Fun in Philly

We had such a great time visiting Philly this past weekend. This shot is the clock tower on Independence Hall. Another tourist visiting the area came over to me while I was taking this shot and told us that on the news the night before he saw they (the city) was fixing this clock later this summer & it was a good thing I got the pic when I did because soon there would be scaffolding up. I think it's a great shot!

These two markers gave me goosebumps when I saw them. To be standing in the exact spot were each of these men gave speeches just blew me away.

Next we went to the cemetery where Benjamin Franklin and his wife are buried. Again, goosebumps.

Such amazing history. It helps align your thinking and it shows you what matters in your life.

There has to be a better word than "STRESS"

to describe what I am feeling. Overload? Mania? Running in place? You get the idea. I feel this huge sense of neglect and total chaos in my life right now. And it's hard to know what to do to change that.

You ever feel like you are neglecting your kids? It is a feeling I hate most of all. Last night after I blew up at my husband and son (we'll get to that later) I was drained. Just drained. And it had been a nice time before yesterday afternoon. Let me back up.

Work was really crazy last week...trying to get ready for the Summit is always challenging. By the end of the week I was FRIED! Saturday morning I had to squeeze in a couple of hours at the store to cover until Vanna could arrive. And I was in danger of missing Andrew's opening day of baseball. I walked out the door as soon as Vanna got there and made it to baseball on time. But I had had enough. I decided last minute to take the family and drive to Philly for the weekend, right after Andrew's game. And we had a great time.

Then comes Monday. Andrew is off to school, Curtis & I off to work. I came home. They came home. We went out, came back. My house was neglected...time to start cleaning. To my surprise...I was the only one doing anything. That's when I blew up. And we all know how that goes...

So, after I cool down, they start pitching in...you know the routine. Andrew & I are upstairs in his room and I see the puppet he made in school. I ask him how come he didn't show it to me when I asked him what he did. He tells me that he thought I wouldn't be interested in it...he says that I am always working. My heart broke. And the guilt flooded over me.

My nerves are raw, my head pounds, my heart aches. I have let things and people get in my way of being there for my son when he needs me...even if it is just to show me things he made in school, or tell me about his day or about the book he is reading. All I can say is I've had enough. And changes are on the way...

Busy Times In the Scrap Can Do! Design Studio...

So many of you have asked about new Scrap Can Do! kits..."when are new ones going to be available, what kits are you releasing...etc." Here's a "sneek-peek" of one of our new kits available next week:

This one, titled "Happiness" combines the fun tag album from Maya Road with the "Cold Raspberry" soup line from Jillibean Soup. The kit is filled with fun papers from the Jillibean line, along with plenty of fun embellishments, ribbons, buttons and more. Stay tuned for more Scrap Can Do! news and be sure to visit the official blog!

And the winner is...

..."BarefootFairyMum" from the land of the Fiskateers! (I had my son choose the winner by picking a number.) You my dear have won a Stampin' Up! stamp set! (Please email me with your info so I can get the set out to you.)

Today, I subjected myself to the QueenVanna sweatshop. She has a HUGE wholesale order to finish up for the University of Alabama, so I took a drive over to her neck of the woods to put together some magnet packs and decoupage clothespins. We had fun laughin' and eatin' and craftin' our cares away.

Get ready for more Scrap Can Do! projects coming later this month. Check out the blog for upcoming events, album kits & the like. AND...check out our contest! So much fun...it's hard to contain it all!

I don't usually do this...

...(steal a post from another blog) but I thought this was an excellent idea!

So, I wanted to share it with all of you! You can find her blog post here and see how she keeps all of her ablums organized with what is inside of them. This is perfect for those of you who love to use the same type of album or the same color album for all of your scrapbooks. Try it and let me know how it works for you.

Have you seen this one yet?

If you haven't seen Slumdog Millionaire yet, I highly recommend it. And a box of tissues. And someone to watch it with. And be prepared. I am exhasuted...extremely intense but WELL WORTH IT!

Hello...Is Anyone Out There?

Let's play a game. I love games.

This games means you have to do some work. (Don't worry...it won't hurt or take too long...I promise.)

How many of you are out there reading my posts? How often are you checking my blog? Am I one of your favs? If you have your own blog, am I listed on your reading list?

Post a comment here on my blog by Friday, April 3rd (I'll give you till midnight) and I'll choose a winner at random to win a Stampin' Up! stamp set from the new catalog. The post doesn't have to be fancy or long, just a quick hi, maybe a note and perhaps why you would love a stamp set.

See...that didn't hurt, did it? :)