.

Has it been that long?

2006-05-17T10:16:00.000-07:00

I can't believe my last entry was in February! Wow.
Hopefully everyone has been doing good.

I will give a quick update as to what has been going on.

First of all, I am pregnant. About 4 months. Mark and I are very excited. If everything goes well we plan to move back to SD after the baby is born.
I have been working a lot. I haven't taken many pictures, which is sad. I did do a shoot for my friend Ally this past weekend. I think the pics turned out really cute!

I wish there was more to report. Just living my life and keeping busy.
Hope that everyone is doing well
-M

Some from the weekend

2006-02-20T07:02:00.000-08:00

Here are some shots from this weekend. I got to take some pictures of my friends step-daughter. We had a lot of fun.

All taken with my Canon 20D
First Picture: F3.5, ISO 400, ss 100
Second Picture: F2.8, ISO 400, ss 500
Third Picture: F2.8, ISO 200, ss 2000

I hope that everyone had a nice weekend. We still need rain here so, send some rain our way :)

Out of the shadows

2006-01-21T21:51:00.000-08:00

I can't believe how long it has been since I last posted.
I hope that everyone's New Year and Christmas was great.Mine were both wonderful.

I thought I might share with you what has been keeping me busy these days.

My Photography. I have been pretty much dedicating all my free time to photography. I am currently in a mentorship with one of my favorite photographers. I am really enjoying every minute of it. Especially when I have a great shoot like I did yesterday.
Isn't my sister-in-law beautiful?

I am trying to build my porfolio up. Hopefully I will be able to get enough photo shoots soon so that I can get my website going.

So, I have been around. Just busy with photography.

If you are in the Phoenix area and would like your pictures done let me know

Take care

Yes, I am alive

2005-12-19T22:07:00.000-08:00

Hello there!
I fell off the blogging face of the earth for a while. I just haven't had time to update in a long time!
I have been busy lately(I am sure everyone else has too). I finally finished doing albums for other people. YEAH! Now, I can concentrate on me.
I hope everyone is ready for Christmas. I kinda am.
I will try to update again soon.
Hope everyone is doing great

Manic Monday

2005-11-20T21:16:00.001-08:00

Wow, has it been that long since I posted last? Gosh. This past week has flown by. I had all the plans in the world to work over the weekend but the website was down. Now, I will be back logged. I am frustrated to say the least.
A few good things came out of this weekend though. I finished up the album I was working on for my one client. Now, I get to start 2 more to be finished BEFORE Christmas! AAAAGGGHHHH I am crazy. Once these are done, I am DONE doing other people's albums for a long time. I even changed the message on my phone to say I am unavailable to do albums at this time.
Another good thing is I took some pics(with my lovely camera) of my friend's little boy. Here are 2 storyboards I made from the pictures. I hope that everyone has a great week.

Monday again

2005-11-14T11:33:00.000-08:00

I just got a call that my camera is in! I will be going to pick it up today! Yeah, finally!
I have been playing around with storyboard actions in Photoshop and learned how to make my own. Here it is. What do ya think? I really like them, they are so fun!!!
Going to be another busy week. My in laws are in town for a few days. I also am getting more calls about doing photography! Yeah! This is what I want to do. Wish me luck.
Have a great Monday

It's almost the end of the week

2005-11-09T19:31:00.000-08:00

It's almost the weekend. I am trying to take time to enjoy my weekends now instead of working. Work is still crazy and I could probably take the time to do some work this weekend but I don't know if I will. I have lots to do with the album I am working on for my client and my goal is to get A LOT of pages done with it.
I changed my banner too. I took this photo of a VW bug with surfboards on it the last time I was home. I just thought it was the epidemy of San Diego. Something about it just makes me smile. I have no idea who owned the bug but I can imagine it was some surfer dudes with scragly hair, shorts and flip flops. This was taken in Ocean Beach, and for those of you that know about OB can also imagine what they might be on. For those of you that don't know about OB it is a hippie like town by the water, you can get the picture.
On another note. The weather has been fantastic lately. This is the time of year that I LOVE living in Arizona. It is our bragging season, weather wise. Pretty much in the high 70's low 80's. It's fantastic!
I have not gotten a call yet about my camera. You better believe they will be getting one from me if I don't have it by Friday. I just want it back.
Soon, I should be finishing scrapbooking for others. I have turned down 3 albums for people. Normally I wouldn't do that because I could use the money, but my sanity is more important. After I finish what I am doing for my client I am going to take some time to focus on my stuff. It's about time, huh? I would like to take more pictures and also focus on my photography skills more. I am doing a wedding for our friends in December in Oregon. I am nervous but also very excited. This is my gift to them, well I also did their invitations too. Very good friends :)
Who has started their Christmas shopping? NOT ME!!! I hate crowds and will avoid them at all costs. I am not a typical woman when it comes to shopping. I would rather do it online. Now, I do enjoy going to the mall when the decorations are up but when there are lots of people around I get into a mode. The mode is" GET OUT OF MY WAY!!!!". I just don't like crowds, I might be clausterphobic, who knows.
Well, I am hoping to start updating this thing more. Hopefully I will hold to that.
Have a fabulous day everyone!

Yeah

2005-11-07T06:49:00.000-08:00

I am finally getting my camera back. I called last week and asked to speak to a manager about the situation. He remembered me and was very nice. I told him that I was to the point now where I just wanted my camera back, cleaned or not. I got a call on Friday saying that they were going to ship my camera out Monday, fixed. Oh, the camera is in Maryland not Chandler where I thought it was. So, I should have it back sometime this week. YAH!!!!
Thanks to all of you that suggested that I be more assertive! :)
Also, here is a page I finished on Friday night at the last crop at Scrappin Sisters

Now, back to my hectic work week......hopefully it will get better soon!

OOOOO frustration

2005-11-02T07:34:00.000-08:00

3 weeks ago I put my beautiful 20D in to get it's sensor cleaned. I was not about to touch the inside of my camera for fear that I might damage it. 3 WEEKS!!!!!! Now, I know they said that it might take 4-6 weeks but come on. It shouldn't even take more than an hour! AND.....they are located in Chandler so I could go pick it up. I called yesterday to check the status of my camera and they said that the technicians were going to clean it and then check for any other problems. There aren't any other problems with it. It's practically brand new(June). I just want my camera back. Since it's been gone I've had 2 paid clients want me to take their pictures and a handful of others too(unpaid). It's just ticking me off......
For any of you Arizona girlies out there, do you know of a place where I might be able to rent a camera? I have a 35mm but I would prefer a DSLR. I got so spoiled with this thing!
On another note. Scrappin Sisters is just about cleaned out. There is still a bunch of paper left but it looks so bare. It is sad to see how empty it is. I worked there a little on Saturday, Monday and last night. It's strange how the word "going out of business" will bring people in. If only these people would have shopped there throughout the year. Please support your LSS.
Friday the staff and design team and doing a "farewell" scrap. This should be fun, and emotional. I have met so many wonderful ladies from this store. It's going to be hard to say good-bye. Hopefully it won't be a forever good-bye.
I have been busy, again with work. What's new right? I am really hoping that next week will be a little better. I can't take much more of this :)
Have a great day all!

Sad but true

2005-10-28T07:51:00.000-07:00

The LSS I work at is closing!!! I am so sad. So many great stores are closing. I have worked with Alana for 2 yrs now. I know it has been a struggle since Recollections opened, but I have made so many wonderful friends there.

If you live in the Phoenix area please come by. The last day is November 5th. The sale starts today with 30% off. Fixtures, everything is on sale. Please come by and say goodbye!

Scrappin Sisters
Corner of 59th Ave and Union Hills ( CVS, Sonic, Starbucks are in the shopping center)
Glendale
(602)298-0102

What's more important?

2005-10-25T20:59:00.000-07:00

The other day I was sitting on my couch and I looked at my coffee table. It had 4 remotes on it. 3 for the T.V and one for the fan. It was then that I realized how spoiled I am. I find myself complaining about stupid things when in reality I have so little problems compared to someone else. Life could be worse. I could be hungry and homeless and so many other things. I guess seeing 4 remotes made me realize how lucky and lazy we are. In a way it symbolized how much we have but don't need and how much we take for granted.Why in the world do I need so many remotes? How many do you have?
Sorry guys, this was not intended to be a down post, I was just thinking about this and thought I would share :)
Have a great day!!!

Monday

2005-10-24T08:26:00.000-07:00

Another week gone, ready to start another one. Time flies by so fast when you are busy! I wish that I had more to report other than I am still busy and trying to work out the kinks at work. Things are going well and life should be back to normal soon. :)
I got some of the new Basic Grey Blitzen paper yesterday. My LSS got it in last week and didn't call me ( which I was a little ticked about) so I got a few of the sheets that were left of if yesterday. It is so pretty, seems like a very versatile paper for Christmas and winter. As soon as I finish this album for my client I can start doing my own scrapping again.
I also miss my camera. It has been in the shop for a few weeks now. Nothing major, it just had a few tiny spots on the mirror that I didn't want to try cleaning. I should be getting it back soon. I didn't realize how much I would miss it until I didn't have it at my disposal.
I miss my blogging buddies. Know that I am still thinking about you guys. Have a great day

I'm still here

2005-10-17T07:19:00.000-07:00

Thank you to all of you that wrote me emails to make sure I am alright. Yes, I am fine. I have just been crazy busy with work. I haven't had the the time to do the things that I normally do. I appreciate your concern.
Things have been busy here. It feels like I have been working non-stop, with an occasional break now and then to relax. It's good though, it just means I am keeping busy.

Ikea has great things. I hadn't been to one in years. But it is so big and there are usually tons of people there. Whoever invented that place was a genius, and he's rich.
I hope that all of you are doing well. Thanks for being concerned, I am fine. Just busy!

Do you ever feel....

2005-10-08T13:51:00.000-07:00

like you just don't want to talk to people? I am feeling like that right now. I am usually a friendly person I just haven't had the desire to even blog. This past week really drained me with work, I am hoping that's it. I really would like to sit in bed or my pj's and just watch movies all day. So, this is the reason I haven't been updating my blog......I haven't felt like it lately. I hope I will be back to my normal self soon. I really don't like feeling this way.

Whirlwind week

2005-10-06T06:46:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! Sorry I haven't updated in a few days. Work has been crazy busy. My boss finally told me I could hire someone part time to help out with the workload! You can't imagine how happy that makes me. We will start training her this week and hopefully get her working ASAP. I could use the help. Other than that life is the same. Mark came home Tuesday. He decided to paint the guest room. Our house has no paint on the walls yet. We picked a color out and to see how we liked it he painted the guest room. What an amazing difference color makes! So, I am hoping that we will paint the walls little by little until the whole house is done.

Croptober- Picket Fence Designs is turning one and to celebrate it they are having lots of games and prizes, etc. Please come over and say hi!!!! www.picketfencedesigns.net
I am on the Design Team there. I would love to see some of you say hi in the message boards. My screen name is pappigirl. Please come join in the fun!.

Last night Mark and I BBQ'd some steaks and rented "The Interpreter" with Nicole Kidman and Sean Penn. It was a pretty good movie. I don't think I expected it to be about what it was about. Go rent it if you haven't seen it.
Well, I must be off. Lot's of work to be done today. I am hoping I will get to stop by my favorite blogs later in the day.
Have a great day!!!

Back to Reality

2005-10-03T06:38:00.000-07:00

Monday seems to be the day that I go back to reality. That's life right?
I posted my first page on the 2 Peas board yesterday. I only did one to make sure I understood how. I big thanks to Chksngr for her help!
-I was also curious about something.....

How long do you blog per day? I notice that it takes me a little over an hour to go through all my blogs and boards in the morning. Plus, if I want to post to my blog it takes a little longer. Am I the only one with this problem? Is there a trick to faster blogging that I am missing?
I thought I would ask all of my online buddies what their secret is.
I hope you all had a wonderful weekend.
Now, I have to get to work :(

Whew!!!

2005-09-30T21:42:00.000-07:00

Hello there! Sorry it has taken a while for me to post. Mark and I decided to take a quick trip to San Diego. His aunt and uncle were visiting his sister there so we went over for a few days. I had such a great time! We spent all day Wednesday showing the sites to his aunt and uncle. I took lots of pictures :) Then, on Wednesday night we went to the Padre game. It was awesome! Mark grew up in the Bay area so his family are SF Giants fans. It just so happened that it was a Padre vs. Giants game. Since his sister has lived in SD for a while and her fiance is a Padre fan she has become one too. So we were dressed in our Padre attire and his aunt and uncle were in their Giants attire. What a game! I am a huge Padre fan since I grew up in San Diego. I can't explain the excitement that was in the stadium that night. What a rush. We had such a great time. The Padres whooped the Giants and clinched the National League West Champion title. YEAH BABY!!!!
On Thursday we spent a good part of the day with my grandparents. Then we decided to hit the old Outback we worked at. It was so awesome to see our old friends and have some good food. It felt like home again. We then saw one of Mark's old buddies and ended spending the night last night because we were both beat. We got up early this morning and drove back to Arizona. I was sad to leave home this time. I miss San Diego so much! I really hope that we are able to move back soon. If the cost of living weren't so bad we might be able to do it now. Plus Mark is waiting to get based out of LA so the commute wouldn't be so bad. Right now he is out of Dallas so moving farther West wouldn't be practical. I love my house here too :)
So, we are back to realty now. Mark is back to work and so am I.......blah!
I will get to scrap with my friend Brianna tomorrow. I am looking forward to that.
I hope that everyone is doing great!

My Birthday

2005-09-27T07:42:00.000-07:00

I had a nice birthday. Mark ended up coming home so that was nice. I got some pretty flowers from my in-laws and from my friend Nichole and lots of pretty cards with moola. I also got a few clothes items from my Mom-in-law. We went to go see Flightplan. I liked the movie, it was suspensful. Then we went to dinner, went over to Nichole's & then went home.
Mark got me a lens that I wanted. I can't wait to use it.
Thank you all for the well wishes, it means a lot to me :)

OK......calling all Peas. I need help posting in the gallery! Can anyone help me? Also, my screename is pappigirl. I usually go into the Pub but will occasionally venture over to the General Scrappin board and the Photography board. Where do you hang out?

I hope to be more involved in Peaing and to see you on the boards. Have a great day

Happy Birthday Kim!!!

2005-09-22T22:23:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to wish my blogging buddy Kim a very Happy Birthday!. I hope you have a wonderful day girlie. Let us know what hubby has been keeping in the garage :) Thinking about you today.

Wow...

2005-09-22T08:18:00.000-07:00

I have the greatest online buddies....seriously!
Yesterday I got 2 packages from my Canadian blogging buddies. One from Lindsay and one from Alexandra. Linds sent me these really cute earrings for my bday....( yes I opened it early) and Alla sent me a bunch of tokens from Australia and New Zealand. I am just so touched that these girls thought of me :)
I have already sent these girls emails thanking them, but I just thought that all of you should know how sweet they are. I'm sure that you are all sweet :) I was just putting them in the spotlight for a while.
I really have the best online buddies!!! As I have said before there are many of you that I think I could be close friends with in person. So, thanks everyone for being so special.
Thanks Linds and Alla for thinking of me :)

2005-09-21T09:18:00.000-07:00

After reading Des' post about jumping into 2 peas, I got to thinking about it more too. Before I re-signed with the DT I am currently on I had considered dedicating my time to 2 peas. Well, I ended up signing up again with the DT and I honestly don't have as much time as I thought I would. But, I really want to do 2 peas. I lurked there a lot when HOF came out. I was there everyday. I do feel a little illiterate when it comes to posting layouts in the gallery or my profile pic (any help is appreciated). I usually just go to the Pub and will check out the General Scrapping area now and then. It is just so big, with so much talent. I am nervous!!!!
I know that a lot of you are peas....I want to be one too :)
So, I think that I am going to take the plunge. My screen name there is pappigirl. So, if you see me please say Hi.
Now, I'm off to Pea :)

2005-09-20T10:37:00.000-07:00

Over the past few days I have been antsy to do my own layouts, or just be creative in general. So, hopefully this weekend I will be able to do just that. I am looking forward to doing some stuff and I want to start submitting again. I haven't submitted anything in SOOO long!
Hopefully by the time the weekend comes I will still feel creative! :)
Last night I was offered a job doing make-up for MAC(my favorite makeup). I just can't do it right now. The way my job is right now working from home is ideal and if we want to have kiddos it is perfect. Plus, I can take it with me wherever I go. I was tempted though.
If only Heidi Swapp would offer me a spot on her design team life would be perfect :)
(I know I'm dreaming)
I have just been thinking about life lately. I will be turning 26 this weekend and I always thought I would be in a different spot in my life. For one, I thought I would have had a kid by now. And, 2 I thought I would have gone to Australia. The rest of my life is great. I have a wonderful husband and nice house. I am healthy and happy(mostly). I have wonderful family and great friends. Just pondering where I thought I would be at this age. I know, I'm still young but I am getting closer to 30 not 20 :)
Oh, well I am still happy to be me!
Have a great day

2005-09-18T21:52:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I went to the convention with my friend Nichole. It was just as busy as last year, and so many people. I didn't get much at the actual convention but we went to some of the local stores afterwards and I got some goodies there.
Of all the days I DON't bring my camera ( I usually bring it everywhere with me) I met Heidi Swapp. I was so mad at myself!!!! Heidi is my FAVORITE designer. There was also another reason that I was bummed.....
Here's the story

-A few weeks ago I was on my computer. I noticed a screen name in my buddy list that had been on there for a while. I didn't know who the person was and I was curious. I clicked on the name and IM'd the person.
Me: Hello. Sorry to bother you but you are on my buddy list and I don't know who you are, do I know you?
Them: Don't know, what's your name?
Me: Melissa Koehler
Them: Hmmmmm.....my name's Heidi Swapp
Me: Yes, I do know you. I read your blog everyday.
HS: Nice to meet you Melissa.
Me: Nice to meet you too. I live in AZ too.
HS: Oh really where?
Me: (I told her where)

Well, we chatted for a little longer. She was so nice. Yesterday I introduced myself to her and reminded her on our conversation. She remembered me and told me that I could say hi whenever...she is just the cutest thing in person. I also got one of her pink flowers with a black and white center(but I think a lot of people got them, so I don't feel so special. But, she did pin it on me personally).
So, now you can see why I am kicking myself for not bringing my camera. Oh, well. I hope there will be another opportunity for a photo opp with Heidi.
After convention I went to Scrappin Sisters for a private crop. I had lots of fun and met a new friend Kimmi. Hi Kimmi! I did accomplish something for the DT I'm on & I didn't even bring my scrap stuff. I was proud of myself

Hope everyone had a great weekend!

Almost the weekend

2005-09-16T06:52:00.000-07:00

This past week has been crazy. There has been so much work to do it's not funny. Yesterday I worked all day. Today I am going to try to get as much done as possible.
Tonight there is a crop at the convention. Brianna and I are going to work the table the Alana got to set up there. It should be fun. I don't know how many women there are going to be there but I am going to guess quite a bit.
Tomorrow Nichole and I are going to the actual convention to shop. I am hoping that there will be lots of stuff that will catch my eye. I don't know about you all, but lately products don't seem to excite me as much as they did. This could be because I have most of them or they just aren't exciting. What do you all think about this?
Any big plans for the weekend?
I hope you all have a great day!

Wednesday, Yah!

2005-09-14T08:32:00.000-07:00

As many of you know I love Wednesday. I have no idea why, but I do :)

I was thinking today about all the wonderful people that I know through blogging and online groups. I have met the neatest, most caring people through this computer. I really wish I could meet all of you in person. Some of the girls here seem like they would be some of my closest friends. I just wanted to thank all you ladies for being so wonderful & so genuine. I look forward to reading your blogs or seeing your comments everyday! Thank you for making my life a little brighter :)

Tuesday

2005-09-13T07:16:00.000-07:00

Do you ever feel like you have so much going on that you don't know where to start? That's how I am feeling at the moment. I know that it will be better by the end of the week. Just venting here. I think I might just need to be a little more organized with lists and such :)
Yesterday while I was at the store working, I picked up the newest Paperkuts issue. I was flipping through it and came to a page. I was shocked because I looked down and it was MINE!!! I knew that I was getting some of Gizmo's pages published in Paperkuts but I thought it was going to be the specific Pet issue. It was exciting to see my page in the magazine. It made me want to scrapbook. Lately I have just been doing other people's books and Design Team stuff. Although I did do the one page for myself the other week. I wish I could find more time to just relax and do my own stuff.
Oh well, such is life.
Have a great day everyone!

Monday

2005-09-12T11:00:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! I had a great time back home! It was busy, busy, busy with wedding stuff. But, I love that. We had such a nice time visiting! I really miss home! Anyway, life is back to normal again. I have a TON of work to do. (Which doesn't surprise me)
I am getting excited about the Scrapbook Convention this weekend. I didn't get a chance to sign up for any classes but I am so looking forward to going. I might make a special trip out to the stores before the convention because it might be really busy down there come this weekend.
I wanted to say Thank you all for the nice words while I was gone. It's amazing how much I miss my online buddies when I can't check in with them everyday! :)
Did everyone have a nice weekend? Did you do anything exciting?
I should get back to work. I am finding everything possible not to have to work but I know it is enevitable!
Have a great day

Off to S. D

2005-09-09T04:59:00.000-07:00

I'm off....Have a great weekend everyone. I will "see ya" when I get back.

Hump Day

2005-09-06T22:17:00.000-07:00

I know that I have posted before about how much I enjoy Wednesdays. I really do. I don't know why.....I think I am just strange. Maybe it goes back to when I was a waitress and I had Tuesdays and Wednesdays off. I also like the fact that Wednesday marks the middle of my week. Yeah!! Friday I am going to see my best friend Stacy! I get to go home for a few days...can you tell I am excited? She is getting married in February and I am the matron of honor so I am going to do my dress fitting and to order my dress. I picked it out in May and from what I remember it is so pretty. I also get to see her dress. She ended up getting a different dress from the ones I saw her in in May so I am excited. I will be sure to take lots of pics. I am really looking forward to a few days away from work.
Have a great day everyone!
I have been behind on posting lately, I will try to keep it up. I have pics I need to post, I will soon. Ta Ta for now :)

Progress

2005-09-03T20:46:00.000-07:00

Warning- the colors do not look this dark. I don't know what happened. Just pretend this is brighter and more fun.....
So, Brianna and I scrapbooked today instead of yesterday. It wasn't a very productive day. I finished one page for the album I am working on. I worked on altering a tin. But, I finished a page for myself. Last week I had a photo shoot with Brianna and Danielle. I scrapbooked one of my fav pics of Brianna tonight. Forgive the picture, it is badly cropped.
I think it turned out pretty cute. Just a nice feeling that I finally did something for myself.
I hope that everyone has a safe and fun holiday weekend.

Friday again...

2005-09-02T08:01:00.000-07:00

Ah, the word Friday just brings happiness to my ears. This weeks has felt so long. Today I will work my little tush off to get as much work as I can done and then I have the weekend off. I don't think I have Monday off, but I do need to ask. Does anyone have any big plans this holiday weekend?
Tonight I will be scrapping with Brianna. Dani is out of town. I am really hoping to get a lot done. I also need to put in an order to whcc.com (if I can figure out their FTP system) and start some other projects I have going. Lots to do, not enough time to do it.
I have been feeling a little edgy lately. I'm not sure why. I just hope it goes away soon, I don't like feeling that way. I hope that you all have a great weekend. If you go anywhere be safe and post some pics.
OH!!! The other night I was looking at how much it would cost for me to go to Australia. (My husband works for the airlines) Guess how much........ $75.00!!!! I REALLY want to go. I just need to find the money and the time to do it. Australia has been my dream since I was little & I want to go before I have kiddos. Just thought I would share that with you all.
Have a great day

Woo hoo

2005-09-01T07:15:00.000-07:00

My good friend Brianna called me yesterday to tell me that she had a surprise for me. Well last night she brought me over Photoshop 7.0!!! I am so darn excited. I have been playing with it but it is a lot different than PSE2.0. I changed my banner with some of the actions that I finally could run on PS 7.0. That is the exciting news of the day. So, I will be playing with photos and learning new stuff with my new Photoshop. Kelley can you help me now with brushes ? :)
I am hoping to get lots of stuff done today, wish me luck! Have a great day everyone!

Blah, blah, blah

2005-08-31T11:10:00.000-07:00

That's how I feel these last few days. I really don't have much to write about. Doing the same old routine of work, work, work. Unfortunately I haven't been motivated or excited about much either. It must be the 100 plus degree weather here. It could be worse though. I am just so grateful that I don't live where there is hurricane destruction. My heart goes out to those poor people!
I hope that all of you are doing alright and didn't get hit by the hurricane!
Have a good day

2005-08-30T08:08:00.000-07:00

I know it's been a few days since my last post. Mark came home and I have been spending quality time with him. Friday with the girls was pretty productive. I took Dani and Bri's pics. I think they turned out really cute. I would post them but I don't know if they would kill me. I got 2 pages for the DT I am on done!!! Yah! I haven't put them on the computer yet so I can't post 'em. Just giving an update to my progress.....
Yesterday I got my Photoshop for Digital Photographers book. I flipped through it while I was at Scrappin Sisters. There is so much to learn!! I am excited. I will need to try to invest in a better photoshop. Alana gave the PSE 3.0 disc yesterday to put on my computer but I will eventually want a higher version :)
I hope everyone had a nice weekend. This week is going to be another busy one with work, etc. Have a great day

Happy Birthday Lindsay!!!

2005-08-26T06:34:00.001-07:00

Today is Lindsay's birthday. Happy Birthday Linds. Everyone should go over to her blog and wish her a Happy birthday!.
By the way, when is your birthday? Post it in the comments so I can write it down :)

Tonight I am scrapping with my buds Dani and Brianna. It will be good because I have Design Team stuff I HAVE to get done and also I need to work on the album for my new client. Wish me luck.
I also wanted to say hello to my dear friend Dennae. I have known her since 8th grade and she reads my blog almost everyday. Just wanted to say "Hi, D".
OH, let me give you an update on my WHCC.com deal. I got the test proofs back yesterday in the mail. They didn't turn out as bad as I thought. I was actually excited. So, now I will start my account with them. Just thought I would give you an update on my fiasco. Thank you to everyone that helped me. I appreciate it!!!
Not much else today. I hope you all enjoy your Friday. Well, it's Friday to most of us but to Des her week is just begining. Sorry Des!
Have a great day!

I've been tagged....

2005-08-25T16:11:00.000-07:00

My girl Desiree tagged me....

So, here is some random info about moi...

5 Random things about me

1. I was a gymnast and cheerleader in high school. Yes, I dated the quaterback. (bad idea though). It's kinda odd that I was a cheerleader because I was a bit shy....I guess it broke me out of my bubble.

2. I am a picky eater. It is horrible going to eat with me. Although I have gotten better over the years I am still bad. I do not like cheese. I will eat it on pizza but pick most of it off.

3. I have double-jointed fingers(thanks dad). I really hate my hands!!! To go along with my double-jointed fingers I also have sweaty hands. Yep, has been that way since I was little. I have seriously contemplated getting surgery :)

4. I have a dimple in my nose. I was born with my nose a little off kilter and my mom pushed it over so now I have a dimple in my nose. It makes me unique but sometimes I really don't like it.

5. My dad is a world famous magician. He is famous in the magic world. Not like David Copperfield famous, although he knows him, but card tricks a.k.a table magic.

Now that I'm done I am going to be tagging my bud Lindsay....You're it Linds!!!

2005-08-25T06:09:00.000-07:00

Have any of you ordered from WHCC.com? If you have no idea what that is, it is an online photo processor geared more towards professional photographers. But, you don't have to be a professional to order your prints through them. I have heard about them from the 2 peas photo board and also from the Little Green Photographers website. Last Friday I decided to give them a try. Well, it isn't as easy as that. Before you start an account with them you must send them 3 test prints. The specifications for these prints must be 8x10 @ 300dpi. So, I went into Photoshop, cropped my prints to 8x10 @300dpi and thought I was good right? Nope, I must of missed a step because I got an email last night saying that my prints were ready to be shipped but that I had sent them at some weird dimension @72dpi. So, they were cropped and came out very pixelated. I am so bummed. I went back into Photoshop and realized my problem. This is why I am writing this. I was frustrated because just when I think I am getting this whole thing something like this happens. I really hope that I will be able to resend my images so that I can actually see them without all the pixels. I purchased a book called "Photoshop for the Digital Photographer" but I haven't received it yet. (maybe I wouldn't of had this problem).
Are there any Photoshop guru's out there that would like to share their wisdow with me?
-Gosh this turned out to be a long, boring post :)
On a happier note, I am picking DH up from the airport today! Yeah, haven't seen him in about 1 1/2 weeks.
Hopefully you will all have a great day!

Oh one of my favorite days

2005-08-24T11:59:00.000-07:00

I know I said this last week but I just love Wednesdays. There is just something about being halfway done with the week that makes me happy. Just a happy day today. No reason I am just happy. Must me the joy of the Lord :)
I am working like a busy bee. I plan on working on my new clients album tonight. She is giving an album to her son for Christmas. I have lots of old pictures to work with which is kind of challenging, but good.
For the those of you in the Phoenix area we got in the whole new KI line and new Artic Frog. So many cute things you should come on over to Scrappin Sisters and check it out!
I hope you all have a good day :)

Tuesday morning

2005-08-23T09:58:00.000-07:00

Hello there!
Do you ever feel like you need a personal assistant. Someone to help come in and organize your messy life? That is how I am feeling today. Yesterday I took on another client. It is a good thing because I could use the extra money. I just feel a little overwhelmed with the balance of my life right now. Sure, I could drop a few things I am doing but it's almost a challenge for myself to see if I can do them all :)
So, if any of you out there are good organizers of time let me know. I could use a little help.

On another note, I am so excited about two small things. My bloggin bud Desiree makes these amazingly cute hand bags. She is so darn talented! Well, I placed an order with her for two of her super cute bags! You have to check these out, they are so cute. Think about birthday presents, Christmas is just around the corner. But I would put your order in ASAP. She has gotten a lot of response for these cute bags and will be a very busy lady!. Just thought I would share my newest buy.

I also wanted to wish my bloggin bud Alexandra a great trip to Australia. Some of you know that it has been my dream to go there since I was little. So, you can imagine my excitement to see pics from her trip. Have fun Alexandra! I know you don't leave for a few days but I just wanted to wish you the best trip ever. PLEASE, take lots of pics for me :)

Have a super day everyone. I am off to work.....

Redirecting

2005-08-22T13:05:00.000-07:00

Lately I have been so concerned with work and things of this world. Yesterday at church there was a song that was played that brought me to tears. I don't know if any of you have ever been humbled my God, it is an amazing experience. Yesterday I was humbled.
My focus has been completely on myself, me, me, me. Not on God. I am re directing my focus to God.
Here are the words that brought me to tears

"Great are you Lord. You're bigger than my imagination, larger than a world of dreams. You're greater than the sum of all love Lord. You're everything to me"

God won't let me fall and he will certainly help fulfill my dreams, so why do I worry? I am human but with God I can accomplish anything.
Have a great day everyone!.

Random

2005-08-20T13:33:00.000-07:00

First off let me say thanks to everyone that said they liked my new profile picture. I have a few more that I will update later. I did a "photo shoot" yesterday and had a few that turned out ok.
Just a few random things today. While I was looking at people's blogs the other day I came across this funny tidbit. I'm sorry I can't remember who had it on their blog but it is hilarious. Just be careful not to have food or beverage in your mouth because it might come out
Funny

How many of you watch TBS? I was watching it today and they have these little infomercials. It has a person answering a call center 1-800-TBS-FUNNY. Well, I called the number. It is actually a number. Yes, I am a dork. The recording was actually kinda funny. It said, "Want something funny? While you are at a stop light simply sit back in your car and close your eyes looking relaxed. See how many card will honk at you when the light turns green. If you want extra funny do it in hair rollers and fuzzy slippers". Ok, I did laugh at that. The recording might be different each time but you should try calling it. :)
I finished the wedding album I was working on last night. Brianna and Danielle came over and we scrapped. At least I got the album done, yippee. Now, on to the next task.
Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

Friday...yippee

2005-08-19T07:00:00.000-07:00

Doesn't the word Friday just sound so nice to the ears. I guess that would depend on when your weekend is. For most of us the weekend comes on Saturday and Sunday so, Friday is a wonderful day.
Do you ever feel like a day is going to be great? That is how I feel today. I really hope I am right. I just am in a good mood. I have lots planned to get accomplished today and I am hoping that I can do it!.
I also decided this morning that I am going to start submitting again. I haven't submitted any of my work in months. So, starting in September I will be submitting everything that I make. Some of you know that my goal is the get published in CK. I would love that but it can't be done if I don't submit :).
I got the Circle Journal started, FINALLY!!! The deadline isn't until mid Sept so, if you are still interested email me.
Well ladies, I am off to tackle the day. I hope everyone has a great, productive day. Until next time...

Work again

2005-08-18T09:11:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was great! It was a well needed refresher from the hectic work week that I have been having. I did get up early and work a bunch so I didn't feel guilty about taking half the day off.
Nichole came over and did my hair. Then we went and got our nails and feet done. Then to Outback for some dinner and then we decided to go see a movie. We saw Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. You know, the movie was a little weird but it was good. Personally it would be a renter to me but it was visually stimulating.
Got up this morning and worked on some stuff for work. I still have lots I can be doing for work but I have all day.....
I am so excited because tomorrow my friends Brianna and Danielle are coming over to scrap. We have tried to pick a certain night every week to scrap and Friday's seem to work best for us. It will be nice to actually scrap and get some stuff done. I plan on finishing the wedding album I have been working on, finish the gift certificate I have been working on and also try to get some Design Team Stuff done. Then maybe I can work on my own stuff. I am looking forward to scrapping with my friends tomorrow, it should be fun.
I am off to work, work, work....Have a great day everyone!

Wednesday

2005-08-16T21:07:00.000-07:00

Wednesday, or affectionately called Hump Day. I am so looking forward to Wednesday. My buddy Nichole and I are going to have girls day. I can't wait. I really need this. I have been working Soooo much lately so I don't feel bad about only working half the day!

I got my issue of the Memory Makers Special edition magazine I was published in!. I am just so excited it looks so cool. No matter how many times you have been published it just feels awesome to see your page and your name in a magazine. Just though I would share>

Wednesday, August 17........Today is Miss M's birthday! Happy Birthday Sara! I know you are busy and might not read this but I hope you have a great birthday!!!! Everyone should go over to her blog and wish her a happy birthday :)
Have a great Hump Day everyone!

Taking the plunge

2005-08-16T07:28:00.000-07:00

Last night I bought a domain name for my business. mkoehlerphotography.com !!! I have been reading on the Little Green Photographers message boards to just jump in. So, I am . I was also playing with making my own website. Winklet web designs has templates that they sell with step by step instructions on how to make your own website. So, last night I tried a trial version of one I liked. It wasn't hard just time consuming. Anyway, I thought I would share with you all how excited I am.

For the girlies that are doing the Circle Journal with me.....can you please email with your physical address. Thank you very much! :)
Going to be starting the CJ soon....
The LSS I work for, Scrappin Sisters got all the new Chatterbox papers and the has all the new Basic Grey line. So cute. When I worked last night it was so hard to decide what papers I needed. I don't need any, but I HAVE to have them. Do you all feel like this? You have so much paper at home but find yourself buying the newest paper? Gosh I do.....I swear this is an addiction. Scrappers Anonymous is what I might need :)
Have a super day everyone. Now, I am off to get some work done (yippee, hear the sarcasim)

So much

2005-08-15T06:59:00.000-07:00

to do this week. I already feel overwhelmed and it's only Monday. I just hope that it will get easier as the week progresses. How was everyone's weekend? Ours was nice. Saturday we went to the lake with the Haverland's. It was such a nice day and the lake wasn't crowded, which was nice. Then my boss and his wife took Mark and I out to dinner. That was also nice.
Saturday evening after dinner Mark and I went to the movies. We saw Skeleton Key. Wow, crazy weird movie. It freaked me out a little bit that it was a kinda hard to sleep that night but not too bad. I think I was just weirded out that there are people out there that believe and do the stuff in the movie. Just weird and freaky, but good.
I cleaned my scrapbook room yesterday. Oh goodness it needed it so bad!!!! I can't believe it was so bad. Anyway, now it is pretty much cleaned out and I feel so much better and more productive. Amazing what a little cleaning can do! :)
Today Mark starts his actual flight training with passengers. Of course the passengers won't know that. He is so nervous but excited. This is what he has been waiting for and it's here. He called me this morning and asked if his tie was in the closest here. I went in there and sure enough it was, Oh he was mad(at himself). I just feel so bad for him because it's part of the uniform. I hope he finds one to wear. Please send good thoughts his way!
Well, I better get to work. Hopefully I will just be a rockstar and get tons of work done!
Have a great day everyone!

TGIF!

2005-08-12T12:49:00.000-07:00

I don't know about all of you but I am glad that it is Friday! I have been doing good lately and not working the weekends....yeah.
Today I am just going to get as much work done as I can and then tonight we are going to see Brandon, Nichole, Salem and Jaxon. Mark and I will be wathing Salem and Jax while Brandon and Nichole play their last softball game. We plan to meet up with them earlier to chat and eat. It will be nice!
Tomorrow we might go to Ikea to get some replacement lights and while we are in that neck of the woods I might talk Mark into taking me to some scrapbook stores. I will probably just do a little bit of work tomorrow too, but not too much.
Going to work on the wedding album for one of my clients & possilbly go to dinner with my boss.

I am still planning on doing the Circle Journal with the girls that wanted to do it. Sorry, life has been hectic but I was hoping to start it next week. I will send out emails soon, I promise!!!
I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!!

Taking Care of Business

2005-08-11T15:16:00.000-07:00

Today has been a good day. I must say. I actually got back into my workout routine. I was doing so good for a while and then last week I just kinda stopped. So, today I started back up again and I feel good.
I am also getting a lot of work done. Which is good because there is plenty to do. At least I am thankful I have a job.
Some more exciting news....I got a new scrapbook client. It will be a fairly simple album but at least I got it. I also got another call from someone today that had seen the work I did for a former client/friend and she wanted to know if she could purchase a gift certificate for my work to give to someone as a present. I was shocked. SURE I said. I am very happy that I will have this to do. I will be putting my own stuff more on the backburner again but that is the sacrifice I will need to make.
I also wanted to share with you all how much I have learned from Little Green Photographers since I've joined it. As some of you know I would like to get my photography business started. Slow at the beginning. I am not expecting much I just want to do something I LOVE. This is a great site for resources. If any of you were thinking about joining it is worth every penny.
Just thought I would share that with you all.
Hope everyone's day is going great!

Under the Weather

2005-08-10T18:55:00.000-07:00

That is how I am feeling. I'm not sure if I have a cold or if it is allergies. Whatever it is it isn't fun. Does anyone know where that saying came from anyway? Under the weather? Hmmm.... Any thoughts on this?
In addition to yesterday's post, I was thinking about how dependant we have become on technology. Did you ever think it would be this way? I never thought I would depend on my computer for my everyday doings. It's crazy when you think about it, we need the computer and internet for everything! Before you know it we will be like the Jetson's. Do you all remember that show? I thought it was so cool with it's flying cars and cool toys. I loved how when Mrs. Jetson broke a nail all she had to do was stick her finger in a device and it was fixed. How cool would that be? We probably aren't too far off from this.
Anyhow, I was just thinking about my dependance on my computer. I wouldn't be able to do anything without it. I work on it, communicate on it, shop on it, Design Team on it. Pretty much do everything on it except, eat and go to the bathroom(which are obiviouss).
I love my computer and also hate it for my reliance on it. If it goes down so do I(figuratively speaking). For now though I will just sit back and surf the web. Oh the luxuries we have! :)
Have a great day

Might as well face it......

2005-08-09T07:17:00.000-07:00

I'm addicted to blogs :) Yes a little spin on the song....I am hopelessly addicted to blogs. It is so strange how I spend my time going through what other people write. Some of these people I know personally, others are my online "friends"(and they may not even know it, sad huh). I just love reading little snipits of other's lives. Bits of inspiration that keep me going in the scrapbook world and in real life. Some people even take the time to read my thoughts and look at my pictures. I am honored to know that people care enough about me to read my blog. So, for those of you that do...thanks. It's funny how you go on to your daily fav blogs and sometimes are disspointed if they haven't updated. It's almost like I'm addicted. It is a daily ritual to get on the computer, check my email and check out my fav bloggers. This is just another aspect of scrapping that I love. I helps us to "keep it real". We are all people, whether published or not, and sometimes I think we hold some of the "famous" scrappers on a pedestal. Now, that's ok and all but they are just people too. I love hearing about their days and their scrapbook blocks because then I know they are like me too.
Anyway, just thought I would share with you all my hopeless addiction to the blogging world. Hey, it could be worse right?
Have a super duper day!

Update

2005-08-07T20:06:00.000-07:00

As promised here are a few pics from yesterday from the Designer's Workshop at Scrappin Sisters.
I am also posting two pages that I did. One was done today the other was done a few weeks ago. I am really loving the new Heidi Swapp stuff!!!
Have a great tomorrow

No title

2005-08-06T19:48:00.000-07:00

Ya like that heading? Thanks for the kind remarks in my previous post. I did erase it because it was a bit long and I was really just needing a sounding board.
Had a nice day today teaching the page I did for the Designer's Workshop at the LSS I work at part time. Kim Kesti is so funny. We had a great time talking. All in all had a great day. Took some pics but I will post them later.
Hey all you chef's out there. I am trying to become more domesticated. Would you mind sharing some of your favortie recipes with me? That would be awesome!!!
Have a great day

Better

2005-08-03T13:26:00.000-07:00

Today is a good day. When I woke up this morning from a good night's rest I realized that it was the right thing to give the puppy back. I mean I already knew it was but today confirmed it. I won't pretend I'm not a little sad because I am and I know that it will get better with time.
SO, I am busy today. I have done a lot of work already. Went to lunch with my friend. Have to go to my bosses house to finish more albums. Then go to the Scrapbook store for a staff meeting. I was actually looking forward to being able to play with some of my new things oh and clean the house. But that will have to wait.
I feel so busy right now. I have so many small projects going on and I am working full time on top of it.
The weather was crazy last night. The wind, rain, thunder and lightening. It was blowing so hard I have never seen it like that before. I looked outside this morning and no trees were blown over throughout the neighborhood but MY hibiscus plant was blown over. That is so weird. Now, I don't know what to do with it. Gosh it seems like I am always complaining about my front yard (don't even get me started on my backyard).
All in all today has been good. Now, I just need to get through the rest of it.
Have a great day everyone and thank you for all the nice comments yesterday, they meant a lot!

Sad Day

2005-08-02T14:58:00.000-07:00

Today was a sad day. I decided that I needed to give Gigi back to the breeders today. We just weren't ready for another dog, I though we were but we weren't. It was a hard decision but now that she is gone I know I did the right thing. The majority of me knew she had to go back but part of me wanted to keep her. Have any of you experienced this? Now that I am back home I'm not as sad as I was. SHe was such a nice dog. Very pretty. It was just a sad day in my household but tomorrow is a new day. Thanks for listening.

Is this what it's like?

2005-08-01T10:20:00.000-07:00

Thursday night with Gigi was great. She slept the whole night, no crying. I was so happy! Well, Friday night, Saturday and Sunday night were not fun. It is like having a kid(not that I've had one). She wakes up crying every few hours and instead of letting her whine for a little while I get up and take her outside. Then I play with her for a little while to try to make her sleepy. Then back to bed I go. I don't really remember what we did with Gizmo when he was this age. Mark says that we let him cry. I talked to the breeder we got her from and she said that she is probably missing her litter mates and might possilby be hungry. I didn't think about the hunger part of it. She eats on and off all day but Sandy(the breeder) said that puppies need more food. SO, I am going to try some of Sandy's suggestions tonight and see how they work. I feel bad leaving her there to cry, especially when we are trying to potty train her too.
SO, today I am exhausted. I have so much work to do but I am happy. Mark came home for the weekend and it was wonderful. I didn't cry this time when he left. I think because he told me he might be coming home again next weekend. He is ready to be done with training and starting to fly.
In other news...we cleaned out our garage yesterday. In the HEAT. It's done now and looks good. Both of the cars fit which is good.
I hope that everyone had a great weekend.!!!
I know that I am starting a Circle Journal soon but I was reading Teri Fode's blog and she showed ATC (Artist Trading Cards). Would any of you be interested in doing these? I know I tak on a lot of things but that's the way I like it. Have a great day!

Newest Addition

2005-07-28T22:06:00.000-07:00

Well, we finally did it. We got a new puppy. Gizmo needed a buddy and we have been talking about getting a girl for a while now. I found a local breeder, they were wonderful, and took her home. She is so sweet, very good tempered. We'll see how tonight goes with sleeping.

Got some stuff done

2005-07-27T20:25:00.000-07:00

Well, I didn't have the most productive day with work. Why, who knows? I did however finish my DT calendar page. I was having the hardest time with it but today while reading my fav blogs I saw what Ali Edwards posted about getting out of her creative rut. My page is lifted from her, but at least I got something done!!! I don't usually scraplift, ever but I really liked the idea of this. What do you think? Sorry about the pic it isn't the best!

Now, I am just need to make a birthday card for my brother in law. His bday is Saturday, it will be late(of course). I also have to do another page for the LSS I work at. I am so behind with scrapbooking due to work it isn't funny! Oh well, I will get what I can done!

The weather has been so weird here lately. I know I'm just not used to Monsoon season but it is really weird. One minute it can be sunny, the next cloudy, windy and rainy. I guess that's just Arizona for ya.
Looking forward to getting the Circle Journal started. If you would like to be part of it, email me and I can fit ya in.
Have a great day!

Understanding

2005-07-26T13:09:00.000-07:00

Today I got my Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson in the mail. I am so excited. I have read so many good things about this book. I can't wait to try out what he writes. Do any of you own this book?
Are there any gardners out there that would like to share some information with me? I am having a bit of a sod issue. We had a small sinkhole in our front yard. It was fixed yesterday but now there is a huge patch of dirt where grass used to be. The warranty guy came over and put some sod on the dirt. To me, it still looks like poop. Will it get better? Do I have to cover all the dirt areas with pieces of sod or will the grass grow back in those small areas. HELP!!!!
I might be able to handle this but I am cranky today. I know, I am such a whiner.
Have a great day!!!

The Scoop

2005-07-23T20:23:00.000-07:00

Well, I think I have a finalized list for the online swap. If you are still interested let me know so I can get you in. If you part of the swap you should be receiving an email from me within the next couple days. Here are the ladies that I have signed up so far:
Tangee
Sara (Miss M)
Desiree
Lindsay Thom
Danielle

If you ladies could send me a quick email with your email address that would be awesome. I just want everything updated so we can get this going.

On another note: today while I was sitting on my bed watching Sister Act 2, I reached for my drink and totally spilled it all over my bed!!!! You can't imagine my frustration! Now, I am washing my bedding so I can go to sleep tonight. That will teach me to not have firm grip on my glass.
I hope you are all having a wonderful weekend!
Until next time....

Hellloooooo!!!

2005-07-22T09:14:00.000-07:00

Sitting here thinking about the weekend. This past week has been a mad house for me at work(and I work from home too). I almost feel like I have to work the weekend to get caught up. Hopefully I will be able to enjoy most of it and get some scrapping done. I am behind on DT committments and my own pages. I would also love to CKU-A in October. But alas, I cannot afford the $300 fee plus hotel, food, etc. Someday I hope to go to CKU!!!!
-On another note:
There is room for at least one more person for the online swap. So far I have
-Tangee
-Sara (Miss M)
-Desiree
-Lindsay Thom

If you want to join just email me. I am going to be getting stuff together. I don't want any pressure with this swap. I want it to be fun!!!!
Just let me know
Have a great day!

Well said girl...

2005-07-20T12:17:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to share with you all how inspired I was by a fellow blogger's post. I read her blog everyday and thought that this particular entry was very insightful.
I think she has put into words what a lot of us feel about this hobby we have.
Anyway, thanks Des for your inspiring and thoughtful post. I really enjoyed it! (click on her name to read it).

On another note. Some of you have let me know you are interested in the swap. I think I might keep it open until Friday or maybe even Monday. So, if you are interested please e-mail me.
Have a wonderful day!

Ideas

2005-07-19T11:01:00.000-07:00

I have been thinking about ideas for the online swap.
Here are just a few. Let me know what you think and if you have any suggestions let me know. I am open

Idea #1
First off I will put out a small survey to each person participating. Just to get to "know" people better.
Then one person will be "spotlighted" for that month. Each person will make an item of encouragement for the "spotlighted" person (i.e-a quote they like, a cool page they did, a card, a journal, really whatever you want). We will know about each other through the survey to find out what our favorite colors are, etc.

I was also thinking that we could include 6 personalized cards for that one person. Maybe with their initial or using their favorite line.
The person being "spotlighted" for that month will make 1 card for each participating person.

Idea # 2
Another idea I had was we could pick a line for the month
-Heidi Swapp
-KI
-Basic Grey
etc
We could set the limit of $10max to spend on the line. Each person would get a little something from the spotlighted line.
We would also include a handmade card or something like that.

Whatever we decide to do I want to make a tag. The tag will be about you. Hopefully you will include a picture. It is basically a small version of a BOM page.
I was thinking we could cap off the group at 6. Does this number seem too small or too large?

I want to hear your ideas. Please, don't be shy let me know.
Remember, if you are interested in doing this either e-mail me or put it in the comments.
Thanks
Have a great day

books

2005-07-13T15:21:00.000-07:00

I just love books. I went to the library today and got some new books. I really like to take the time out of my day to read. Especially at night. So, I got some books to help me relax. Are there any of your favs? I would love to hear some of your favorites. Have a great day

Hello Work Week

2005-07-10T20:35:00.000-07:00

Well, it is the start of another work week. (yippee) I got quite a bit of scrapping done over the weekend. I am going to post one of the pages because I am not quite done with the journaling for the others I finished.
I hope that everyone had a nice weekend!
Not really looking forward to the work week but my goal for the week is to have a positive attitude!
Thanks to everyone who commented on the pictures of Gizmo. You all had such nice things to say!
Here is one of the pages I did. Yes, it is of Gizmo(again).

I hope everyone has a nice Monday. Don't work too hard!

4th

2005-07-05T09:04:00.000-07:00

I had a pretty laid back 4th of July. I finished the work I needed to and went over to Brandon and Nichole's. I brought Gizmo. We played in the pool and here are a few shots of Gizmo's first swimming experience. He actually like the raft and wanted to be on it after he got used to it. We had a nice day. I ended up leaving early because I kinda panicked with all the people going to watch fireworks. I don't handle large crowds of people well and get really stressed so I didn't actually watch fireworks because I was driving home. That's ok, I still had a nice day.
Now, I get to work both jobs today.
I hope everyone had an awesome 4th!

Have a great day everyone!

Pages

2005-07-03T17:38:00.000-07:00

Well I finally got my mojo back. Yesterday Nichole and I went to Mesa to the scrapbook stores. When I go to new stores it seems to spark creative energy. SO, last night I did three pages. Here they are

I accidentally erased my pics from the trip to Vegas so these are the only momentos I have.

Ready for the start of the new week. I am hoping to get some fireworks pictures tomorrow. Have a safe and happy holiday everyone!

It's almost the weekend!

2005-06-30T11:22:00.000-07:00

Which means Mesa here I come! I love going to Mesa for Scrapbook stuff and although the LSS I work at it wonderful there are just some things you can only find in Mesa :)
I am looking forward to it because my friend Nichole hasn't beed down to the store there. It should be a blast. I am also looking forward to going to a new store(to me) called Annalis.
Anyway, that's what I am looking forward to for this weekend.
Not really sure what I will do for the 4th. Maybe just stay home and watch the fireworks from my house. Don't know yet.
Last night my neighbor came over and told me that you could see the Cave Creek fire from her backyard. We live in Surprise which is on the other side of the Valley but sure enough you could see the flames!!!! I feel so sorry for all the people that are losing their homes.!
I know this is shaky but I had to use the night mode and even with the tripod it was like this. It's artistic :)

Anyway, I hope that you all have a wonderful and safe weekend! I might try to update tomorrow, not really sure though.
Au Revoir

Hello world

2005-06-27T13:47:00.000-07:00

After reading Lindsay Teague's list for herself I thought I would do one too.

-I want to be the best darn wife and woman I can be
-I want to be published in Creating Keepsakes (and oh, I will be...)
-I want to look at myself in the mirror and not want to change a thing
-I want to be more bold about things, and not care what others think.
-I want very much to be a professional photographer.
-I want to be happy with my life and not say things like,"when I have more money I will...."
-I want to love unconditionally and without expecting anything in return
-I don't want to be afraid to try new foods(or be so picky)

I will reflect on these things and hope that I can achieve them. Have a great week everyone!

Getting ready for the week

2005-06-26T15:18:00.000-07:00

Gizmo cracks me up with some of the faces that he makes. He is almost impossible to capture with the camera because he is moving around so much. The pic on my banner he was just sitting there staring at me with his ears down. I love this dawg, he is just so funny!

I had a wonderful few days with Mark. It was so nice to be with him. Being apart from him has made me realize some important things...

-Cherish every moment you have with those you love. Until you aren't with them you realize just how special they are.
-Money doesn't buy happiness(I already knew that). I have realized that all the "things" in this world could NEVER replace the ones I love.

I know these may sound a little corny but I really came to grips with these things.
GOAL: This week I will....
a). do my workout everyday
b). Do 2 pages that I have been wanting to do.
c). Stop worrying if I have enough time to finish my work. (there is always enough
time to do that in a week).
I am really hoping to get over to Mesa on Saturday. I love going shopping over there because they always have the newest stuff.
Have a wonderful start of the week everyone. Talk with you soon!

Yeah, for me...

2005-06-24T16:51:00.000-07:00

I just got a wonderful call that my honey is coming home for the weekend! I am so happy! It's funny how a week apart from each other can make me miss him so much! This will probably be the only time he gets to come home in the 61/2 weeks of training he has. So, I will enjoy these next hours with him.
Have a great weekend everyone. See ya later
(oh, Lindsay I won't be coming down to Annalis this weekend but I will next weekend. See ya then)

Here's to....

2005-06-23T00:16:00.000-07:00

Here's to......
-My husband. I miss him and love him. Thank you for doing what you are doing for our family. I love you for your desire and drive. You keep me focused on my dreams because through your success I know that anything is possible if you want it enough.
-My best friend. She is truly a pillar of strength for me, especially when I am feeling down. We spent the last 3 hours gabbing about nonsense and it felt like we were on the phone for 10 minutes. I love her very much and couldn't get through what I have without her. Love ya Stacy!
-Taking time for yourself. I need to do that. Maybe just a relaxing soak in the tub, or just putting my feet up. I need "me" time and not so much WORK (i hate that word!)
-Enjoying the simple pleasures in life. Such as a baby's laughter or a Coke from Sonic ( yes I love these!). Make each moment count.
-Scrapping. Something that I have not done in a while. I have design team stuff due soon and haven't started it. I have some new Heidi Swapp stuff( can't wait to see more stuff, thanks Lindsay for the heads up).
-Saturday. The day where I might get my hair done and also be able to get done to Annalis for some scap stuff.

Here's to me...for being the best woman and wife that I know how to be and for wanting to be better.
Have a great day.

Aren't we cute?

2005-06-20T22:17:00.000-07:00

Just had to post this pic of me and my honey. It was taken before we left to go to the airport :(

( I just love us...)
I am just getting back into the swing of things. Doing lots of work and trying to make time to scrapbook. Sometimes being responsible and adult-like is the worst.....
Until next time

Ok...I will tell you where I have been

2005-06-17T17:25:00.000-07:00

WARNING-this is long!

Tuesday, June 14 2005....

The day started off normal. I woke up and started working and got about a few hours of work done. I have been really sad because this is my last week with Mark for 8 weeks. He leaves Sunday for training in Dallas. Anyway, around 8:30am he comes in the office and says,"I have this great place to eat for lunch and I want to take you out so you have to be ready by 11:00am so we can eat." I said "ok" and continued working. About 10am I decided that I would start getting ready, take a shower, etc. As I was getting ready he says to me," I was thinking, after you get home tonight(I work at a LSS Mondays and Tuesdays) maybe we can go to the Biltmore for the night. I hear they are having great rates on rooms and you could get away for the day. We could go to the spa and relax." I was so excited I said, " Oh, that would be wonderful!". So he tells me to just get my make-up together and he would do the rest. Since I was getting ready anyway I just put my make-up in my bag and got dressed for lunch.
11:00am- The doorbell rings....Mark gets it as I am finishing getting ready. This guys with a suit is at the door and he says to Mark,"Mr. Koehler I just wanted you to know that I am here and ready when you are ". I was thinking okay...weird who is this guy?. Anyway, Mark says," get your stuff let's go". I was like, "with him?" he says ,"yep, let's go". As I was going out the door he had the suitcase packed and some other things. I realized that this was a limosine service and we were going somewhere.
I was confused.....We get in the car and Mark hand me a card. I won' t write down everything it said but it was to the effect of ' Thank you for supporting me and helping me achieve my dream. I couldn't be here without you and your support. You mean the world to me'...well you get the point. I just started to cry.
We were going to the airport...but where were we going? I thought we were just going to lunch.

We get to the airport and he finally tells me that we are going to Vegas for a few days. I was so excited!!!! Yeah, I get to go away for a few days. He also tells me that he has talked to my bosses and that my shifts are covered, so don' t worry about work. WOW....that's planning...
Anyway, we are sitting in the airport waiting for our plane and he pulls out this cute little backpack. He tells me, " Hey check out my new backpack" I said ,"Oh, it's cute"....Then he says, "Yeah, check it out it's got all these compartments" then he opens it and inside was MY CAMERA!!!! He bought me the camera I have been wanting!! The Canon 20D! I was shocked, I started to cry. He said that since I have supported him in what he wanted to do that he would support me in my dreams with photography and scrapbooking. I was just shocked, I had my camera!!!
-We get on the plane, FIRST CLASS....I have never been on first class before.
While we were sitting there he told me that we were staying at the VENETIAN, Oh my goodness the hotel is so awesome. He also told me that he had one more surprise for me
-I couldn't imagine what else he could have planned. Then he told me....
On Wednesday night we were going to see a show. (yeah I love shows) then he told me which one and I just about screamed on the plane. We were going to see CELINE DION!!!! One of my favorite singers ever!
I can't explain how much fun we had. The hotel was beautiful, the pool, everything!
We ate at Delmonicos(Emeril Lagasse's restaraunt) It was so good!
We shopped at Ceasars, walked around, had room service......
I didn't want to come home. I felt like a princess.

-I have the best husband in the world. I had no idea that he had planned this and I will always remember it! It is the best feeling in the world to know that I have been appreciated with what I have done to help him get to where he is. I just love my husband!!!!!
I am still on cloud 9. The only bad part is that he leaves Sunday morning.

SO.....are ya jealous? :)

I'm back....

2005-06-17T10:37:00.000-07:00

I am back and refreshed.....I will write more when I have a little more time. All I can say is, I have the best husband in the world!!!

Pondering ideas

2005-06-14T09:26:00.000-07:00

Wow, I can't believe I haven't updated this in a while! I have been keeping busy with work and misc things.
Yesterday I was thinking about things as I was working...We had Josh Grobin in the CD player and his voice is just amazing. While I was listening I couldn't help but think about what the soundtrack to my life would be if I had one. What would my theme song be, or what songs would play throughout my day if I were in a movie?
I know this sounds kinda strange, but I was thinking about it

I might have some Madonna or any 80's song playing for some of my happy moments. I can see me dancing around and being silly.
I would have some Celine or Josh Grobin playing for my sweet moments with my husband, these would even work for when I might be missing him too.
I can hear the Top Gun (highway to the danger zone) when I would be working out.
Also maybe a little bit of Lifehouse while I am relaxing.

I am sure that I would have tons of other tunes in my "life movie", but for now these will work.
Can't you just imagine what your "movie" and soundtrack would look like, kinda fun to think about.

Yesterday I got some of the new Heidi Swapp stuff, SOOO cute. I can't wait to get inspired and use it!
Have a wonderful day everyone!

A Thursday Challenge

2005-06-09T11:23:00.000-07:00

I am feeling kinda fun today....so glad I am not really in a funk anymore. Thanks to everyone that gave me such encouraging advice, I appreciate it!!!

What I wanted to propose to everyone was to post something that they made in the last few days on their blog. We can have it go until the weekend but I just wanted to get everyone's creative juices flowing. Also, most all of you I "know" through this blog, I don't know your scrapbook style. I would love to see what you do.
If you would rather post a link to your work that would be great too. This is just a chance to let everyone see your "stuff". Post a comment when you have your project done so I can check it out.

Here is a page I did. Not "thrilled" with it but I did it.

It's almost a little too simple for me. Check out my other layouts and work in the sidebar labeled "My Work".
Have a great day!

Feeling good

2005-06-08T09:31:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I took a much needed day to relax. I had most of my work done so Brandon and Nichole asked us if we wanted to go to the lake with them. What a nice day. We took out Brandon's dad's boat to Bartlett Lake. There was hardly anyone on the lake but it was windy. We just spent the day out there enjoying the weather and I didn't even think about work. I so needed that day. Just to relax. What a difference it made in my attitude. Today, even though I have work to do, I am happier. I just needed to get away for a while to recoop. If I get all my work done today I might actually do a page for myself.
I have been begging Mark to get me the Canon 20D for a while now. I don't know why I am begging him, we can't afford it right now we have to save. But, I still want it BAD!!! I have been on website pricing it out and found a good deal with lots of extras. At least I have something to save for. Is it bad to lust over a camera? Probably not really lusting....just really wanting it :)
I am bringing this up because yesterday while we were on the boat Mark really wanted me to try skiing. (I am afraid of being in water where I can't see the bottom. The "lake monster"might eat me...don't laugh I know I'm stupid) Anyway, I didn't want to ski so he kept trying to bribe with the camera."Do it for the camera Missi". Yeah right, I'm not stupid. Needless to say, I didn't go in the lake. I tried really hard to just jump in and even got up to my thighs but that was it. I will work on this.....
We do have a small little Nikon Coolpix that I use when I want instant results instead of using my Rebel. The other day I was taking pictures of Gizmo with the Nikon ( I hate the delay in the shutter) and yesterday I decided to Photoshop some of the pics I took of Giz and send them to Ritz Camera via the internet. Ooooo I am getting high tech now! I was surprised at how easy it was and it only cost me .81 for the 3 pics I sent. The pics turned out pretty good when I picked them up. I was happy with them!
I also thought I would update you on my progress for the week on my list.
-I broke down and had some soda.....but I have cut down on the amount I drink.
-I am almost done with my work so I can scrapbook for myself.(this excites me so much!!!)
-I know I have given people compliments.....
So far for Wednesday I think this is good. I am almost back to my happy self. Have a great day!

Oh Monday, Schmonday...

2005-06-06T07:04:00.000-07:00

It's Monday again, blah! I got so many pictures to upload over the weekend it is riduculous. Sorry to complain about work but I am frustrated. Seriously, with the amount of work I have to do, why take a weekend. Oh well, I will hopefully get most of it done this week.
Yesterday we spent most of the day with our friends Brandon and Nichole and their little girl Salem. We went to see the movie Madagascar. It was cute but not as good as I thought it would be. Salem liked it for the first maybe 30 minutes and then wanted to get up and roam around. Two year olds don't have much of an attention span I guess. But we had fun. Then on to volleyball last night. We did pretty good as a team. We won 1 out of the 3 games we played which is better than losing 3. I'm sure we could have done a little better but we had fun and that's what matters. Next week is the last game, hopefully we will do decent.
After reading my new cyber friend Miss M's blog it inspired me to want to get in the groove. So, for this week I am going to give a list of things I want to get accomplished.
1. All of my work with as little complaining as possible.
2. At least one page/project for myself.
3. Put away the laundry that I did instead of getting socks out of the clean laundry basket.
4. Give a compliment to as many people as I know & not expect one in return.
5. Work on NOT being so angry at the world.
6. TRY not to drink any soda( and if I do have it only be a little bit)

Well, for this week that's a decent list. I will post my accomplishments to these as they happen. Wish me luck.
Have a great day everyone!

I need this

2005-06-04T14:00:00.000-07:00

I swear by this. I am a huge Philosophy fan. I really need some more of this!

Saturday

2005-06-04T11:35:00.000-07:00

Well, it's the weekend and I still did some work. I know I probably shouldn't have but I did a little and I still could do more. I might, not sure yet. Mark got up and mowed the lawn and he cleaned the shower(without me telling him to!!!!) I really need to get motivated to to do something, Anything. I was thinking the other day that I feel like I am such a "angry" person. I don't like feeling angry. But I was trying to analyze myself yesterday and realized that I am just angry. I don't even know about what, but I am. Last night I went to the grocery store by my house to get spaghetti stuff for dinner. When I got there they didn't have any of the sauce I like. I am so darn picky that I really only like Prego with Meat. I would have got the origianl Prego but they were out of that too. They had some special on those particular sauces that I wasn't aware of. Ooooh I was frustrated. Then, people were getting in my way at the store. Some guy almost hit me when I was driving home. So I thought that I had another sauce in the pantry at home so I went home only to find, I didn't. So I got in my car again and went to another store. I was just frustrated. Mark had gone to get the movie and I was getting the dinner stuff. By the time I got home I was riled up and I took it out on him. I am just one of those people that needs to cool down gradually and eventually I will. So why am I mad at the world. Today I am feeling angry too. Maybe I need a vacation. I am hoping we will get to take one before he goes off to Texas for training for 6 weeks. Another example of my lame attitude towards the world. Last week we went to the movies and there was this kid sitting next to me that was breathing so loud. Now, I understand if he had asthma or something. Then he was eating popcorn SOOOOOO loud. See, the little stuff like this is making me angry. Any suggestions to help me. I am not usually an angry person but lately, probably the last 3 weeks or so I have been horrible. Hopefully I will snap out the attitude and be my happy self soon!!!!

It's almost the weekend

2005-06-03T06:33:00.000-07:00

Hopefully I will be able to relax. Since I do work from home most of the time it is so easy for me to do work. I can't remember the last weekend I didn't do any work. Hopefully this weekend will be the one......we'll see.
So, I finally made something. I still feel like I am in a "funk" but I HAD to make something. I did a page and decorated a journal. I don't like the page much but the journal has potential.
Here it is..... I really hope that I will get out of this funk soon! Thank you for all your reassuring words. I really appreciate them!
Yesterday I had to take Gizmo to the vet.....He was so good. He is usually a big baby when it comes to anything and when the vet had to give him his shots he didn't even whimper. I was such a proud doggie mom!
-So, Mark think I look like I am 12 in my banner pic. He always thinks I look 12. I can't complain really. I will be 26 this year and still looking like a youngin. He will love it when I'm older because he will have a wife that looks young but right now it's kinda annoying. I might change my banner, who knows. I can't find any good pics of me because I am always the one taking the photos. Oh well!
Today I will be working, a lot! (not looking forward to it!) So, maybe over the weekend I will be reporting better progress on my scrapbook slump. One thing that seems to get me out of it is a nice trip to Memory Lane and Scrapbooks, etc. Hmmm, that's an idea. We'll see.
Happy Birthday to my friend Danielle!
Have a great weekend everyone!

I might have figured it out

2005-06-01T11:44:00.000-07:00

It's possible that I may have figured out how the change the banner on this thing. I was so frustrated with it. I might change it again but for now I am just thrilled that it is different. What a battle.
I have been in what seems to be a "scrapbook slump". Who knows why or how it happens, but when it does it hits ya. I want to create things so badly but just can't seem to do it. I think a big part of it is that I am always concerned about work and what I need to be doing for that.
Maybe I just need to relax and take it easy on myself for a while. Hopefully I will be creating in no time. Wish me luck

Saturday....

2005-05-28T09:53:00.000-07:00

So yesterday I was so frustrated with my work I wanted to scream, literally. The photographers weren't posting their pictures so that means I am going to have 4000+ pics to do Monday and also the start of the pics for next week too. I can't even explain how frustrated I was!!! My boss was taking everyone out to dinner, including spouses, to thank us for all our hard work. It was very nice....before dinner I had expressed my frustration to my boss about the photographers and he had jokingly said I could hit them over the head at dinner. Well, at dinner I was still frustrated that I really wanted to. I know I need to let go of this but I was feeling overwhelmed and it could have been avoided if they just did their job right. Anyway, the dinner was nice and afterwards Mark and I decided to use our Movie gift certificate to see "The Longest Yard". I really, really, really liked this movie. I wasn't sure if I would but I would see it again. I just really liked it a lot!!!
I was going to do a little work today but Mark is going to make me enjoy my weekend and try to not think about work. I hope I can do that! Hopefully everyone has a safe and happy weekend!

Another Day

2005-05-26T14:16:00.000-07:00

Just another day for me...I had to deliver some albums for work but in the meantime I dropped my film off to be developed. When I picked it up I was so disappointed because the two pics I took of me and Stacy turned out a little blurry. I guess it is to be expected because I did put the camera at a weird angle to take the pics. Oh well....they would have turned out cute if they were in focus a little better. Some of the pics I took when we went to the zoo turned out cute though.
Tonight is our first bible study at our house. I am nervous but excited too. We only do it for 6 weeks so it isn't too much of a commitment. Hopefully everything will go good...So, for today I need to go the store to get a few refreshments and just straighten my house. Not too much. I was hoping I would be able to enjoy my weekend but the way it looks now I will be working. I haven't had too many pics this week at all so that means they will all be uploading today and tomorrow. Most likely 3000+ pics. That doesn't make me happy!
Oh well, such is life.....

Here are a few pics from the zoo

This Ostrich was peeking up to see me.

Feeding the Giraffe. Look at the tongue on this guy. It wasn't shy at all.

Just thought I would share these. Until next time...

Yeah!!!!

2005-05-25T10:44:00.000-07:00

As many of you know, Mark has been working hard to become an airline pilot. He had done the training he needed and recently has been working as an instructor to build up his hours to apply to an airline. About two weeks ago he went on his first airline interview to American Eagle Airlines(the regional airline of American Airlines). Yesterday, after years of training, he got a call that he got the job!!!! We couldn't be happier. This is truly a blessing and we have both made sacrifices to get to this point. I am just so happy that Mark's dream is coming true! Thank you for all your prayers and your support. We so appreciate it! I will try to update this when I have more info.

Virginia pics

2005-05-24T11:41:00.000-07:00

Here is a cute pic of Mark, Stacie, Shaun and Matt at Shaun's graduation. Shaun looked so happy!

Another week

2005-05-23T12:56:00.000-07:00

Last week was hectic....so much to do. Last Monday I had to pick Mark up from the airport from one of his many worldly visits. Shaun graduated from Virginia Tech and Mark went to the graduation. I got to see some pictures that were taken, Shaun looked so happy! I wish I could have been there to see it but I am glad that all four of the Koehler kids were together. Anyway, back to my week......Tuesday was Mark's 28th birthday. In all honesty I had no idea what to get him. I feel like I am the worst gift giver! But, while he was gone I went to the mall and got him an outfit. I also spent a lot of time making him a card. He loved it! We went to Cheesecake Factory for dinner and then saw a movie. "Kicking and Screaming" with Will Ferrell. Now, Mark and I both love Will Ferrell but we were let down with the movie, it is a renter.
Wednesday rolled around and it is "ALIAS" night at the Haverland's. I look forward to Wednesday. We always enjoy going over the Brandon and Nichole's to watch my favorite show! It was so good, a 2hr episode. I'm not sure if was 2hrs because this week LOST(the show before it) has their season finale and ALIAS won't be on.....I don't know yet.
Then, Mark's parents came to town on Thursday. I picked them up from the airport and we all pretty much spent the weekend hanging out. I did have to work while they were here but they understood. I had so much work to do, this week had best be better work wise. I had a TON of work to do, yucky!!! Oh, we lost our volleyball game again on Sunday. Oh, well. We don't have one next week because of Memorial Day but hopefully we will get it together for the week after.
-Hopefully this little blog site will be able to keep my family and friends up to date on what it going on in our lives since we can't always call or email. I will try to keep it updated as much as
possible. Have a great day!

New to this

2005-05-05T14:13:00.000-07:00

Well, I said that I wasn't going to get involved in this whole blogging thing but I did. I guess it is kind of a way to journal my thought everyday which is good because I need to start doing that!
Not much to say right now becaue I am trying to see if I can get this thing to work.....