Impressions are EVERYTHING

Last night was a wonderful night. Tom and I found ourselves unexpectedly without kids for the evening. (Eva was at camp, Timothy was at youth group, and Emily was invited to a birthday party) Being the weekend Tom was of course going to grill. However having no kids and being extremely hot (Heat index of 104) I couldn't see the point. I called him and told him he was taking me out to dinner - and fortunately he agreed.

I decided that because this doesn't happen that often I was going to make the most of it. I really got dressed up. I have to admit that I looked really good. Loosing 40 pounds helped in that matter but it was just the start. I had a little black dress from Freecycle that I wore. I added a necklace that I was given as a bride's maid 20 years ago and a pair of ear rings that I inherited from my mom. Understand I really did look great and I didn't pay a dime to do it. I don't do that often (I don't often have the reason) but when I do decide to, I clean up very well.

It felt good to look good but that was not the best part. The best part were people's different reactions. We dropped Timothy off at youth group and the pastor was there. This was not the church that we regularly attend. It is the church were I work for Angelfood and had a casual Saturday night service that we attended. At one point in time the pastor, Eric, might have seen me in my Sunday clothes but he had never seen me really dressed up. The double take he did was priceless.

We went to a little restaurant in Tremont (Tremont is sort of Cleveland's version of Greenwich Village). We don't go out often, but if we do, we go there. When the owner of the restaurant saw us she did the same double take. They seated us right in the window. I am not sure if that was so we could see out, or the passers-by could see us.

The best part was after dinner when we went to do a little window shopping. I decided that I looked the part, so we were going to go into the jewelry store. The woman behind the counter just couldn't get to us fast enough. Without any provocation she was pulling things out of the cases and having me try things on. I have never been treated so well in a store. And I couldn't quit smiling. It was obvious that she thought that we were going to buy the store or at least something. Now in all honesty there were a few things that I would have liked, but nothing I needed at those prices. I just loved being fawned over line I was someone who mattered. I still grin just thinking about it.

In the end my lesson learned is that a good impression really does make a big difference. It is nice that I can make it once in a while too. However I am back to my old life of boring obscurity with the memory of a great evening.

Throwback

Awana has several theme nights. This year they had an 80's night. I was not sure of this. I did graduate in 1985, but I do not feel old enough to be an oldie. I guess it just depends on perspective. I never thought much of it, but I guess the styles have changed (although not much for me as I still have some clothes that were from the 80's which Eva is wearing. The ensemble is complete with a big hair bow and hoop earrings.

We had her hair all poofed up but she took one look at it an vetoed going out in public like that. I can't say that I really blame her. I didn't wear my hair that way then - in fact my hair style is the same now as it has been since I was in junior high.
What we realized was that as far as fashion in the 80's went, clothes were not really worn but rather they were accessories. Emily chose to tie a sweater over her polo - with the collar up, of course - but that wasn't the only example. There were plenty of legwarmers and fingerless gloves.

So I guess that I am getting older because I don't think that most of the styles were that bad (with the exception of legwarmers which I never understood at the time either) At least my pants went up to my waist and my shirt hung below the waist leaving no bare midriff. I guess that time marches on though so I had better get used to it or I will be crushed by it - but that doesn't mean that I am ever going to wear pants and shirts that let any of my ample middle show.

The Cry of my Heart

I find it amazing how much music moves me. I unconsciously have linked certain songs with certain places and times. Church is no different.

When Fairview started their early service I was the Sunday School Chair. I taught Sunday school as well as took my turn staffing the nursery. It was because of the nursery that I really enjoyed the second opportunity to worship. That meant that I didn't have to give up a service to serve. It was during that service that I became familiar with some of the Contemporary Christian music used in church.

One song in particular stands out in my mind. It was a version of "It is the Cry of my Heart" that I have never heard anywhere else. It was a somewhat island themed. There was even a steel drum solo in the middle. Jim, the minister, would often choose to play it in dreary days and it never ceased to bring a smile of to my face to think of worshiping Him on some white sanded beach under the palm trees next to the clear blue ocean as opposed to where I was in a overcast and grey Cleveland morning. It always got everyone there moving. That song more than any other reminded me of the wonderful blessings I received while attending those early morning service. It is always the song I associate with that church.

As we were searching for a new church home I only heard that song one other time. When I did it was of course not the arrangement I was used to. Rather than being uplifting and bringing a smile to my face, the result was the opposite. It reminded me exactly how homesick I was for the church that was no more.

That song however continues to be a blessing to me. We sang it today in church. I was not homesick any more because I was at last home. No it was not the same arrangement, but it still felt like home. And that is the cry of my heart - now and always to be at home with Him.

Buyer Beware

Confession time here. I am cheap. I am not just thrifty, but I am honestly cheap - and if I am honest, I am proud of it. There is nothing that makes shopping more satisfying than getting a really good deal on what I want. (and yes, it has to be both. It has to be a good deal AND I have to want or need it. If I don't need it then paying any money for it is a bad deal in my book.) Freecycle, Ebay, Goodwill, Angelfood and Craig's List are good friends of mine.

Because of this the first place I go to in any store is the clearance section. I am not averse to buying off season clothes or last season's hot scrap papers. A sweater is just as warm when I get it from a garage sale as when I get it from the mall. Well of course when I got the email that Scrap Supply was going out of business I had to have a look around. Being cheap though, I didn't get anything right away. When I got the notice that the discount was up to 75% I figured that it was worth a look.

I have to say that I was very proud of my purchase. For less than $30 (including shipping) I got some wonderful papers, a cartridge for my Slice - which of course was bought on Ebay - some embellishments and some rub-ons. I really like image rub-ons but I do not use them too often because you guessed it, they are not cheap. When I saw them marked down I decided to splurge and get some pretty ones. I don't use the rub-on letters much because I am always running out of the letters I need. (It is much cheaper to just use hand lettering or my dies) This was one of the rub-on sets that I purchased:

Most of the time, I do not wonder why things are marked down or cheap. Sometimes it is obvious - a dress has the wrong size so no one who it would fit ever tries it on or there is a button missing etc. Other times I just think that what I like is just a little off center of what everyone else likes. That can be both good and bad. Good in that I can usually find something I like in the clearance section, bad because I know that means that what I like will never look or be "normal". Oh, well, it is not like I am normal so I guess it doesn't matter much. I don't honestly think about it. If I need it and like it I will get it. I didn't think twice about getting the rub-ons. I was just looking at the images and thought that they would be great to use on my scrappy projects.

When my package arrived I was very happy to see what I got "live and in person". That is when I first noticed the quote on the rub-ons. Here it is:

Who thought this was a good idea? The first thing that came to mind was someone tucking in their kids with a shotgun. I guess that there is no real mystery why this particular set of rub-ons never sold well and ended up in the clearance section.

I can't imagine making a layout where I would ever use this saying, but you can look for the rest of the flowers and flourishes coming to this blog or one of the galleries at the websites listed to the right.

Happy scrapping!

One Sketch, Two Pages

One of the members of the Design Team, Robin Wade, made this sketch. They were running a contest thereto make a page using this sketch. It was one of my favorite kids of contests - the kind where you can enter multiple times. I managed to get 2 entries done.
This was my first entry. Eva's friend, Rose went with us when the youth group at church went sledding. They got rather silly. They exchanges coats, hats and one boot ?!? The journalling says: The kids Club at Trinity Church went sledding on President's Day 2010. Rose, Eva's best friend came with us. Eva and Rose has a lot of fun beyond just riding the sleds. The switched coats, hats and for reasons beyond my comprehension, one boot. They had fun and I guess that is what really matters.
I wanted to make a second entry as well but I never seemed to have the time. Then it was crunch time. It was the last day and I had literally an hour to make a second layout so I challenged myself and did it. I managed to get it done too. I am proud that the embellishments are hand made (Thank heavens for die cutting machines). I am finished but even better, I am very pleased with the results. I was able to scan and upload this at just the 9pm deadline. Now it is just a waiting game to see if I am able to win the prize. I have already won with the fact that I have two more pages made, but the prize would be nice too.

It's Official

Emily has wanted to be baptized for quite a while. However, being that we were looking for a new church home that was not really practical. We didn't want to have her baptized somewhere and then never come back there so she patiently waited.

We found our new church on the first Sunday in Advent in 2009. We knew that is where we wanted to stay. As soon as we made it official Emily asked to be baptized. On February 28, 2010 she being the youngest of the 6 children and youth was able to make her public appearance as a Christian.

When Jeff, the minister, asked her why she wanted to be baptized she answered, "Jesus is in my heart. He has taken my sin away. I want to show the world that by being baptized."

"What is sin?" Jeff asked.

Little 8 year old Emily responded, " Sin is anything you do think or say that is not what God wants" Pretty wise for a little girl.

Now it is official. Emily is the first member that church in 2010. And she is now not only my lovely daughter but my sister in Christ.

I am a HUGE fan of Pagemaps. Those sketches just make scrapping and card making so much easier. I use them for just about every layout that I do (at least the ones that are not required to be original.) I am a real fan. I have every month printed out and put in a binder. Whenever I need an idea I just open my binder and find a sketch from the hundreds that she has come up with and I am scrapping happy.

I am not that much of a card maker but I was asked by Becky Fleck at Pagemaps where I am an occasional contributor to make a card for one of the card sketches at her site. This card is the result.

Page maps is one of my favorite sites and I was so honored to be chosen to make this card. If you haven't already, check out her maps and watch your creativity blossom. Here is the link:

http://www.pagemaps.com/