A car accident!

Can I say more...yes. I was in a car accident and destroyed my husband's car. I can't even believe that I got into a car accident but I did. And even though I have never been in accident with another car, I am shocked by this one. It is really sad when people don't pay attention especially when doing 60mph and switching lanes. I don't want to talk about it too much but it was really scary! Really scary!! My hand still hurts, and my neck too but I am taking something for it. I have gotta go to the hospital tomorrow and have it checked again (maybe it will be taken out of the splint or maybe I will need a cast?) My hand does hurt bunches and that is why I haven't been on here, although this happened to happen last week on the day of my class at my local scrapbook store. I am so upset my the whole thing. And am praying that all will work out and the person that hit me truly does have insurance. Although MN is a no-fault state, I don't want this on our insurance. But we will see. So I will check back in later and I hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. And don't forget to hug and kiss those that you love because you never know! Smile, Tracy

Well I have a minute or two to check in, well that depends on how long the little one sleeps for a nap. My 7yr old is working on his spelling words and my two yr old is sitting here at the desk in my lap. But that is because I am trying to prevent her from attacking the salmon patties that I have cooling for lunch. She loves them!!! I just gotta figure out what we are having besides the patties. I often wonder if other people still eat these? They were something from my childhood that I swore that I would never make for my kids although I liked them, I didn't love them. And just like peanut butter, hot dogs, and roman noodles they went into the do even think about buying them section. Well my kids have friends and other family members who have introduced them to all of the things on that list and of course we have had to buy these things occasionally so that they can have some of them. Well everything except peanut butter because we have 2 that are allergic to it.

So I was checking sites for a dessert that I could make for dinner tonight. We don't have dessert but twice a week but this week my oldest turns 13 so I am breaking the rules a little. I saw a great dessert called Oreo delight on Becky Higgins's site and decided to try it out since I had all the ingredients but I really am questioning the cream cheese and the pudding...that might be a bit too much. But we will see. I usually don't like things that are too sweet and personally I don't care for oreos but my oldest loves them in fact the whole crew loves them. So besides chicken noodle soup (completely from scratch) and cornbread, and a small salad that is what's for dinner. I just hope that it won't be a late one today.

So I have been busy still with the postcard type greeting cards for my husband and a co-worker. Here is what they look like so far for my hubby. They are really simple. A computer generated greeting with a stamped image at the top and some ribbon. I have completed over 60 of them but he wants more. I think I am going to stop at 150. He has way more customers than that and it would take me forever and cost a small fortune to do cards for everyone on his route but we are pushing to do a lot more this year. I was thinking of having the kids help me and paying them for their help (maybe 10-25 cents per postcard) they could easily make some more money for Christmas gifts for each other.

Well I had some other things to share but my times up. So I will check back in and post pictures that I took of the kids in a few days or so.

I'm back on etsy...

I have been wondering if I should list again on etsy since I never really listed my items there before but I had planned on doing it for some time. But then I thought about the fact that I haven't bought anything there and so I don't have any feedback and so I wondered if people would purchase from me. But after thinking about it for a long time, I have decided that it is time to list and see what happens. So I started with my cards. I have listed them so if you are interested and want to get any of the cards that I have created then you can check out my etsy page here
http://www.etsy.com/shop/tracyross98?ga_search_query=tracyross98&ga_search_type=seller_usernames

I have only listed some of the cards but I plan on listing more in the next couple of weeks. So far I have the penguin birthday, the golf card,what's cooking, cherry hello, baby boy-sailor card, and the baby girl butterfly cards listed. These are all on my blog in several posts and you can check out my flickr account to see better close-ups.

All about family

Hey everyone it's Monday morning and I am just sitting down for a second to chit chat. I am wondering what I am going to make for dinner the next couple of days that #1 won't cause any leftovers because I will need every piece of space in the frig, #2 doesn't take too long to cook, and #3 is something that we really want to eat. I saw a great recipe for creamy chicken pot pie and might actually try it. Especially since I will be baking some of the pies today and some cookies too. We are planning to have some family over and I can't wait until they get here. It's nice to spend time with family members when you haven't seen them in a long time. But it's even nicer just to see or hear from them in general. That is the best part about Thanksgiving.

Which touches another topic. I just emailed a family member(s) and hope that they understand what I am saying. I just hope that my message is clear. And the same goes for the message that I left on facebook for other family members. I just really feel like sometimes family seems to be so distant from each other for no reason whatsoever. In 2008 I said that I would stay in contact with family just because we are all getting older and our children are all growing up so fast. But that has been one of the hardest challenges, people always seem to be so busy. I will admit that I am always busy but I do call, send cards, and an email is only sent if I can't get through...I hate emailing people greetings. But I do it only in the case of an emergency. But I am hoping for the best from this email.

Well today I have a long day of cleaning planned a long long day (I started at 6:15 this morning). I want to do somehow cleaning, washing,cooking and maybe change my hairstyle all before Wednesday. Maybe it's a bit much, maybe not. I just hope that I can get it all done. The cleaning shouldn't be too hard, the house really isn't messy. I do have scrapbooking stuff all over (the kitchen, living and my bedroom) but that is an easy fix. I have actually started getting my bedroom cleaned out. And I started organizing what I am cooking first and so on. I just have to narrow the desserts I don't think that we need 3 types of pies, 1 cake, a peach cobbler and cookies...or maybe we do? LOL

Have a great day and if by chance that I don't post again soon have a Wonderful Thanksgiving! Hug all the family you can and be blessed! Smiles, Tracy

Good Morning...it's Friday!!!

I just had to stop in and chit chat for a few minutes! I have to first say to all the class attendees from last night that the class rocked!! I had a great time and the ladies were patient while I made extra kits while the class was going because we had extra scrappers and we had a great time. It just went a lot better than it could have.

So I will be posting pictures of the cards from the crop so that everyone else can what the cards looked like. I took a pictures but don't like them and since my camera batteries weren't charged completely I couldn't get the right shot! (Note to self it is time to get new rechargeable batteries these have exceeded their effective use stage.)

And there were questions about future card classes, one of the most common questions that I continue to be asked is about diecutting and dies...so I am going to work with Rhonda and see if I will offer some kind of die-cutting class. It would most likely be with the Big Kick/ Big Shot and I would show you how to use dies to make cards using everything from Spellbinder dies to Sizzix and everything in between. I make cards often and many of them, and I can tell you that I use dies for alot of them and they never look the same (unless they have to ;0) ) But I am thinking it would be great to teach tons of other tools too!

So there will be another chance to take the sketch card class again in December and then January's class/classes will be all new cards & sketches and maybe some diecutting as well...so stay turned for more details on that...

On to the family updating now...
Nya is attempting to crawl...well she has had some kind of ear infection/sickness and we will have to make a return trip to the Dr. I don't know why she is sick but I know that she generally isn't happy and isn't sleeping good. The night before my class I had every bit of 30 minutes of sleep seriously I dosed off holding her upright because she doesn't want to lay down and I woke up thinking I had gotten several hours of sleep. That was the first time ever that I had gotten only 30 minutes of sleep and I was praying that I didn't run into something as I drove to and from my class. But I wasn't sleepy at all behind the wheel but I did fall straight to sleep last night and thankfully Nya did too. LeiLani is starting to recognize colors. Well she has been doing that for a few weeks now. We play tell me what color and shape it is game now. I also like that she can look for shirts that match the color of her pants.

I need to take pictures of the kids seriously I haven't in sooo long...even my oldest reminded me that we didn't take our annual end of summer photo.

And the boys are doing great also. My oldest will be turning 13!!! in just a few weeks. I can't believe that I am going to be a mom of a teenager! It is scary but at the same time so ok. I am ready to take that step especially because he has started with some of the teenager attitude already, I think I can easily move into my new role as the enforcer lol lol no not really.

And the youngest son is doing great too. We are still sticking in there with homeschooling. It actually has gotten a lot better. We now understand that we have a set schedule but that doesn't mean that we have to do books all day. We watched a few animal planet shows the other day and I had him then look up details about big cats in the Encyclopedia Britannica he loved that idea. I don't know kids now-a-days use encyclopedias but I can remember looking at them at my Grandma's house when I was really little and I want the kids to have the same experience. We do use the web alot too but it's nice to use books too. Kentrel has been using them for years so it was nice to introduce the idea to LaTrele. He then pulled a few off the bookshelf and sat down. So the last couple of days I have been hearing mom did you know....

Christmas cards this year will be right on time (smiles to the family members that reminded me last year that they got them late lol lol) but I am no longer sending the newsletter. Instead there will be a photo of us and cards. I think the idea of a newsletter is going to be a bit much because I have got to make my hubby's Christmas post cards, his co-worker wants some of them as well, I am doing my card classes and I have a few other orders here and there. I haven't done all my Christmas cards. But I think I only have about 10 more or so to do so they will be hitting the mail the day after Thanksgiving.

I have to take some time this weekend and call Grandma. I haven't really talked to her in about a week. She and I usually talk everyday but she said she would give me some time because I was doing so much. I didn't ask her to but she insisted. I so miss her! I know I am a big baby lol but I love talking to my Grandma and even Ani said she wanted to talk to Grandma. I have plans to talk to her today. Hopefully she answers the phone but if not I will surely call her tonight. Well everyone have a blessed & fun Friday...I am going to take a mini break this weekend and take the kids to a movie this weekend (nothing different) but I am going to try to relax and no notebooks for note taking and order sketching or anything and focus on them...after all they are the reason I do what I do most days. lol

A calendar /journal/scrapbook

I finally finished the undated monthly calendar/scrapbook/journal. I used a creative cafe 12 tabbed journal and rebound the journal using 1 1/4 o'wires. I also added stamped sheet protectors and a blank monthly calendar so that you can record events and appointments or you can use it as a yearly scrapbook. There are a total of 48 pages (96 front and back), 12 tabbed sections (1 for each month) and 3 sheets of lined paper for each month (36 pgs total).

I used stamps, diecuts, metal charms and lots more to create this unique book. Please check out my flickr to get a closer look at all the pages that I did.

http://http//www.flickr.com/photos/tracyross98/sets/72157622762657944/

I am just stopping in for a quick update. I know that I have been slacking on the blog posts and I usually am not this bad. But I have been so busy. I am homeschooling and we have been busy learning some new material. And it is going great but it takes a lot of practice. And my 2nd grader still can't really sit down and do his work without me going over things with him and making sure he is actually doing what he is supposed to be doing. I am hoping that this will change.

But I plan on uploading some pictures of the new planner that I completed this week or have almost completed. I have always carried a personal planner (Franklin Covey was my favorite ones) and so when I got the bind it all I decided that I just had to try to make my own versions when I got the chance.

Well I made my own last year. And I have now made one that I am going to list on ebay. I ended up using an actual tabbed journal from Creative cafe (not the planner but the journal) and I love it. And yes I was working on the December daily planner (which I put on hold) but I am loving this one. And I will be taking pictures of it and listing it this weekend or by Tuesday at the latest. I just want some natural light for the pictures and the last couple of days have been so busy I haven't gotten around to the photos. But be on the look out this week.

I am excited, my card class is coming up this week and I have lots of cutting and prep to do for it...but if you are interested in signing up for the class you can do so by contacting the Scrapbook Shop of St. Paul. Here is a link to that site http://scrapbookshopofstpaul.com/.