September CK, New Ride & a Winner!

I opened my mailbox yesterday to find the September issue of CK! I was so excited to see my new friend, Cindy Tobey's, layout on the cover. Congrats to her! Cindy is a truly talented girl with a refreshing and creative style.

I haven't had a chance to read the issue yet, but I did flip through to see a layout of mine in it. The 2008 HOF gals each contributed a layout from their winning entries for articles in the August and September issues. Mine appears in the September issue, so look for me in there if you get CK. The layout they chose was one of my faves from my entry, so I was pretty excited. I can't wait for some free time to sit down and enjoy the rest of the issue.

In non-scrapbook related news, I had a burst of spontaneity on Thursday evening. I went to the dealer where I bought my Explorer 6 years ago to get a brake light bulb replaced. Well, instead of leaving with a new bulb on Thursday night, I drove off the lot with a new Explorer Friday afternoon. So spur of the moment and so fun! Sometimes, the best things are the unexpected ones. Didn't really need a new car, but why not? I'll miss my old one...it served me well. I think I'll look a bit more classy now, don't you?

I'd also like to wave "Hi" to a hometown friend here in PA....Stacy! "Hi Stacy!" I hear Stacy has been reading my little blog, and I am glad that she is enjoying it. I'm not sure if Stacy knows this or not, but she is the reason why I am named Denine. You see, my Mom and Stacy's Mom were friends from High School. I guess they both got pregnant at about the same time, and I guess they both had the name Stacy in mind. Well, for whatever reason, once it was revealed that they both chose the same name, my Mom decided that it would be best for her to chose a different name...that's where the name Denine came in. Not exactly sure where she got Denine from, but she liked it. So, if it wasn't for Miss Stacy being conceived about the same time as me, you guys would be reading "Stacy Zielinski's" blog today! Pretty neat!

And, I am glad that some of you were interested in the 2 punches from my previous post. I do want them to go to a good home. I wish I had one for everyone who was interested. I loved everyone's happy and upbeat attitudes. Remember...happiness is contageous!

Ok, so Ryan picked a name out of a hat (so to speak) and the winner is:

briTT and joNNy said...
I have been a regular blog visitor of your for awhile now :) You do some awesome work, girl! I would adore to have that scallop punch... so fun and funky!
8/9/08 11:36 PM

So, Britt, drop me an e-mail at Denine2@aol.com with your addy. Then, I can get your punches out in the mail. I am off to get some stuff done on this gorgeous Sunday...maybe even some scrapping! Thanks for stopping by my little blog, and I hope you all have a great day!

Just a corny "Thank You" post

Life is good. Actually, Life is great. I thank God every day that I am alive, and I never want this wonderful journey to end. Some days, though, things can get you down and mean people can take the wind out of your sails. I am usually pretty good at getting past that stuff. I try to concentrate on the good things and the good people. So, I just want to take a moment to thank everyone who has stopped by here and left me such sweet and kind comments...about my layouts, my pictures, my stories, and all of the other stuff I fill my blog with. Sure, they are just comments, but they do mean a lot. You have to capture the good things in life...no matter how little they may seem. All of those little good things add up to one big good thing! So, thank you!

I also have a couple of things that I would like to give away to a good home. Sometimes, I make a boo boo and buy something that I already have. I know, crazy, huh? It happens. No biggie. In organizing my shelves the other day, I found 2 punches that I have duplicates of. Obviously, they have both been used by me, but they are both in working condition. I tested them out and found no problems with them.

One is a scallop circle punch by Stampin' Up and the other is a cute little decorative corner punch by Fiskars. If anyone is interested in these (you will get both), just mention it to me in a comment on this post. If multiple people show interest, I'll just pick a name on Sunday. I hate to see these tools sit and not be used. Sound good?

Okay, so off to start the day. I'm doing something really fun and totally spur of the moment today. I'm so excited! Have a great one!

We're Home & I'm Procrastinating!

We arrived home safe and sound at about 11:30 last night....exhausted. After a full day of travel, it was good to be home. I do have to say that I love to fly, though. Just look at this view as we flew away from Orlando:

We took quick showers, made sure the animals were okay, and off to bed we went only to rise at 7:30 this morning to wait for the plumber to come. I spent the day unpacking and getting ready to do 6 loads of laundry (ewe)! I had to wait for the plumber to finish up before I began to wash and then wait for my new dryer to be delivered before I could dry (my 11 year old refurbished $100 dryer finally kicked the bucket the day before we left for Disney). The rest of the day consisted of opening mail, balancing the checkbook, making appointments, cleaning, washing dishes, checking e-mail, etc. Not too much fun to say the least. But, there is no place like home (said in my best Glenda the good witch voice).

Now, I sit at my computer procrastinating over a scrapbook assignment that is due on Thursday at 9 a.m. EEEK! I feel like I have no mojo at all! So, I blog. Just another excuse not to start scrapping! Please, someone, send some good vibes my way!

In other scrappy news, the August CK HOF Product Challenge is up on the CK website. I actually finished this layout before vacation. You remember...the one with pipe cleaners? Well, here it is:

The manufacturer this month is Making Memories, and they were so very generous. I had a lot of fun and used almost all Making Memories products on this layout. I am loving doing multi-photo one page layouts these days. These are some pics from my Mom's birthday. Not the best lighting in her house, but the memories are there. You can see some of the other HOFers work in the CK Gallery. Join in to win a CK book of your choice!

And, last but not least, my RAK winner from the Chip & Dale trivia is

simply susan said...
Chip has the dark (brown) nose like a chocolate "chip." Dale has the red nose. Now here is some trivia for you: Which window above Main Street has a lantern that burns eternally?And Why?
8/3/08 12:00 PM

Not only did Susan point out that their noses are different, but she knew why! And she hit the nail right on the head. You go, girl! Plus, she came back at me with a little trivia of her own. Without consulting the Internet for the answer, I am guessing the eternal lantern has something to do with Walt Disney. I think I heard that somewhere, but I am not sure 1. if it is correct, 2. exactly why it never goes out, and 3. what window it is. Hopefully, Susan can enlighten me. E-mail me at Denine2@aol.com with your address, Susan!

Okay, so I am thinking it is now time to stop blogging and start scrapping. Have a good one!

Ultimate Summer Challenge & RAK Winner!

I received my letter in the mail yesterday telling me that I was the winner of Week 4 of the Ultimate Summer Challenge on the BHG Scrapbook, etc. website! Boy, was I over the moon! Of course, people at the BHG SBE website chose the 10 semi-finalists, but it was the public who voted mine as the winner that week. That is what is really exciting! It truly is a wonderful feeling knowing that enough people liked my design the best to vote for it!

The big challenge lies ahead now. After the 10 weeks are over, there will be 10 finalist who will compete for the BIG prize! Believe me, looking at the other winners, it will be quite the competition. BHG SBE will give us an assignment that we will have about a week to complete. Then, they will post our work up on the website for the public to vote once again. The layout with the most votes wins! What a nail bitter, huh? Well, that's not until September, so I have some time to wait and be a nervous wreck...LOL!

In other news, Ryan chose a winner of the RAK that I will mailing out. He picked number 1:

Sara said...
You are going to have a FANTASTIC trip! We go all the time so I'll give you a few pointers & email you the rest (if you don't mind)In the Magic Kingdom you've got to see The Haunted Mansion, Splash Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Magic Carpets of Aladdin (just like a dumbo ride), Pirates of the Caribbean, Space Mountain, Astro Orbiter, Tomorrowland Transit Authority (no lines & it's relaxing!), Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin (get a fast pass) , Stitch's Great Escape! (get a fast pass), Mickey's PhilharMagic (Great show get a fast pass), Dumbo & the Mad Tea Party-teacups.
7/21/08 12:12 PM

So, Sara, please send me an e-mail at Denine2@aol.com with your address, so I can get your goodies in the mail as soon as possible! Thanks to everyone who stopped by to comment and for all of the wonderful Disney tips. You guys really helped me out a lot. I have all of the tips printed and packed, so I can use them when we get to Disney!

On a not-so fun note, my clothes dryer died yesterday. Poop! I put the clothes in and walked away. Almost 2 hours later, I remembered that my clothes were in the dryer (oops!), so I went to get them out and they were still wet. So, I guess the dryer died mid-cycle since they felt sort of warm. Geez, just when you think that you are ahead of the money game...BAM!...something happens to throw you right back to the beginning. I am sure you guys can relate. Oh well, such is life. It's not life threatening and no one died, so I can't sweat the small stuff!

Since posting without pictures is no fun, here's a part of the layout that I am working on today. My new fun experiment...pipe cleaners (with some beads, of course)!

Not finished with it yet, but it's for the next HOF Challenge over at Creating Keepsakes. The challenges are the 1st of every month, so go check it out on August 1! Ok...off to finish scrapping! Have a super day!

Tomorrow's RAK

So today was a very productive day around the house. I finished my work rather quickly...amazing what one can get done without interruptions! I hope to scrap a little tonight. I have some wonderful Making Memories goodies that I received as part of my HOF prize package that I am dying to use! Wish me luck.


I will be picking a winner for my RAK from this post tomorrow afternoon. I took a quick picture of the things that the winner will receive. There are a few more things, but there has to be a little surprise involved....right?

Included in the RAK are some papers from Scenic Route, American Crafts, Sassafrass Lass, and Pink Paislee. There are some adorable and colorful Pink Paislee letter stickers, some American Crafts Thickers Accents, and some Crate Paper letter rub ons. And since I am so into felt these past few weeks, I included some of my all-time favorite Creative Imaginations Creative Cafe felt pieces....some words and flowers. Oh, how I LOVE the Creative Cafe! Also, I tossed in some of the new Core'dinations cardstock...you know the textured stuff in the great colors with another color on the inside. What a wonderful concept! Great for when you tear or distress your paper edges! And, then you find the ever popular, never go out of style, always loved 7 Gypsies clear buttons. Phew! That was quite a bit to type!

So, this wonderful package of goodies will go out to one lucky winner. I will take the comments from all of my posts from this week until tomorrow to have Ryan pick the winner. So, leave me a comment to be entered!

I am off to scrap....enjoy the rest of your day!

RAK Winner & PageMaps Blog

Just a super quick post tonight. I had Ryan pick a winner for my July 4th RAK, and he chose #3! That means Chrispea gets a package of scrap goodies. Yah! If you drop by Chris, shoot me an e-mail at Denine2@aol.com with your addy!

And I also wanted to tell everyone (if you already did not know) that the most awesome Becky Fleck of PageMaps fame has started up a blog! Isn't that great? You can visit her at her PageMaps blog where she is having a sketch contest to celebrate her new "bloginess." Give it a shot. You could win some BasicGrey goodness, and her sketches are super fun to work with!

Stay tuned tomorrow for more Tinkering Ink reveals! Have a great night!

Happy Independence Day RAK

I hope that everyone has a safe, fun, and memorable holiday and weekend! While you are celebrating, take time to say thank you to all of the people before us who have made this country what it is today. I have a wonderful life, and I am not so sure how it would have been had I not been born in the good old USA!

I had my little "Uncle Sam" pose for a few shots. Trying to get an eight year old to sit still for a picture is like trying to sew buttons on ice cream. He is still cute, though.

An ever bigger challenge for me is those dreaded fireworks shots. I try every year, and every year I fail. Does anyone know of the perfect camera settings for my DigiRebel for the fireworks? I wish I had time to Google that. Please, if you know, tell me.

If you have some fun July 4th shots of your own, link me up! I'd love to see them. Anything July 4th related would be great. You could also link me up to any July 4th scrapbook layouts that you have done. I will send a little goodie package to one random poster who links me up in their comment by Tuesday July 8th. Maybe some BasicGrey, Making Memories, Tinkering Ink and other fun stuff! How does that sound? Good deal! Enjoy your holiday!

New Necklace & a Winner

Been a bit busy around here. I am doing some home improvement, so I have been a little consumed. When I get into something, I feel like I can't quit until I am done. This project involves changing my house from a duplex to a single home, so it will take a while. In the meantime, I bought myself a "end of school year" and "congrats on my new teaching job" gift. I found this great little shop online where she makes the most gorgeous handmade jewelery. Her name is Lisa Leonard, and you can find her site here. I saw this necklace that she designed as a gift for teachers, and I figured I am a teacher, so I should have one.

You can read more about this lovely item on Lisa's blog on this post. I received it in the mail this past week and was thrilled. It is even more gorgeous in person.

I also have a winner of my Tinkering Ink mini book.....Ryan chose number 4 who happens to be Yvette! Yahoo for you, Yvette! I will be shooting you an e-mail. Thank you all for your comments. Sounds like you guys have some fun plans for the summer. Enjoy every moment because it goes by way too fast!

I hope to have some scrappy time tomorrow. It feels like forever since I sat down to create! It was actually only a week ago. It just feels like forever! Enjoy your evening!

Hello Summer & a Giveaway!

First off, the Great Wolf Lodge was awesome! We truly had a blast, and I wish we could have stayed longer. I definitely see another visit there in our future. I have TONS of pictures and a full report coming later today. We arrived home late last night, so I have not even had a chance to get the pictures off of the camera yet. I am swimming in laundry and house work, so that will have to wait a bit. No biggie, though...I do have all summer!


My transition into summer is a bit rough each year. I know, most of my friends think that I am crazy. Who wouldn't want to have summers off, right? Now, believe me, having summers off is wonderful beyond words. I get so much done, and I love it. It is, however, a huge change for me. I miss spending my days with the kids. I love my job, and I go through a sort of withdrawal for about a week or so when school lets out. I get a bit disorganized wondering where to begin and how to plan my days. I go from structured, busy days to unstructured days where I have to plan my own schedule. I do, eventually, get into the swing of things. I sure hope that the transition gets easier each year. So, here I am in my transition period once again.


So, anyway, in the scrapbooking arena, Summer CHA will be on its way from July 18-20. I am honored to be a part of the design team for Tinkering Ink this year and to work with their awesome new products. I would love to head to Chicago to be a part of the festivities, but it just does not fit into my plans this year. I did attend 2 years ago and LOVED it! Chicago is a quick plane ride away, so it is convenient. I hope to attend next year, though. With our Disney trip right on the heels of CHA this year, it is just not in the finances. Anyway, Tinkering Ink has some awesome new stuff for you this year. I just know you will love it. In honor of their new releases, I am going to give away one of their Peekaboo Albums. These adorable little albums are made of chipboard and acrylic. The one I am giving away is a rectangle 6.5 x 4 and looks like this:

There are so many possibilities with these cute little albums, and Tinkering Ink has some great goodies to go along with them.

So, all you have to do is leave me a comment on this post with your e-mail address. Tell me about your summer plans, your scrapbooking plans, or about anything else fun. I will pick a winner on Tuesday, June 17th! Sound good? Stay tuned for my Great Wolf Lodge review and pictures!