Friday, June 27, 2008

And we are OFF!

I did not think that this week was going to ever get to Friday!!!! It has been crazy busy at work. You see I needed to get 75 kits kitted and ready for shipping before I left on vacation. Now this isn't all that difficult...it is if product is not in or ribbon not ordered and several other little details that always seem to hold me up. Really not any ones fault or because someone dropped the ball it is just the way this industry works. You see we are made up of a lot of artists and we tend to work at an unusual fast pace at the last minute. But never fear it my boxes are always in my classroom when I arrive...ALWAYS! So at the office lots of running around and no time to get ready for our family vacation.
So today I am grocery shopping, packing, paying bills, last minute laundry, cancelling milk delivery, stopping the mail, blogging, and loading up the car so that we can leave at the ungodly hour of some early morning time. To beat the heat of Mojave Desert! Whatever is what I say!
I will do my darnedest to post during vacation. I will miss blogging! I look forward to reading other blogs and posting on my own.
I have a couple of ideas that I want to put into motion when I get back. Reading Stephanie and Lauren's blogs they have some cool ideas so i need to step it up! I wanted to do a layout so badly but just ran out of time. I have many layout ideas running through my head so I am going to sketch them out and have them ready for when I get back.
Have an awesome day today and take some time to enjoy the view!
Peace out!

Monday, June 23, 2008

It was a SCORCHER

It was definitely a scorcher this weekend! We pretty much did this all weekend.
Even Lola got into the pool. Although you really can't keep her out of any kind of water!
At one point it was 106! That is just way too hot for June!! I don't like it one bit!
I wanted to get a layout done with the pool pics I took this weekend with our latest and greatest line "sunshine" but did not get around to it. I am starting to kit my class for the show in Chicago and that took up most of my time today. I need to get it all packed and shipped out before Friday because we are taking our yearly family trip to June Lake! I don't know what I was thinking when we booked this trip. Actually it was the only week they had left so it was that or nothing at all.
I will take picutres of what my office looks like when everything is out and ready to kit. It gets quite crazy!
Not sure if I will be able to post from June Lake. Check back just in case periodically. The pictures that I will get will undoubtedly be beautiful! It is definitely God's country up there. For those of you not sure of where June Lake is, it is up in the Sierra Nevada mountains just pass Mammoth Mountain. My family has been going there for as long as I can remember. I will be honest not really my cup of tea...it is camping which means a lot of work for the Momma. It is worth it when my kids and there cousins get to hang out together. We will miss my Mom and Dad this year which is a bummer...next year! although next year hoping for a hotel and some beautiful beaches with room service and fufu drinks!
I will try and post those layouts for you this week! Keep your fingers crossed! For sure we will have a Mambi Monday when I get back!
Hmmm...what can I give away when I get back...

Thursday, June 19, 2008

Bring on Summer!!!

It is official...SUMMER IS HERE!
The last day of school was yesterday and the scorching heat has settled in! We are ready for summer at our house! I will not bore you with all the pictures that I took yesterday. Here is just one of Jaxon and his buddies at the pool.I don't get any pictures of Makenna and her friends because you see she is a freshman or rather a sophomore now and I did not see her until 9:00 last night. I don't really like that. I know that I am missing out on some great photo moments. but I must realize that she is a teenager and making her own photo moments! Every year on the last day of school I get a little teary okay okay a lot teary. It is such a great day for kids. They work so hard and grow up so much during the year and it just happens a slide show, a graduation ceremony, the pomp and circumstance song, something will set me off! This year I really didn't think it would happen...tears that is. As you know I wasn't in the classroom all that much so I don't know the kids names really. But then, a stinkin slide show! Just seeing the kids from the first day to the last and the friendships that have either gotten stronger or developed,missing teeth, funny haircuts, I don't know what it is but I just get teary! I don't know how teachers do it! I would be a mess every year!
I am ready for slower schedules, no homework and lots of beach time! With as hot as it is right now we are starting right away. Beach tomorrow!
So here is to a fun and happening summer for all of us out there! Enjoy these times with your kids they go by so fast!
Ciao

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Clutter and More clutter

I am going to admit something to all of you that I really don't like about myself! I am a clutter ignorer...is that a word?

This is what my office looks like pretty much on a daily basis. this is my desk...papers and stuff and whatever else i put on the desk. the funny thing is I can tell you where everything is. I clean it up and within an hour or two...CLUTTER! I just don't get it. Remember the post about Makenna's room awhile back I am really starting to think she gets it from me. Shhhh- don't tell Ed!
Okay another shot...This is where I create and kit anything and everything. It actually is pretty picked up at the moment. If you look closely there is a picture of my CHA class. I will say this probably is one of my very favorite projects I get to teach.
Now the sewing areaThis is not all my messyness again... is that a word?? The mock up gals use this area too.
All this clutter is even starting to get on my nerves. I am guessing I probably should take an hour or so and pick things up. But then I ask myself why? I can just ignore it. I really don't have the time right now to clean it up and to be quite honest I work better in a cluttery area... go figure!
That my friends is what I tell myself when I walk into my office every week! Thank goodness I don't share space with anyone!!
I have so much to do and not a lot of mojo to get it done. Last day of school is tomorrow and I still have one more teacher gift to make, wrap and get to our room mom. This is the first year that I wasn't real involved in the PTA etc. and I will have to admit it was nice but I do miss the relationships and I feel like I am missing out on things. I really am not but you know how it goes. I was just enough involved that it didn't over run my life. I will be at the Jaxon's school tomorrow for the last day activities. My baby after tomorrow will be a 5th grader...say it isn't so. Such a cliche but time flies! I really do enjoy that the kids are older though. With that comes some freedom for Ed and I and we are not tired! I watch some of my friends with toddlers and just watching them I get tired.
I better get...gifts to make and clutter to ignore!
ciao

Monday, June 16, 2008

Father's Day and a Birdie

This weekend for us was filled with lots of sports! Now if you are not a sports fan you would have thought this weekend was yucky but for me I loved it!
Ed was asked to umpire the championship AAA TOC game on Friday. It is quite the honor to be asked so off he went with me, jaxon and jaxon's friend tagging along with him. Ed really loves to umpire. He is quite impressive actually. He is consistent which is hard to find in ma ump...believe me! He is fair and he knows his rules. There is a little green book that you will find him reading constantly! Here he is making a call at third base. I like that the fence is the focus. Really wanted him in focus but I would have gotten in the way of the parents of the child that was running to third and since I wasn't a parent of any of the kids thought I better mind my p's and q's.the kid was out and it was a good call! The best part was that he was given a $25 gift card to Shell gas company. With gas prices they way they are this was an awesome idea!
We then had Angel tickets and this is where we sat...Nosebleed! But fun to be in the park. Angels were wiped up by the Atlanta Braves. Oh well still fun.
And then Father's Day. Ed went golfing with 3 of his favorite people in the world. His Dad, brother Bill and good friend Brandon. This is what Ed loves to do and with those 3 you couldn't ask for a better day for him! Then Ed came home to watch the U.S Open and Tiger Woods certainly delivered yesterday. To say he is unbelievable is an understatement! A birdie on the 18th hole to tie with Rocco and force a playoff is what amazing endings are made of. What an ending and as I type they are playing right now. This was a Father's Day made in heaven for Ed and I am sure for alot of other Dad's out there. And to top it off the Lakers are still alive! So this was my weekend and I loved it all! I especially loved that Ed was happy and did what he wanted.

Try as I might to get a good picture of those three. Never can I get them to be serious! They set this up that when I said 3 they would all turn their heads. ugh! You should see the other pics I got. this was the best of the 5. Goof balls!
It was a great family weekend. I am truly blessed to have a healthy family that actually likes to spend time with each other. Even a teenager!
Lots to do at the office. CHA is around the corner. Yikes!!! Will definitely be posting some sneak peeks of layouts and projects that will be coming in for the show.

Oh I almost forgot...

Susan emailed me the number on what we raised for the Me and My Freckle Friends Crop Event. We raised $1400.00 for Autism Speaks! How about that! Thank you to all of you that participated in this event. It was so much fun and this is just the cherry on top!
Lots to do so I better get off this blog and get'er done!
Ciao


Thursday, June 12, 2008

My Wednesdays

Well I think I have caught up on my sleep and Jaxon is recovered. I really think that the Gurzi's just needed some good down time. Not that we really have had a lot of it. A day and night of nothing and that is about it!
You can now link onto the Me and My Freckle Friends on the sidebar and that will take you to the gallery of all the layouts that were created on Saturday! Here is a picture of what I did on Saturday. This is Jaxon's teacher gift. I painted a canvas threw some paper from our sanctuary line, doodled a title and voila a perfect gift!
I want to show you this cool chore chart I made a few months back that I can now let you all see. It is in the paper crafts kids projects magazine. It is coming out in September so be sure to pick one up when it comes out. There are some great ideas in it.
I used my favorite Mambi paper the leopard print and then our chalkboard letter stickers and our boys will be boys soft spoken for this project. It was super easy. The clipboard I had to take apart and move the actual chip. Nothing a screwdriver can't fix! This is a great tip. When looking for things to alter make sure to step out of the box and see if you can change things up by just moving something in a different direction or simply getting a screwdriver and changing things up. Don't let little details make you sweat!

What do I do on Wednesdays...Wednesdays are a very sacred day to me. I try not to go into the office at all costs. Wednesdays are my bible study day! Our group has been together for I think 5 years. Maybe more??? Some of us have been together since our MOPS days. Which means 13 years! Yikers! The reason I don't miss a study well for one it is at my house and secondly,these women are my rocks and inspiration!These women are some of the smartest, godly, loyal, beautiful,loving women EVER. We have been through everything you can think of. Money issues, house issues, substance abuse, dorky and that is being nice ex-husband issues, court battles, teenagers, and an adoption. That is just to name a few. Sounds like a very dysfunctional group. But really just life! We not only study the Word together we pray together and laugh and do we ever laugh! I feel safe when I am around them! Not very many people are blessed to have 10 women in their life that truly love you for you! Yesterday was our end of the year brunch. We do that a lot...EAT! We love to Eat! Veronica has just moved only about a month ago and when you walk into her home it looks like she has been there for years! Just beautiful! She has a knack for decorating and hospitality! We love going to her home! So we break for the summer but that doesn't mean we don't get together. We just now meet at the beach or a dinner or two. It is funny since our kids are getting older we just may have a beach day or two where it will be just us! Crazy! Wanted to give you all a glimpse into something that I hold very dear in my heart!

I have a couple of deadlines that need to be tended to. Linda and I must get some of our creative mojo going so I better get going!
Ciao!

Monday, June 9, 2008

Wow! Good times

WOW!!!! Our Me and My Freckle Friends Crop was a success!!!! All the planning and attention to details paid off! It was an awesome day. Meeting new friends and getting together with old. It really went off with out any glitches except for the darn air conditioner but no one complained!

Okay so now I have tried to post pictures 3 different times. Hopefully this time it will work...
This is the crowded room. We had to use our big industrial fans to suck the hot air and blow in cool air from the warehouse. Thank you so much for not complaining those of you that attended.
This is Laura.
I have heard so much about her from Annie, so it was great meeting her. She is a super cool chick! Her layouts were fabulous.
These two ladies Amy and Linda were the big raffle winners at the end of the night. Amy won the really cool Canon printer and Linda won this really cool embellishment trunk from Tammy I. The trunk is super cool and as soon as I get a website address for her I will pass it on to all of you.
I would post the pictures of our fabulous make and takes and the teachers but for some reason they won't download. I will save those for another day.

Suzy Plantamura was our first make and take and she did a cute girly layout. Suzy does a lot of design work for us when it comes to the shows and such. I might add that she just made the Creating Keepsakes Hall of Fame. Very talented gal!
Second was the ever fabulous Stephanie Ackerman she made an adorable book from mambi's newest line "sunshine". She also doodled all the names for our name tags and made her famous chocolate chip cookies for us. She is just one amazing gal and I am so blessed to call her friend. I will add that she did this all in the same week she was chairing the Family Fling carnival at her kids school. Really she is incredible!! Thanks Steph!

Annie was the third make and take. She is now working for Canon and so she brought this new little printer took pictures of all the ladies and then printed them out so that they could make a layout right then and there. I am telling you we had some awesome contributors for this event.
Although it was a very long day and lots of hard work working up to the actual day it was really all worth it. Annie sums it up on her blog. Watching all these women take pride in their art and creating something for their families is so rewarding!
I have met some pretty incredible new people that I can now call friends. I am looking forward to getting to know them all that much more and to see what else we can pull out of our sleeves. Susan was so much fun to work with. We just clicked. Thank God for Debbie and her knack for numbers. It was an event that I will never forget. As soon as I get a final number on how much we raised I will pass that on to all of you. All of you that attended were definitely generous! Thank you for that!
I also wanted to give a shout out to Tutto Fresco. They catered our dinner that night and par for the course it was delicious. We only paid half price for what we got. So if you live in the Rancho Santa Margarita area go to Tutto Fresco and make sure you tell them thank you!
That pretty much sums it up. Susan has set up a gallery of all the layouts that were created that day. As soon as I get the link I will post it here. There was some good stuff coming out of that kitchen area!Very talented women!
Thank you all who attended. It was so nice to meet all of you and I look forward to the next big mambi/freckle friend event!
I am off to start with the next big thing here at mambi...CHA-S show. Off to pull paper and start kitting! That is my life and I am sticking to it!
Ciao Bellas~


Thursday, June 5, 2008

we are live

Just a quick post to let you know that the silent auction is up and live. you can go HERE or click on the logo on the sidebar and that will get you there as well. We have some very awesome projects and products that you can bid on. There was some new things added and I would let you know here but I want you to find out on your own. So don't delay and hurry your little selves over there before you miss out on something GREAT!!!
I am off to finish things up.
Peace Out!

Wednesday, June 4, 2008

chicken without her head

So this is what one looks like when things start getting crazy around the office!! I have been up and down the upstairs hallway what feels like 100 plus times. Up and down the stairs just as many! It is getting down to the nitty gritty of our big event this weekend. Susan came to help me kit my make and take and get some of our last minute details figured out. We are both so excited and it is going to be a great time for all!!!
Here is a little peak of the make and take I am doing on Saturday. What is funny about this project is it was a banner and then I went to get ribbon down the hallway and they way I was carrying it I realized it would make a cute star.
Here are the kits that are bagged and ready to go!
This is my messy desk with the tags for the bags and a little peak of Wilna's project she made for us for the silent auction.
This is a just a small portion of what will be in the goodie bags and a little peak at Donna Downey's project.
the silent auction is going live sometime tomorrow so check back and I will have it posted with a link. How fun is that. You may not live our area but we thought it would be fun to be able to give you all a chance out there to participate in this event as well. Remember all proceeds are going to Autism Speaks a wonderful charity that is making great strides in the Autism arena.
I gotta get going...i think the chicken might have just found its head!!!
Check back tomorrow for the silent auction!
Ciao

Monday, June 2, 2008

away for a few

I am going to be away from my blog for a few more days. With this coming up.
I am running around like a chicken at the office and at home! I am very excited it is going to be so much fun. I will definitely post tons of pictures on Monday. Don't forget that you can link from the logo on the sidebar and it will take you to Freckle Friends website where you will be able to bid on some of the silent auction items!
I know that I had previously stated that I would not mention baseball any longer but people The Titans are in the Big Show! We made the championship game! (i might add 3rd year in a row Ed has taken his team to the championship game) We must win twice because the other team has not lost a game in double elimination. So say your baseball prayers for Jaxon and his team! Us parents would greatly appreciate them! Will be great fun!
I also wanted to wish my Mom Happy Birthday!
Hopefully we will be able to celebrate together soon!
Love you!
I gotta go finish die cutting for my make and take!
Don't forget to go to the silent auction!
Ciao!