What ....No ribbon.....

Jeff's brother and wife are celebrating 25 years of marriage. Scotty has always been my buddy. Back when Jeff and I were just courtin, Scotty would pop in to visit. We made salsa together, laugh, listen to music, and have a wonderful time. The poor boy loves music, but he is not able to really sing or play anything, so he conducts the music that comes out of his stereo. One year for his birthday I figured he should have the correct attire for his position as a conductor. Jeff and I got him a batton and a dark suit coat. Now he conducts his Boise stereo in style. He is a very handy guy to know. He built our deck, the screen door for our summer room, and also put together my great craft table with peg board. He fixes things. He pulled my car out of a snowbank on a road I should not have been on. We rode to work together for years. He is one in a million.

This is the card for Scotty and his wife. I love the shimmery white cardstock and the linen vellum, boy do I need vellum pop dots if they have them. I used extra thick platinum embossing powder because I did not have any silver. I was worried that the words would not show clearly as it is pretty heavy duty stuff. My dear hubby bought this stuff for me for my birthday one year. As you can tell from most of my cards I love ribbon, but there is no place for ribbon. So I think this looks a little naked.....

Cha..cha...cha...changes....

Okay, there aren't any card pictures, just me rambling. I think I need to start journalling my thoughts.

I am changing my life, walking down a new pathway towards a healthier me. I am scheduled to undergo bariatric surgery on September 30. This is a huge committment for me. I have been thinking and researching this for more than 5 years...

I was born tiny, underweight. I stayed underweight for years. My dear dad would make me milkshakes and unknown to me until later would put a raw egg in it for extra protein. Then about puberty I started to get heavier, and the diet cycle began. I was able to maintain a respectable 150 pounds for a long time, but as my legs got worse, a sit down job, nervous munching, and low metabolism took over I ballooned and just kept ballooning. Now this did not happen overnight, it was 10 to 15 pounds a year. Pretty soon that 10 to 15 pounds a year added to the original 150 made for a obese me. I have dieted, boy have I dieted. Nothing works for long.... they say now that it is because of genetics... My mom was heavy until she got cancer and then she was thin....not the way to lose weight. My grandmother was a large woman. My uncle was a large man. I guess it is on the Hollander side of the family. My brother is very deligent about weight lifting and eating very healthy. My son is too. They both have to battle the weight issues, but their genetic make up is a little different than mine which gives them a better chance at thin.

Anyhow enough rambling. I am excited to be healthy. I don't care about being "tiny", just healthy. I want to be able to walk with my husband along the beach, through an art gallery, in the forest along a path, and enjoy playing and being with my grandson. I want to watch my son continue to grow in the fine young man and father that he has become. All of this will be possible now, I have a chance to live a longer, healthier life. Sometimes cha...cha...cha...changes are a good thing.

Trying to be Artist?

Sharon Johnson "No Time To Stamp" from the UP of MIchigan (one of my favorite places to go on vacation) has some of the most wonderful designs that I have ever seen for cards. She had one of a Flourish Stamp set that I have and I had to try. Her was much brighter, My is very watercolory. I colored the stamp with my SU markers pretty soft colors and stamped it on canvas cardstock from Hobby Lobby. The result is very pretty up close.

First day of school.

Wow, 5 already. The time sure has flown by. The little one has grown so quick. Dain brought Cayden over for breakfast, cheese omelet and toast, before school with mema and grandpa. He is so excited. He could not wait to get to school.