excess Energy
Felix has put up more themed brads and eyelets on the webstore, so go check it out! And he's not even finished yet--we have tons more that's he's still working on adding.
Also, you can now simply type NewOrleansScrapbookSupplies into your browser (no spaces!), hit the CTRL+ENTER key, and be brought straight to our webstore! (It will take you to http://www.neworleansscrapbooksupplies.com/)
And, of course, I'm still working on updating the Tips & Techniques section, so you may wish to check that out on our main website (http://www.scrappersaurus.com/).
Our website and webstore are a constant work-in-progress and a definite labor of love! Please let us know if there's anything in particular you'd like to see on either one.
On a personal note, I subscribe to the DailyOM (http://www.dailyom.com/. They send me inspiring updates throughout the day with musical reviews, my personalized horoscope, and just plain good advice and news. The funny thing is that it is ALWAYS eerily relevant to whatever is going on in my life at that time, so I often find peace and understanding of my situation in the words of their articles. I know this sort of website isn’t for everybody, but I sincerely believe a lot of what they speak about has much logic and reasoning behind it.
Today, I received an article discussing how everyone needs to channel their excess or unsettled energies into constructive creativity. In essence, the excess and/or unsettled energy has potential to cause unnecessary anxiety and apprehension, which we all know is detrimental to both our physical and emotional well-being. And this is exactly one of the many reasons why *I* do crafting!
Stressors sometimes get blown out of proportion if I just sit idly and worry about "what to do". But I find when I engage myself in something constructive, I discover myself thinking more clearly and objectively about the issue, sometimes even from different perspectives than I originally had. Once I get to this point, more options seem to suddenly be available than what I originally thought, and I can then make a clear-headed decision or determination of what the next step is supposed to be. I usually also feel satisfied with myself, knowing I took control of my stressors, and didn’t allow them to wear me down or prevent me from enjoying the REAL life I have been so richly blessed with.
If you wish to visit the DailyOM website to see if it is something you enjoy or find interesting, click here: http://www.dailyom.com/. Namaste.
Even though it is Lent for many of you, you can still Laissez le bon temps roulez, cher!
Until next time, happy scrapping and stamping!
Dee
Also, you can now simply type NewOrleansScrapbookSupplies into your browser (no spaces!), hit the CTRL+ENTER key, and be brought straight to our webstore! (It will take you to http://www.neworleansscrapbooksupplies.com/)
And, of course, I'm still working on updating the Tips & Techniques section, so you may wish to check that out on our main website (http://www.scrappersaurus.com/).
Our website and webstore are a constant work-in-progress and a definite labor of love! Please let us know if there's anything in particular you'd like to see on either one.
On a personal note, I subscribe to the DailyOM (http://www.dailyom.com/. They send me inspiring updates throughout the day with musical reviews, my personalized horoscope, and just plain good advice and news. The funny thing is that it is ALWAYS eerily relevant to whatever is going on in my life at that time, so I often find peace and understanding of my situation in the words of their articles. I know this sort of website isn’t for everybody, but I sincerely believe a lot of what they speak about has much logic and reasoning behind it.
Today, I received an article discussing how everyone needs to channel their excess or unsettled energies into constructive creativity. In essence, the excess and/or unsettled energy has potential to cause unnecessary anxiety and apprehension, which we all know is detrimental to both our physical and emotional well-being. And this is exactly one of the many reasons why *I* do crafting!
Stressors sometimes get blown out of proportion if I just sit idly and worry about "what to do". But I find when I engage myself in something constructive, I discover myself thinking more clearly and objectively about the issue, sometimes even from different perspectives than I originally had. Once I get to this point, more options seem to suddenly be available than what I originally thought, and I can then make a clear-headed decision or determination of what the next step is supposed to be. I usually also feel satisfied with myself, knowing I took control of my stressors, and didn’t allow them to wear me down or prevent me from enjoying the REAL life I have been so richly blessed with.
If you wish to visit the DailyOM website to see if it is something you enjoy or find interesting, click here: http://www.dailyom.com/. Namaste.
Even though it is Lent for many of you, you can still Laissez le bon temps roulez, cher!
Until next time, happy scrapping and stamping!
Dee
Sunday, March 20, 2011
New Fleur de Lis stickers & Musical Brads
Wow--it's been far too long since I blogged! Let me catch you up...
We have added some new Fleur de Lis stickers and bling, and the bling is even safe to use on electronics! Also, Felix found some fantastic new Musical Instrument Brads, which are a mix of trumpet, drum, guitar, and cello brads. The sizes are 18mm for the trumpet, and 25mm for the drum, guitar, and cello.
I've stumbled upon a cache of brads and eyelets (I had never unpacked) in many different themes, and Felix is in the process of adding them to the webstore.
Tonight, our Design Team Member, Charlotte, called so we could talk on the phone while looking through new products on manufacturer's websites, trying to decide which products to get. And it's really a tough decision with an online store, because there isn't daily face-to-face feedback regarding which are the most desired. There are so many wonderful products out there right now!
Would you believe I have actually been doing some crafting for myself lately? Also, I'm co-organizer of a local MeetUp craft group here in Corpus Christi, called the Corpus Christi Crafters. And, of course, Scrappersaurus is the Sponsor of this MeetUp group! If you want to visit our site, here's the link: http://www.meetup.com/Corpus-Christi-Crafters/. You can sign in to see more details if you are already a MeetUp member. If you're not a member yet, you may want to consider joining and find a group near you. MeetUp is a great way to meet new people who are interested in the same things YOU are interested in--whatever it may be.
Have y'all decided on what you're going to do for National Scrapbook Day (May 7th)? I'm not sure if Mother's Day being the next day (May 8th) is a good thing or not! I plan on having an NSD event here at my house, and we will also be having a Project Linus event at the same time, for the needleworkers in the group. I'll have something for everybody to do--regardless of their craft--and am really looking forward to this. I'll be sure to have Felix take pics and post them on the website afterwards.
You know, I miss you all so much! Please take care of yourselves, stay in touch with us, and tell us which products you want us to stock. You know we do our best to get you the lowest pricing, and are happy to meet or beat any advertised price, if at all possible.
Until next time, happy scrapping and stamping!
Dee
We have added some new Fleur de Lis stickers and bling, and the bling is even safe to use on electronics! Also, Felix found some fantastic new Musical Instrument Brads, which are a mix of trumpet, drum, guitar, and cello brads. The sizes are 18mm for the trumpet, and 25mm for the drum, guitar, and cello.
I've stumbled upon a cache of brads and eyelets (I had never unpacked) in many different themes, and Felix is in the process of adding them to the webstore.
Tonight, our Design Team Member, Charlotte, called so we could talk on the phone while looking through new products on manufacturer's websites, trying to decide which products to get. And it's really a tough decision with an online store, because there isn't daily face-to-face feedback regarding which are the most desired. There are so many wonderful products out there right now!
Would you believe I have actually been doing some crafting for myself lately? Also, I'm co-organizer of a local MeetUp craft group here in Corpus Christi, called the Corpus Christi Crafters. And, of course, Scrappersaurus is the Sponsor of this MeetUp group! If you want to visit our site, here's the link: http://www.meetup.com/Corpus-Christi-Crafters/. You can sign in to see more details if you are already a MeetUp member. If you're not a member yet, you may want to consider joining and find a group near you. MeetUp is a great way to meet new people who are interested in the same things YOU are interested in--whatever it may be.
Have y'all decided on what you're going to do for National Scrapbook Day (May 7th)? I'm not sure if Mother's Day being the next day (May 8th) is a good thing or not! I plan on having an NSD event here at my house, and we will also be having a Project Linus event at the same time, for the needleworkers in the group. I'll have something for everybody to do--regardless of their craft--and am really looking forward to this. I'll be sure to have Felix take pics and post them on the website afterwards.
You know, I miss you all so much! Please take care of yourselves, stay in touch with us, and tell us which products you want us to stock. You know we do our best to get you the lowest pricing, and are happy to meet or beat any advertised price, if at all possible.
Until next time, happy scrapping and stamping!
Dee
Sunday, August 29, 2010
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
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
Thursday, July 29, 2010
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
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
Sunday, July 18, 2010
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
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
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
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
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
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
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
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
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