My life...just not on the road I expected (but it's still dang good).

I figured that Coley wouldn't have all that much interest in Annie - thought that if anything, he would be jealous of her (funny how you think you know your kids so well sometimes and then they go and prove you wrong).

He's crazy about her.  Always loving & kissing on her (he's super gentle with her too which I love), always rubbing the top of her head, always talking about how cute she is and how much he loves her.  I call her Tootie McFrootie sometimes (no explanation needed) which he thinks is just hysterical - so he of course loves to call her Tootie McFrootie now too.

Yesterday he said that we need to be sure to give her "romance" (had him repeat himself just in case I got it wrong - but no, he had indeed said "romance"), so I of course asked him what romance meant - he said that it meant that we had to give her lots of gentle lovin.

Love, love, love that kid.

Online sources

Lots of emails in my inbox about where to find my product line - wish I could say that I have one easy answer - but I can give you a few resources that will hopefully be a help.

Creative Imaginations has a store locator feature that allows you to find stores that carry CI product (doesn't necessarily mean that they carry my product line though, so you may want to call the store to be sure).  It's a cool feature - worth checking out.

Also, when I did a google search using the words Narratives and Karen Russell, quite a few online sources showed up.

Other than that, Creative Imaginations sells older products no longer available in stores directly from their website (this is a new feature).  When you are looking at a line of products on the site, below each item it will state whether it is available in stores or from Creative Imaginations.  Kind of a cool thing since finding older products that you still love can be impossible sometimes.

Also just found out about Dollar Scrapbooking which is taking older, out-of-stock items and offering them online for just a buck.  Newer site.  They currently have CI product in stock, but are getting ready to offer product from other companies from what I understand.  They've got a fair amount of my product (even saw some of my transparent envelopes and mini-albums that normally retail for about $5.00).  Super good deal.

My local store, Scrapbook Connection in Grants Pass has a lot (not all) of my product line in stock (541 474 4404) and are willing to ship.  I would recommend going to the Creative Imaginations website first and writing down the item number and a description of the products you are wanting before you call them (please call with your order rather than email).  They'll add the cost of shipping.  Great store.

My CHA Winter products will start shipping in April, so if you are wanting to get any of those products, I'd check with your LSS to see if they are planning on carrying it.

And a picture of Annie and her Cousin Brooke (hi Brookie) just because they're so stinkin cute.

A hodge-podge of a post.

I love how newborn babies smile for no apparent reason (even if it is just gas). 

Annie is doing fabulous - her collarbone seems to be healing up just fine (although there is one heck of a big lump where it is healing - doctor says it's normal).  She also has lachrymal duct stenosis (which is just a narrowing of the duct that takes away tears), so her left eye is constantly a big goobery mess (not so good for photo ops) and could be like that for a year or so.  She's still perfect though.

Also wanted to let everyone know that I will be updating my class schedule here in the next few weeks.  Still just planning on teaching here along the West Coast for now, but will have class kits available to mail out to anyone who wants them.  I am still teaching the Advanced Transparency Techniques class just because it is such a fun class and the response from scrapbookers has been great (not an easy class - but lots of cool techniques packed into it).  I'm also finishing up the details for my next class and if I do say so myself...it's really cool.  Won't spill any of the details yet, but I'm super excited about it.  I'll be ready to start teaching it and mailing out kits in late April/early May (it includes a ton of my CHA Winter products, so I have to wait for those to arrive in the warehouse).

Lastly, if you are up for a good laugh this morning, you have to go check out Karen Burnistons Blog  (A Scandanavian Festivus for the Best of Us).  Hysterical.

Behold...the typo.

Actually not all that shocking to me that I would find a typo on one of my layouts...just kind of a bummer when it's published for the whole wide (scrapbooking) world to see.  It's in Creative Solutions for Scrapbookers by CK (which is really a cool book - minus my typo - just picked it up yesterday).

I swear I used my spell-check, but it doesn't pick up things like using the word "later" instead of "latter" (in the journaling on the far left side of the layout).  And for me, I think that I just get so caught up in the creative process, that my mind has a tendency to see what it wants to see on a layout. 

3 out of 12 of my first transparencies released (way back at Memory Trends 2003) went to market with typos on them (embarrassing, but true)!!!

I know it's a huge pet-peeve for some of you, so I'll just apologize now for all my past, current and future typos. 

I'm a work in progress (and yes, I hit the spell-check button before I posted this).

It's in the little things...

I was relaxing on the couch with the baby last night while Josh was trying to get some stuff done around the house.  He was putting away these big studio-type lights of mine (nothing fancy, just like big flood lights for taking photos since we don't get much natural lighting in the house during the winter months)that had been taking up way too much space in the dining room.

It was something I had been meaning to do for awhile - but just hadn't got around to - so I was super happy that he was putting them away for me.  I made a comment about how much I appreciated it and that he took good care of me.

No big deal at all.

After he got done, he had to run around town for a bit to pick up some parts for an old Chevy he's fixing up and to pick up some take-out for dinner (Vegetable and tofu tempura for me - my favorite).  As soon as he walked in the door he said, "I think I just discovered the meaning of the word love" (he has little epiphanies all the time and I love hearing them), "it's the little things like me wanting to put the lights away for you (so I could rest on the couch with the baby) and you appreciating it the way you do - we're super good together Karen Russell" (I don't know why - but we often refer to eachother by first & last name and our favorite word is "super").

Sorry Josh that none of our life is off limits to this blog. 

Sounds like such a little thing - but it's really such a big thing.  It wasn't all that long ago that I discovered that love is a verb (straight outta the mouth of Dr. Phil).  It's an action, not a feeling.  It was something that I knew logically in my mind, but something that I hadn't experienced or put into action before.  Enter:  Josh Downs...and now I know.

It's kind of a cool thought if you hadn't put much thought into it before.

Annie's first layout

Kinda tired last night, but really felt like scrapbooking (crazy how after even just a few days I really start getting anxious to be doing something creative). 

Just tore some fabric (looooooove fabric and the texture it adds) for the background which is stitched and stapled into place.  The card is a cool box set I picked up from K&Co. awhile back which caught my eye because of the little scalloped windows.  I added my text directly to the card by first typing it onto regular paper and then securing the card to the paper and running it through the printer again.  Added a few rub-ons (7Gypsies) and photo corners (not sure where those came from).  Ribbon along the top and part of a paper measuring tape that Josh brought home from the hospital (smart guy).  Making Memories brads and chipboard along the side.  Printed Annie's name onto a transparency to layer underneath the bookplate (not sure where I got the bookplate either).

Was up until midnight working which turned out to be a lousy idea since Coley and Courtney both wet their beds in the middle of the night last night, Josh was snoring like a chainsaw and Annie decided that 3:30 am was a perfect time to wake up and play (and to cry when she realized I didn't want to play).

Will be napping today for sure.

4th day home.

4th day home.  Annie is still breaking me into her routine.  She's super unpredictable.  Happy & content one day - fussy & inconsolable the next (today is fussy & inconsolable for sure).

Her collarbone/clavicle was broken during labor - so I've been worried that her fussiness may be because she is in pain.  Seems like a lot of contradictions from the doctors - some say that it is painful, some say otherwise.  In my mind, I can't see how a broken bone couldn't be painful.  The only recommended treatment has been to keep it as immobile as possible for 2 weeks (which means pinning her sleeve to her sleeper so that she can't move it - really ticks her off) and that it will heal on its own.  They recommended that we get an x-ray of it, but that regardless of what the x-ray shows, their treatment recommendations will be the same.  So we decided against the x-ray since there doesn't seem to be any benefits to it.  Keep second guessing myself though.  Would love to hear from anyone who has been through this and what the outcome was.

Had a meltdown yesterday before heading out to the doctors office because I have NOTHING to wear other than pajamas.  None of my maternity clothes fit...none of my regular clothes fit.  I came home from the hospital weighing just 4lbs. less than when I left for the hospital.  Not sure how in the hell that is even mathematically possible since I gave birth to a 8lb. 7 oz. baby. 

Really want to thank my friends out in St. Helens (Tanya, Kristin and Pat who owns Small Town Memories) for the huge box of fun baby stuff that we came home to (that was a heck of a welcome home gift)!  Love you gals!

Also wanted to say thanks to all the gals on Two Peas who made the coolest cards for Annie & I.  Love stuff like that - love how scrapbooking has connected me with so many fantastic people.  Thanks again for taking the time - it meant a ton to me.

I feel like I'm giving a speech at the Oscars or something, but while I'm at it, thanks again for all of the comments when I had Annie - has been fun to read all of them and to know that so many people were thinking of us. 

Ok, Miss cranky is calling - gotta run.

Love you Grandma

Josh's parents came down late last week in hopes that they could be here to help out with the kids when I went into labor and to see their newest Grand-baby.  But since Annie wasn't cooperating and went past her due-date by 4 days; they weren't able to be here when we had her.

So Annie has one wonderful Grandma who is anxious to see her. 

Just wanted to say that we all love you Jo.

We're home...

Too tired to write anything but a quick post tonight, but wanted to thank everyone for the comments, prayers and emails.  Just got home with Annie a couple hours ago - she's asleep in my arms while I'm typing.  She's just perfect.

Our little anniversary present

Tomorrow is the one year anniversary of Josh and I meeting on a flight home from Atlanta...also looking like it just might be the day that Annie is born (she's 3 days overdue today, I'm having a bundle of contractions tonight and if that fails...the doctor scheduled us for induction tomorrow morning at 7am).

I was at the CHA Winter show in Atlanta - rooming with Karen Burniston (who I adore).  She and I were talking and she asked me if I ever thought I would date again (had been 3 years since I had even went on a date).  I don't remember my exact response - but the gist of it was "no way". 

I was scheduled to fly home before the end of the show and at the last minute had called the airline to see if I could get a later flight - no luck.  Headed off to the airport and right before I boarded my flight, I happened to run into some gals that I knew.  Got to talking and almost missed my flight. I was the last person to board and was exhausted - looking forward to sitting in the window isle that I had booked (I always book the window seat so that I have something to lean my head up against while I sleep).  When I got to my row - there was a woman sound asleep in my seat.  I was tired already and now, cranky enough that I thought about waking her up and asking her to move, but decided against it.  The guy in the isle seat got up so I could sit down in the middle seat.

About 2 minutes into the flight - the guy next to me asked what I had been doing in Atlanta - 4 1/2 hours later, our flight was landing and we were still talking (the most amazing conversation I have ever had in my entire life).  I didn't even take a minute in those 4 1/2 hours to contemplate the possibility of our ever even talking again, but as soon as we said good-bye to each other, my head started spinning.  Sat down for a few minutes before my next flight and called my best friend - couldn't quit talking about him.

I had given him a business card - had my email address on it.  He emailed me that night and fast forward 1 year...here we are. 

It sounds crazy (and maybe it is a bit crazy)...our one year anniversary and we're already having a baby.  Might not look so good from an outsiders point of view - but it really is a beautiful thing.  Not a single doubt in my mind that every path I have ever been on has led up to this.  Fate.  Kismet.  God's plan exactly.

And even though I am going crazy right now - 3 days past my due-date...I can't help but feel like God is blessing our relationship by giving Annie to us on our Anniversary.

Life is a crazy thing...

Just finished up this card for Josh.  That's my big ole' belly and the smaller photo is the first one we took together (in my scrapbook closet).  One of the strips of paper says Harriet & Valentine on it - I call him Harriet because of a quote he had emailed me when we first started dating (actually, it was before we had even went on a date) and he calls me Valentine since we met the day before Valentines day (mushy stuff, I know).

Going to be a very good day tomorrow.