Cropmania OC Crop

WOW!!! I actually went to a crop for a weekend and cropped. We took ONE class and made a Word Book of our choice. It was great. Yep, that's right----ONLY ONE CLASS for the whole weekend. The rest of the time was creating our own pages, projects, books, etc. Half of our table was GREAT. Of course that included Celena and me and Tracy and Trudy who we met from Bel Air. The other folks... well let's just say they were nice when they needed something but we didn't fit into their plans. So we spoke when required and giggled and smirked and worked the rest of the time on our projects. Celena finished her Haunted Castle, quite a few 12 x 12 page layouts, her Aruba Word Book (which was great by the way) and a few other things too. She actually brings photos to use in her layouts.

I finished a School book, a Fall Book and an All Girl book that were kits waiting to be finished. All are my altered type small book projects which I love doing. Hopefully those will be Christmas presents for my nieces this year. That's the plan anyway. I just don't have any pics to put in them so they will have to add their own!

Cropmania's October Crop began at 3:30 Friday afternoon and went through 3 pm Sunday afternoon at the Clarion Hotel in Ocean City. Celena and I had been planning this trip for many months. We left work half day and dropped off my truck at her house. She drove because she cannot ride across the Bay Bridge. She has to have control driving over the bridge. She did GREAT!!! We went through Delaware stopping in Bridgeville at SONIC for lunch. I've never been to SONIC. They have drinks to die for. I got a cherry limeade on way down and cranberry limeade on way back. The cranberry version was my favorite to date. After eating there, we left and went on to OC. We arrived around 4:30 ish, unloaded all the scrappin gear in the ballroom at the table and then on to check in too. Our room was 1107. It was a very nice room with a view of the ocean.

Hey imagine this one girls -- going to a crop, actually getting stuff done AND being able to LEAVE ALL YOUR SUPPLIES, TOOLS, ETC. AT THE TABLE AND THEY ARE SAFE!!!!! Yeah that's what I said!!!! Very cool. Maybe we need to look into this one next year huh Ro & Jana??? There is supposed to be one in Deep Creek next year. There is one in March back at same place in OC. Can you come???? Sign in begins November 1st at 6 am and we already signed up! Think about it. My ultimate favority scrappin and the beach! WOW!!!

And we played games. You complete a page and get the hat. If you are wearing the hat when the cow bell sounds, you get a prize. We didn't win. Don't know why. See pic!!!

But had great time nonetheless. No pressure, lots of good karma, met many really nice people and only a few not so nice. Oh and one lady from GASC was there running into everyone in her wheelchair. You'd know the one! She'd run into you, make it seem like it was your fault and then do it all over again later!!! We'd just play with her. I don't think she even realizes or cares but she can really hurt someone with her chair. Unfortunately, I'd just fall onto her lap so she'd probably only do it once to me!!! Ha, ha!!!
Lots of neat ideas, lots of sharing of ideas, smiles, giggles, sassy little comments, and just plain ol down right FUN!!!! Michele and Teresa put on quite a show. Look them up at Cropmania.com. It's totally worth every penny.

And I didn't even tell you about the food......

Got to run. More to post later.

Hugs,

KTTTT

Yesterday at Eye Docs

Ok so I spent yesterday afternoon at my local eye docs getting examined for new contacts and glasses. Since I can't have Lasik or PRK done, then plastic will be the way to make my vision back to a wonderful 20/20. So we went from one computerized machine to another for about a total of four (all of which I had done multiple times over the last month). Hopefully all those results matched. But then came the dreaded yellow eyes - the drops that make your eyes glow and numb at the same time. Then he prodded again. Boy do they ache again today! But it's all worth the end result. After putting in the drops to dilate the pupils we went out to pick out eyeglass frames. Have you ever tried to pick out frames where you have to take your glasses off to put on new ones? Well when you do that, your vision also goes away with your normal glasses. Ha, ha! So after walking around with a mirror about two inches from my nose looking at each frame I tried on, the doc finally felt sorry for me. He gave me a pair of contact lenses to put in my eyes so I could actually see the frames. Boy what a difference that was!!! So I chose a pair of teal Calvin Klein (very cool!) frames. I'm getting the high index lenses (that means less coke bottle effect and lighter still) with scratch resistance and glare protection in them too. I also chose a pair of pink titanium frames (very neat too) for sunglasses (yes prescription too). So I will be able to see and look good too! My lenses are being ordered to see what turns out to be the best fit for my eyes. But right now, I have the lenses in from yesterday. My drive in today was full of surprises. I read license plates, saw the leaves on the trees in detail, read road signs, saw lots of little things that I haven't noticed before with my bad lenses. So I guess it really does pay to stay with the docs and get your eyes examined regularly. Don't do what I did and let it lapse as you miss out on too many great things to see! Even without the surgery, I'm happy with what I can now see back to a 20/20 view. It's very cool! And the people on the road with me are now safer (well that's relative but I can see them better anyway)! That's all I know for today but wanted to share my eye story. It's kind of fun! Take care, KTTTT

Haunted Castle - How COOOOL is this

So yesterday I packed up my supplies and went over the three mountains (or is it only two - hmmm I don't know) to Hagerstown to the Scrapmania Store for Lynn's Haunted House Class. I knew because it was Lynn's to expect the unexpected and you would LOVE it no matter what. Well as always, Lynn lived up to her reputation. You see she's quite the clever, crafty one. A very good designer in her own right. Of course, she wouldn't agree but she would be wrong!!! The Haunted House is made with the Creative Imaginations Castle Book. Since they now have this really cool die that cuts the pages for them (from Ellison I believe) then it made it all very easy to complete. Lynn cut out everything before hand. Yep, she's very, very good that way. If she hadn't, she would have had about 13 people still there over night finishing our books. Ha, ha! But the end result was worth the wait. Boy is it cute. I will have to post the pics so you can see. Rosemary and Celena are going to love that I did get the kits for them. I have to go back and get them next weekend but they are coming. It seems that wasn't an original idea as poor Lynn now has four more kits she must make up. But Rosemary and Celena have an example to use when creating their monsterpiece!!!! Enjoy!!! KTTTTT

Verdict is in…

So no LASIK because my corneas are too thin, and no PRK because my prescription is too bad!!!! BUMMER!!!!! Very depressing actually. I was soooooo looking forward to a positive answer. After seeing the first Doc and learning that my corneas were thin, I, as Eeyore of course, looked at my glass as half empty and when they sent me to the TLC in Frederick to see another Doc I figured I would be told I wasn’t a candidate. But he surprised me and said well let’s do the testing today and see if you are candidate for LASIK or PRK bringing my hopes up and making me think that I had a chance. Then it looked good but we needed another test. So another week went by and I went to TLC in Rockville for another test. That was the cool 60s test!!! Well that chance or dream stayed real until yesterday. After all the tests and not wearing my contacts for the last three weeks and wearing these really heavy glasses, they delivered the news yesterday afternoon that I’m not a candidate for either surgery. Their recommendations would be not to seek out other opinions as there were additional risks that could occur with the PRK because of the higher prescription, such as halos and bad vision and possibly permanent damage. Yuck! Not really an option I want to consider!!! Well hearing that said out loud kind of took the wind out of my sails to say the least, but then I was thinking that I should probably get a second opinion to learn what those risks really were. But then again, it’s my eyes and I don’t really want to take risks with my eyes and not being able to see, even as bad as my prescription is. At least lenses and glasses CAN correct to 20/20 I just have to have plastic either on my eyes or on my nose to make me see. After all, 20 years ago LASIK and PRK were unheard of. So maybe in the future there will be a way to fix my poor eyeballs. And then again maybe not. But right now, I just made another appointment to get checked again for contacts and new glasses. The good thing is I can go back to smaller lenses and lighter in weight in the glasses (of course those are twice the cost but who cares!!!) and I can even get transition lenses which eliminate the need for prescription sunglasses. Yeah. I just have to concede to being stuck wearing something to make my vision correct rather than having the surgery to make it permanent. Oh well, could be worse. So no more tests on surgery. Not gonna be able to wake up and see the clock UNLESS IT'S A REALLY, REALLY BIG CLOCK. Don’t have to worry about recovery and not being able to drive (some would argue that I can't drive anyway!!!). Just have to pop in new lenses and wear new glasses. I think I’m gonna look into some really cool frames to “accessorize” my face too!!! What the hecht!!! Why not! It’s only money right.. Being able to see at close to 20/20 again after not going to the eye doctors in over 10 years, priceless!!!!



So today is a climbing day. Doing better than yesterday when I got the news but still not there. Monday will make it better when I see how well I really can see with lenses that are the correct prescription. What a concept. Going to the doctors because they really matter. Who knew!!! Now I have to keep this up.



Cya ltr!

KTTTT

Another project post for my loyal readers

all two of you!!!!!






This is the BELIEVE book that I made for Carolyn after her original card (I will find that pic too and add later Jana just so you get inspired!!!). Ha, ha!!! Anyway I took the Bo Bunny book which has been done up in Christmas and Disney type layouts by others and made one for Carolyn to capture all the quotes, stories, well wishes and pictures she had on her CARE PAGES to get her in the spirit to FIGHT BREAST CANCER knowing that she had others with her all the way! I wanted to take all the wishes and put in a format that she could carry with her and pick up and see that we all remember her a little bit each day and wish her well in her journey to get better. So it was truly a project of love with much thought and organization (yeah that was the hard part for me...) to put it all together and make it all work.

I loved the result and she did too. She sent me back a note immediately upon receipt that she could not "B-E-L-I-E-V-E" what just came in the mail. She made MY day with that and went into more about how much it meant to her. I'm a mush and love doing this type stuff really more than for me. Who would have thought?! But she has carried it with her and shown it to her friends at the treatment center. They have all decided that I need to go into business and she wants to back me. Ha, ha.











She finished her chemo and had surgery on August 1 and IS CANCER FREE NOW. So congrats to Carolyn and stay on that road to recovery (see my post below with the bra and card as that was to reward her for her journey almost being done thru last radiation treatments in September).









Oh and see the last page with the ribbon, it's made with all her thumbnail pics on her web site all put together to make the ribbon. All the little tabs of paper with ribbons are all well wishes left on her CARE PAGE. We can send messages and thoughts and virtual presents and those are all in the book too! All her Pics are all downloaded from her CARE PAGE along with her updates all printed and put to writing in her BELIEVE book. All to remember she has many supporters and she's our WARRIOR WOMAN!!!! She's the one in the pink wig on the "E" page above (with those big blue eyes which never changed--smiling though it all!!!) Her two friends are on the back of the "B" too in same wig. She wore that wig on her last chemo treatment in July. All those that went with her (and drank champagne) ALL wore PINK wigs. They were quite the talk of the center -- and got applause too on the last treatment. My WARRIOR WOMAN she is!!!









Enjoy!!! I sure did making it!





KTTTTT

Layout of My Niece

This is one of my layouts of Meg, my niece, that was up at the store when I was on their design team. The store is no longer around so I get to look at it whenever I want now that it's back home. My sister sent me the pics that Meg had taken in one of those booths in the mall -- you know like we all have done. I printed them multiple times in multiple sizes and set off to do the many faces of Meg layout. But since I had already used that title in her Christmas Book I wanted to do something with a catch. Nancy actually came up with the title and it just fit! So here is the "April Showers Bring Meg Flowers" layout. I hope you like it. Jana - you can do one of your Meg too. It would be just as cool. Take care! KTTTTT

P.S. Meg is a black belt. She was the youngest person to achieve that honor. So no one would mess with her. I'm proud to say she's MY NIECE and then hopefully if I ever need her, she'll show me some moves!!! Ha, ha.

Ok so I'm supposed to be working.............

but I really don't feel like it so I'm gonna post some other projects that I've made recently. The LOVE book was for my friend's wedding in May. She waited and waited for her fiance to get his visa and come over from England so that they could get married. It happened and she got married over Mother's Day Weekend in the Conservatory in Pittsburgh. It was a gorgeous setting inside and beautiful sunny day outside. Meredith and Phill are now husband and wife and started their joined life together on May 10th, 2008. The book was a little something I did from the heart to share with them after driving up there to be a part of their special day! I don't normally like to do "LOVE" anything. It's an inside joke but this really turned out GREAT! And I used Rosemary's stunning gold papers that she had in her stash at the crop. So I couldn't have done it without her!!! Enjoy the pics! Now as my boss would say, "Get back to work!!!" LOL!!!