A Muse News

Home again!

Julie and I returned yesterday from our whirlwind trip to MA and NH.  We had a fabulous time and got to meet many wonderful stampers!  I have some photos to post but I'm going to make it an early night so I can catch up on some sleep.

Today has been a hard day.  While I was away, one of our kind elderly neighbors became very ill (cancer) and is not expected to live much longer.  Gerhardt has been a fixture in our neighborhood since we moved here.  We chatted almost daily when he walked by with his sweet dog, Prince.  I am sad that I won't get to see my friend again... he's unresponsive now.   

Hugs,

Monday Monologue...

So much great news to share...

Julie and I will be heading East in a few weeks {Nov 12 - 15} to visit and teach some classes!  We'll be visiting Ink About It in Westport, MA, Colorful Creations in Hyannis, MA and also The Paper Tree in Manchester, NH.  We will be co-teaching a whole slew of classes so be sure to contact the stores to get the class times and sign up!  We want to meet you!

My husband, Ross, has been hard at work finishing up our new retail store and it looks fabulous!  He's been busy painting the window trim which is no small task... you will understand when you come to visit!  The windows and door are HUGE. 

I am so lucky!  My good friend, Stephanie, owner of The Paper Garden Boutique in Sacramento, is coming to visit this weekend and help get the shop ready for our opening next week - October 29th!  Isn't she too sweet?  With her creative display talents, we'll have things whipped into shape in no time!  And, she *promised* me she'd work 20 hours a day!  LOL! 

Have you noticed that our Creative Team has been expanding over the past few days?  We recently held an open call for new instructors to teach in retail stores.  Please join me in welcoming some fabulous new talent to our team.  (Blog links are over on the left.)

• Beth Thomas, Madison, AL
• Dawn Stein, Wasau WI
• Jen Alcivar, Lantana, FL
• Jen Daloisio, Bedford, NH
• Jill Grace, Long Beach CA
• Katie Stilwater, Portland, OR
• Kamila Younkman, Verona, WI
• Lori Barnett, Gilbert, AZ
• Michelle Mathey, Henderson KY 
• Sherry Czarnecki, Bridgeport, NY

Hopefully one of these gals will be located in a city near you!  There may be a few more additions to this list over the next few days so stay tuned. 

I would like to thank everyone that applied to our Intructor Call.  I wish that we could choose everyone that applied.  Unfortunately it is not possible to do so.  If you were not selected this time, please do not be discouraged.  There will likely be more opportunities in the future.

A special note to everyone in the Seattle area... please stop by Monkey Love Rubber Stamps on Saturday November 1st! Sandy has lots of fun things planned all day. I will be doing a FREE Make and Take from 1-3pm.

And, be sure to mark your calendars for the evening of Friday, November 7th. We're cooking up some fun and I'll be back to share more with you on this event very soon.

Phew! If you are still here... you deserve a pat on the back! Julie has some great inspiration to share with you tomorrow so be sure to pop on by.

- Linda

P.S. Wanted to mention that my girls and I have been really enjoying the book FableHaven by Brandon Mull. We were lucky enough to have him visit our school earlier in the month. This book is great for both boys and girls (and grown-ups too!)

Happy 4th!

I hope that all of our American Friends enjoyed a fun-filled 4th today!  It was a lovely day here in Seattle and we just returned from watching a fantastic fireworks display over Puget Sound.

Here's a cute picture that Makenna drew about the 4th of July.  I *love* her interpretation of the fireworks!  I think the yellow house is supposed to be ours. <smile!>

Tomorrow I will be heading to Fort Lauderdale for A-MUSE-A-PALOOZA fun at the Stamp Shack!  Woohoo! 

It's hard to believe that A-MUSE-A-PALOOZA is here almost here!  We've been working behind the scenes on this year's event for over 6 months!  The participating stores have put together a lot of creative events for you in the coming days.  I do hope that you will get a chance to participate at one of the 56 events.  Not sure what's happening?  Find a participating store at the AP website.

If you don't have an event near you, this year we've got a terrific treat for just you! On Monday, July 7th we will be revealing a special card-making kit that will be available for purchase.  With the purchase of the kit, you will receive a FREE online class with Julie Ebersole, the QUEEN of stamping!, compliments of My Creative Classroom, an official sponsor to A-MUSE-A-PALOOZA 2008! 

After my trip to Florida, I will be headed to Quebec for an entire month of r&r!  Actually, there's quite a bit of work to be done at our cottage but it will be a fun change... and after work I can jump in the lake!

While I'm away, you will see some big changes right here at the A Muse News blog.  So, be sure to stay tuned as our Creative Team has lots of surprises in store for your reading and viewing pleasure!

Our weekly newsletter is sending right now so be sure to check your inboxes for this week's edition. Not signed up yet?  Click here for our easy registration.

She's not a baby any longer!

My baby (who just turned six!) lost her big front tooth!!  If truth be told, she wiggled it out with a couple of days worth of effort.  I cried!  How can my "baby" be losing her TOP teeth so soon?  It's so true... they grow up way too fast.

Tell me, how much does the tooth fairy bring in your house?  And, do you remember how much money the tooth fairy brought to you whewn you were little?

Eager to hear your tooth fairy input!

Zapped!

Hi friends,

I just wanted to pop in and let you know that I haven't left the planet.  I had a fabulous time at the Grand Opening of Paper Tales in San Diego last weekend.  It was fun to meet so many blog readers and A Muse fans.  I have pictures that I will post soon!  Michelle's store is absolutely adorable (just like her!) and if you ever have the chance to visit, be sure to allow yourself LOTS of time!

How's about that fun Designer Swap?!!  Julie and Lisa did such a fabulous job!  And, Dawn McVey's Guest Designer cards were amazing as well.  Thank you gals for sharing your creativity with us!!  Congrats to our winners.

I have lots to share but it has been a crazy week.  My welcome home gift was THREE girls infected with head lice!  My WORST nightmare! There has been an infestation at school and more than half of my youngest daughter's Kindy class has been infected. 

Normally I don't mention this type of thing here on the A Muse blog but I do know that many of you also have school-aged children or grandchildren and I want to share with you some alarming information concerning a particular "treatment" of head lice that we unfortunately found out the hard way. 

In a handout from the school on how to deal with the problem, they mention that a product called NIX is the most effective chemical treatment.  Without thinking about it, we rushed off to the pharmacy to get some.  Armed with bottles of NIX and nit combs we began the process of ridding the girls of lice.  Well, the darn stuff didn't work.  And, after reading more about it, NOBODY should EVER put this stuff on their children's heads.  EVER.  Permethrin, the active ingredient in NIX, is a proven neurotoxin and carcinogen.  There is more Permethrin in a bottle of NIX than in an entire can of Raid.  I am shocked that we did this to our children.  There is NOTHING on the box that says it is dangerous and it is approved by the FDA.  I should have clued into the fact that it said not safe for use in children under the age of two but I was panicked and wanted an immediate solution.  AND, this was recommended by the Seattle Department of Public Health!

Permethin affects the central nervous system and Nits (and nymphs) apparently do not have a central nervous system.  But humans do! 

Edited to include a link to a toxicity report on Permethrin: click here to read more!

I urge you to visit www.headlice.org should this ever happen to your family and read as much as you can BEFORE you rush out to rid yourself of the problem. 

This "problem" has been very costly... 

• We have spent several hundred dollars on "products"
• I have missed an entire week of work, my children have missed school for a week
• I have been doing laundry non-stop for the past four days
• We have spent hours at the laundromat to run our pillows and other household items through the commercial dryers to kill any nits

It is also very emotionally draining! Each day I have spent seven hours washing and nit-picking my girls. 

Sorry for the little rant... I do sincerely hope that this does not EVER happen to you or members of your family. 

I will be back soon with some creative stuff for you. Promise!

Birthday girl

My baby is SIX today!  Happy Birthday, Makenna!

I was inspired by Stephanie's gorgeous paper banner and made one for Makenna.  It's too dark for photos tonight but will post one soon. 

Happy Earth day!

How sweet is this?

Annabelle had her first communion this weekend.  Is she not adorable?

Stay tuned... our next Guest Designer feature will be posted tomorrow!

Ballerinas kick butt!

A few weeks ago, Hailey and her friend Mary received the Paul Robeson Athletic-Scholarship award at a ceremony sponsored by King County Executive Ron Simms.  The Paul Robeson Award recognizes students who excel in both academics and athletics.  The girls were nominated to receive this award through the Pacific Northwest Ballet School.  It was great to see many of their ballet friends also receive this award.  These girls dedicate themselves to hours of classes each week, yet maintain good grades. 

One of the guest speakers at the event was Bobby Engram, from the Seattle Seahawks football team.  I'm not a big football fan so I had not heard of him before.  I *loved* his message to the kids. 

1) Believe in yourself - sounds like he had a lot of hurdles to overcome in order to play professional football but he followed his dreams and has been an NFL player for over 10 years!

2) Have a positive attitude

I have really been trying to focus on these two points with the girls and I think it is working... a bit anyways! It seems people tend to focus on the negative aspects of life. When the girls go down this path, I tell them I want to hear the good stuff.  It changes the entire conversation.

Paul Robeson was quite an amazing man.  You can read more about him here.

Spring Break!

Just a quick note to let you know that I am on Spring Break with my girls this week.

I've got some fun stuff to share upon my return. Be sure to check out all the fun sneak peeks for our next release (April 1st) on our designers' and instructors' blogs.

Linda

We are celebrating!

My daughter, Annabelle, started having seizures when she was 3 years old.  We didn't actually witness the first seizure.  My husband was inside grabbing juice for a trip to the zoo and was inside for about 45 seconds, leaving Annabelle with her older sister, Hailey, on the front walkway.  Hailey ran to get me. I found her seconds later going unconscious.  We called 9-1-1 and spent the next 3 days at Children's hospital trying to figure out what was going on.  We left with no answers. 

Eight months later, Annabelle had a tonic-clonic (formerly called Grand Mal) seizure while I was driving home from the grocery store.  That was SCARY!!  Another trip to the ER and then to see a Neurologist.  The diagnosis was epliepsy.  We were *stunned*.  There is no family history of epilepsy.  Annabelle's birth was completely normal and she was developing normally.  The neurologist called her a poster child for epilepsy.  great.

She has been taking anti-seizure meds since then.  She had a few seizures while on the meds but has not had one in over three years. 

Today we had a follow-up EEG and guess what?!  It was completely NORMAL!!  Woohoo!!  She asked if we could celebrate by having dinner at the restaurant at the top of the Space Needle.  You betcha!   

Tagged by Amanda

I was tagged by Amanda so if you care to read a bit more about me...

Stamping style - simple. Always!

Inspiration - my stamps.  When I make a card, I pick the stamp that I want to work with and then just start grabbing supplies as the inspiration comes to me.  My inspiration for color comes when I'm standing in front of all my A Muse papers and then I just seem to *know* which colors I'm going to use.  This probably sounds pretty hoaky but its the way I work.

color - blue - the color of the sweaters we recently wore at CHA is pretty close to my perfect shade of blue. 

work space - messy! 

perfect day - hanging out at the cottage with my family on a sunny day... swimming, picnic on the dock, canoeing, sailing, cocktails, a bbq dinner, and a bonfire with roasted marshmallows...

first job - piano teacher

wildest dream - I like to live in the here and now.  It's a pretty wild ride *every* day so I don't have an immediate answer on this.

ink - VersaFine Onyx black.  I love it because this pad is always ready (no re-inking in over 3 years!), it's a fabulous BLACK, dries quickly and I have no problems using it with my COPIC markers.  Have you noticed that I tend to mostly stamp in black and then color?

For color, I *love* Clearsnap Fluid Chalk cateyes.  Fun, fun colors - especially

• lime pastel
• tangerine
• yellow citrus
• chestnut roan
• creamy brown
• orchid pastel
• ice blue

family - 3 delightful girls and an amazing husband

beverage - diet coke.  I would love to stop drinking diet coke, but water just doesn't taste as good!  No really, I am trying hard to limit my intake because I'm pretty sure it's not a health drink. <wink!>

biggest challenge - balance. No need to expand on this one... I'm sure you all feel it too!  

I believe I'm supposed to tag some other folks now.  If you haven't been tagged yet, please consider yourself tagged!  And, I am "officially" tagging all the lovely ladies that are  A-MUSE-A-PALOOZA Ambassador alumnis.  This group of gals worked really hard to earn the tile of AP 2007 Ambassador...

• Amy Rysavy - AP2007 Ambassador
• Sarah Bertolino
• Andrea Bentz
• Connie Reichert
• Simone Collins
• Kristina Lewis
• Katie Stilwater
• Taylor VanBruggen
• Antonella Bartel
• Mary Anderson

Procrastinating!

I *should* be working.  Instead, I found this fun little IQ test.  Of course, it's just for fun!!  There are some American questions (presidents & war allies) that made me think a little harder given that I'm a Canuck... 

I love that my "verbal" intelligence is Genius! LOL!  And, My Mathmatical Intelligence is exceptional... must be all the 4th grade math homework help I've been giving! 

Try it yourself!

A Quick and Dirty IQ Test

Your IQ Is 120

Your Logical Intelligence is Above Average Your Verbal Intelligence is Genius Your Mathematical Intelligence is Exceptional Your General Knowledge is Exceptional

A Quick and Dirty IQ Test

Words to live by...

The girls' school had an open house today.  I *love* this sign posted in Hailey's class!

I spotted this in Makenna's class... when you were 5 did you know how to spell unicycle?  [yonasakal].

I hope you had a great weekend.  We have had internet problems since Friday but things seem to be better now.  I am just about to click "send" our weekly newsletter so stay tuned.  Not signed up for the weekly "a-muse-letter"?!!  There's a link over on the left... takes just a minute and you'll be so happy you did. 

Backstage fun!

I have been putting my crafty talents to a different use this past weekend.  Since Hailey has be be driven to & from PNB for all the performances, I decided to volunteer backstage helping the kids get ready.  It is LOTS of fun and I am learning new skills. 

I have never worn make-up.  Ever.  I don't know the first thing about it which is probably why I have never worn it.  I am learning how to apply foundation, eye-liner, eye shadow, lipstick and how to make rosy cheeks.  I don't think I will be adopting this stage make-up look anytime soon!

The costumes for the PNB Nutcracker are spectacular.  The costumes, as well as the sets, were designed by Maurice Sendak. There are 190 costumes that include over 700 pieces.  Keeping track of this is a definitely an organizational challenge!  Each child is responsible for putting on their costume by themself and then returning it to the dressers when they are done.  Some of these costumes are pretty tricky but the kids have it figured out. 

There are nearly 200 PNB School students in Nutcracker (two main casts) and they share costumes. Between every performance, the tights, gloves and underarm pads are laundered to be ready for the next show.  There are often 2 performances/day.

Here are some of my favorite costumes (Commedia) awaiting dancers...

Opening Night was simply magical!  If you live in Seattle, PNBs Nutcracker is a great holiday tradition.

It's almost here!

Photo credit: PNB website

The opening of PNB's Nutcracker is this Friday!  Today is a full day dress rehearsal for all casts.  I will be putting my creative talents to the test in another way today... painting red circles on the girls cheeks for the fight scene (pictured above). 

Hailey is so thrilled (as are we!) to be a part of this magical production.  The fight scene has so many children on stage it's a litte crazy... but exciting!  Hailey doesn't get to die (she's happy about this!) and she *loves* her red soldier coat. So fun!

I will be out of the office and off email for the next few days.  I will respond to email on Monday (the 26th).

Have a very happy Thanksgiving! 

Pumpkin Patch... finally!

I am happy to say that we finally made it to the Pumpkin Patch last weekend!  I heard on NPR this morning that some areas are experiencing a shortage of pumpkins this year... not so in Marysville, WA!  We managed to bring home over 100 pounds of pumpkin! LOL!

Here's a fun picture of the girls trying to carry Annabelle's pumpkin.

Despite the fabulous weather we had on Sunday, there were not many people at the farm.  This meant that the girls could have their faces painted because there was *no* line.  Hailey and Annabelle both chose unicorns, Makenna chose a horse.  If you click on this photo, you will see more detail! 

The farm recently purchased a few adorable baby goats.  Look at how cute this little one is!!

Hailey was so inspired by the falling leaves, she made this beautiful welcome sign on our front steps. 

This weekend also marked the end of soccer for us.  Annabelle's team won their final game and they were thrilled.  Here's my little soccer gal in action!

We are busy, busy, busy working on lots of exciting things... nothing that I am at liberty to share with you right now.  Sorry!

I'll be back soon with some stamping projects though.  Promise!

BTW, thank you to everyone for your kind words and concern about my girls' health issues.  As you can see from these photos, everyone is doing *much, much* better.  Annabelle's tongue biopsy revealed that the lump was caused from too much biting, Hailey's foot injury is almost better and Makenna's cast come off on Thursday morning! 

Lastly, I had a FABULOUS birthday last week.  Every year is such a gift and I am thankful for each day that I get to spend here on this earth.  Thank you to all the A Muse addicts that made my week special with beautiful handmade cards!!  I received more cards this year than any other birthday ever!  Thank you!

xoxo Linda

3x bad luck?

Today has been just one of those days!  You know, the kind I'm talking about... 

Annabelle had surgery to remove a lump on her tongue.  The lump has been sent for a biopsy so we are a little worried about that.  It was a pretty big ordeal for her and she was conked out most of the day.  She was back to her sassy little self at bed-time though. 

Hailey finally got to see the foot specialist today about the pain in her foot - no dancing for at least a week.  This is kind of hard when she has Nutcracker rehearsals at least 2x/week.  Prognosis looks good for a full recovery in 7-10 days if she can stay off it. 

Makenna broke her wrist at school today doing a cartwheel.  Ack!  She did it at recess in the afternoon and nobody even called us!  Of course, the school didn't realize it was b-r-o-k-e-n but you can bet she wanted us to come get her!  Fortunately our good friend happens to be a hand specialist and was able to set her up with a temporary splint.  Cast goes on tomorrow.

Despite our medical menagerie today, I am still grateful for the general good health of my family.  I spoke with my cousin this evening and his youngest sister is in a desperate fight against leukemia.  She is my youngest cousin and we were close as children.  She is only 32 and has a little girl who is just 4 years old. 

So, if you are reading this... go hug your kids, your parents, grandparents, friend(s) and be sure to make the most of each and every day! 

Hugs to all of you!

busy, busy, busy!

Do you feel that life is just a little busy at the moment?  The start of school is always a crazy time but this year it feels a lot crazier than usual for us.  It doesn't help that my daughter's 4th grade teacher resigned after three weeks of school! Yikes!

I just returned from a quick trip to San Diego and Sea World with Annabelle. The weather was great, Sea World was a blast (even though I got pooped on twice by seagulls!) and we got to spend time with Michelle and her lovely family.  Thanks, Michelle, for a fabulous time. 

Oh yes, I also got to meet Helle and her daughter (the winner of our 2007 A-MUSE-A-PALOOZA Grand Prize). So fun!

Here is a picture of Annabelle and I after we rode the Shipwreck Rapids two times in a row... got a little wet! LOL! 

Here's Annabelle & Audrey after a yummy treat at Ghirardelli's (mmmm... chocolate!)

Last weekend, my husband and his friend went on a "run" in the Cascade mountains.  Most people do this as an overnight hike, but they ran the 19 miles in one day.  The scenery looks beautiful but the terrain is definitely challenging.  He constantly amazes me with his athletic feats.

Look at this terrain!  The picture is blurry (that's my dh's friend) but it is amazing that this was part of their journey.  They also had to run with backpacks with emergency stuff - first aid, food, water, shelter, etc.

They had to share the trail with mountain goats - isn't he gorgeous!

Julie's A-MUSE-A-THON of classes began last night and we had such fun!  Novell stopped by to help out.  Some of you may remember that Jill's card was the winner of our Mother's Day Reader Gallery contest.  It was fun to meet her in person.  Jill is in the red shirt (between Julie & Novell).

Oh yes, one more bit of EXCITING news!  Hailey got a part in the PNB production of the Nutcracker!!!  Yay for Hailey!

Stay tuned for more cards from Lexi and some exciting news on New Products we've been working on!  Have a beautiful day!

We are very sad...

My family and I have followed the story of Gloria for many months now - each one bringing both smiles and tears to our eyes.  Gloria touched the lives of many. I hope you take a moment to read her story. 

School pics!

This year we decided to bake "End of Summer" cupcakes on Labor Day.  Annabelle decided on chocolate and Makenna insisted we put money in them (a silly thing my mom always used to do!)  Each cupcake had a little treasure (money or charm) inside (wrapped in wax paper, of course!)  We shared the cupcakes with our neighbor friends that were also going back to school yesterday.  Yummy.  This could be the start of a new tradition!

As I mentioned, it was pouring rain when we left for school yesterday.  Here are the girls sitting our 3 little kiddy chairs on the front porch.  I love their uniforms. Hailey even let me french-braid her hair.   

This last photo is not very crisp - don't know why I was focusing on her coloring page - DOH!  I love it anyways... you can just see how proud she is to be a Kindy girl!

I made some cards to share with you but that will have to be later because I've got a gazillion things to do.  And our new windows just arrived.  Gotta go check them out!

Happy Monday!

How did the summer go by so fast?!!  What are you up to this last week of the summer?  The girls are all at Soccer camp this week and hopefully lots of visits to the pool.

I had quite a few out of town visitors at the shop on Saturday.  I love to meet all of our customers and hear what they are up to. 

Jane and her lovely family were visiting from Port Coquitlam, BC.  Marcia was visiting from California.  And, Tisha was in town with her husband and adorable daughter, Lily.  I was lucky to meet Lily when she was just 2 months old.  She is now 7 months old and has the sweetest face imaginable!  Such a good baby too - all smiles and happiness! The cutie on the left {Hailey} is one of my "babies" - now 9 1/2 years old! 

It was sure fun to see everyone!

While at the store on Saturday, one of the jurists for the Winterfest show popped in to let Hailey know that everyone *loved* her application.  She wouldn't spill if Hailey made it into the show. We're keeping our fingers crossed.  Looks like we will know soon!

On the way home, we stopped at the grocery store and parked near us was this fabulous Citroen "deux-chevaux".  This is a rare sight in our neck of the woods so I had to snap a picture for my dad.

Well, I should get back to work.  I hope you are all having a great day.

Don't forget to share your "When I grow up" stories here for a chance to win our new Broadway alphabet clear stamp set.

When I grow up

My daughter, Annabelle, asked me yesterday what I wanted to be when I grew up.  A few years ago she wanted to be a Crossing Guard.  Apparently she has changed her mind and is troubled (?) about her future.  I'm not worried, she is only 7!

Do you remember what you wanted to be when you grew up?  At one point I wanted to be a gym teacher.  Fitness was always my passion.  Later I decided that I wanted to be a Russian interpreter.  Really, it's true!  I know, it is an odd choice for someone who has never even visited Russia.  I'm sure my parents were scratching their heads over that one!  In fact, I'm sure I provided my parents with many hours of comedy as I struggled with my path to adulthood.

It is easy to look back now and see the path that has brought me to A Muse.  The road to get here wasn't so clear from the other end! LOL!

So, I ask... do you remember what you wanted to be when you grew up?  Share your story here and I will enter your name into a drawing for our new Broadway clear set (7-BRLSM).  I'm going to let my girls vote on the best story.  I figure that if they read them all, they my be inspired?  Deadline for entries is August 31st.

Dog sitting

We are dog sitting for our elderly neighbors who are off on a cruise to Alaska.  The girls are in heaven.  Now the number one question in our household:

"Can we get a dog?  pleeeeeeeeeeeeeease!"

*Winterfest*

Each December, our local community center hosts a fun craft fair the first weekend in December.  Hailey decided that she would like to have a table there to sell some of her handiwork.  She is quite a good little seamstress and she fast - it sounds like she is driving a race car when she is working away on the serger!

This is her motivation: a new MacBook.  She has figured out that even if my husband and I pay for half, it will still take her 92 weeks of chores to earn enough money to buy it!   

Hailey has been a busy little bee cutting, sewing, experimenting and building her presentation for the selection committee.  You see, this is a juried event so not everyone gets to have a table.  Criminy... she's only 9!

Here are a few of the items she is planning to sell, IF she gets a table.

Headbands:

Heater packs, filled with flax seed & lavender from our neighbors yards (with permission, of course!)

I am keeping my fingers crossed that she gets a table, because we have 60 POUNDS of flax seed on order.  LOL!

Home at last!

We arrived home safe & sound LATE last night, minus 6 bags of luggage.  They were delivered today and our bags of Fudgeos were still in tact so all is good!  If you aren't Canadian, you won't fully appreciate what this means! LOL!  Fudgeos are basically like Oreo cookies but they are all chocolate.  We love them and because you can't get them in the US, we buy gobs of them before we leave!

Will post again soon.

 

 

On the way home!

In case you have been wondering about my lack of blogging of late, I've been on vacation with my family at our cottage on Bark Lake!  After many glorious days, we are on our way home.  We're at the airport right now waiting for our first flight.  We will be home *MUCH* later tonight.  If all goes well, I should be back to blogging in just a few more days.

I will leave you with this fun photo of Annabelle learning how to water-ski.  All of the girls (even Mak - age 5!) learned to water-ski on long-line this summer.  Many thanks to our wonderful friend & teacher, Conrad, for teaching them.   

Yesterday...

While canoeing, Hailey and I spotted a blue heron that had just caught a fish!  What a beautiful bird!

Crazy busy!

I have so many exciting things to share!  It's been a crazy few weeks as we come into the home stretch for A-MUSE-A-PALOOZA and also my family's annual summer trip to our cottage. 

I am super-excited to visit Stephanie and her wonderful store, The Paper Garden Boutique in Sacramento, CA later this week.  I will be there to celebrate A-MUSE-A-PALOOZA with some fun make & take projects.  Here's a sneak peak at one of the projects we're going to do - wine tags.  So, if you live in the area, I do hope you will stop by to stamp with me!

As promised, here is a photo of Annabelle's birthday cake. She wanted a Hawaiian island cake and this is my interpretation.  I used Graham crackers for the sand and it was so much fun to play with... kinda like one of those tabletop sand gardens that were all the rage a few years ago!  Hailey suggested the party-drink umbrella which I love.  We also found some teeny tiny gecko's and a treasure box (for teeth!) too. The Hawaiian girl is from Annabelle's eco-system school project.  It was a family effort!

Here is another picture from Annabelle's special day.  These are two of our favorite peeps - Jenae (former Nanny and A Muse manager - she's on the right) and Megan (former babysitter on the left).  We are so lucky for our girls to have such a special relationship with these two amazing young women!  Just look how happy Annabelle is!!

One of our vehicles is at the "doctor" having some repair work done (new transmission - yikes!)  My father-in-law has been and loaned us one of his cars.  Now this is not your average car... check it out!  You must remember that I drive a VW Van most days so this was quite a change for me!  Sadly, we get our Trooper back tomorrow.  Sigh!

It is super late - in fact the sun will be up soon!  Many emails to answer in the morning.  We rec'd a fun shipment at the shop yesterday.  I will post more on that tomorrow.  Good night!

6 more days to A-MUSE-A-PALOOZA!

My millenium girl!

We have a birthday girl in our house today!  This is my sweet girl, Annabelle. Today she turned 7. 

Annabelle, we hope you have a super-special day.  You bring so much joy into our lives!!

Annabelle lost her front tooth on Saturday and it looks like the other one is ready to pop out anyday. She is a little self-conscious of her missing tooth!

I'm still working on her cake... will post pictures later!  It's a "Hawaiin" cake!

P.S. Digital frame is by MAWise and is available here.

Ballet news

This past week has been incredibly busy but very exciting.  My daughter, Hailey, is dancing in a Pacific Northwest Ballet production, Stravinsky 125, and we've been busy with performances and chauffeuring.

Last Thursday night was Opening Night and it was spectacular.  The 48 Circus Polka girls did a great job and the audience audibly "awwwwed" when the "pink girls" (the youngest girls - Hailey & Mary's group) ran on stage.  You can read a review by Moira McDonald on the Seattle Times website here.

There are no pictures allowed during the show or in their costumes but here is a picture of Hailey (r) and her friend, Mary (l) on Opening Night.  Don't they look thrilled?

On Saturday, I was a LOT early picking the girls up from their matinee performance (dh gave me the wrong time) - they had not even gone on stage yet!  It turned out to be a great "mistake"... I was able to chat one-on-one with my FAVORITE PNB dancer, Lucien Postelwaite.  He is so talented, super friendly and cute to boot!  <grin>  Last year, Hailey and I got to meet Lucien after a PNB performance. He was soooo nice to Hailey and told her he would watch for her in the school performance.  What a guy!

There is much ballet in our future these next two weeks,   and, lots of family visiting too!  I will try to blog a little but if you don't see any new posts, you'll know why!  Actually, I do have a couple more posts coming hopefully tonight or tomorrow... so stay tuned for those.

7 things

There's been a lot of blog tagging going on these days... it's hard to keep up!

This round of tagging is to share 7 things you may not know about me.

I feel like you all must know me pretty well by now but I'm sure there are a few things I can tell you that you may not know already.  Rather than tagging more people, I would love it if you could post one thing here that I might like to know about you. There are a *lot* of people reading my blog and I have gotten to know a few of you.  I would love to get to know more of you.  If you feel inclined, please post here and tell me one thing about yourself and why you like coming here.

OK, here's my list:

1. I used to be a competitive tri-athlete
2. I am fascinated with words & language (I have studied French, Russian, German, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese)
3. I create clutter (try not to but it just seems to happen!)
4. I *love* lilacs
5. In my former life, I worked at Microsoft in international consumer marketing (Encarta brand)
6. I have flown a plane (under supervision, of course)
7. I have bungee jumped

Tag!  Now it's your turn!

Linda

Birthday fun!

We had a fun birthday weekend at our house!  Makenna turned five yesterday.  It is amazing to think my "baby" is now five.

A funny story:
My two older daughters wanted to go to church with their dad because it was first communion for the 2nd graders.  It was decided that Makenna and I would go for birthday "drinks" since we had already eaten breakfast.  While getting dressed, I asked Makenna where she'd like to go. I suggested we go to Pike Place market, home of the original Starbucks, get a hot chocolate and then look at the pretty flowers in the market.  She didn't like that idea.  I made a few other suggestions which she poo-pooed as well.  Eventually I asked her what she would like to do.  Her reply: "Can't we go to a bar, or something?"  (remember, she is only 5!)

We opted to go to 7-11 where the shop owner told her a long time ago that if she came on her birthday she would get a free slurpee.  Sure thing - one free slurpee!  (Apparently Makenna & my husband go there quite regularly on their outings to the dump!)

One of my favorite shops, Mimi Rose, has just moved into our neighborhood.  She has a fun line of clothing and a great selection of toys for younger children.  Makenna found the *perfect* shoes to go with her birthday dress.  We *had* to buy them.
(ignore the dirty & rubber stamped feet!)

I made a fun birthday banner for Makenna using our new polka dot monograms.  I used a white Sharpie pen to color the dots and my Triplus fineliner markers to outline each letter.

{note:  the prints on our playroom wall are by the very talented Adam Barsby. Love his whimsical style!}

I leave you today with a few fun snapshots from her birthday:

1. Makenna helped decorate her cake (check out the new birthday dress!)
2. Blowing out the candles
3. The bumps (Canadian tradition)

Spring break!

What a wonderful idea - Spring break! 

We decided to take a few days off and explore the Olympic Peninsula with the girls.  Our house has a pretty good view of the Olympic mountains and when the sun is shining, the view is majestic.  However, up close, the Olympic peninsula is even better!

Our destination was the Sol Duc Hot Springs in the Olympic National Forest.  The drive is quite reasonable from Seattle - especially with a good book on tape for everyone to enjoy! {Claudia by Barbara Brooks Wallace} 

The Sol Duc Hot Springs Resort was a little disappointing at first.  It's $180 night and it is off-season.  Yikers!  However, after doing a few calculations (entrance fees for the hot springs x 5 people x 2 days and a buffet breakfast) we realized the accomodations were in fact quite cheap! 

The original lodge was built in 1912 but burned down just 4 years later.  Now this was LODGE! There are photos of the old lodge and other memorabilia that conjure how grand it must have been in its day.

Naturally, the best part is the hot springs.  What a treat!  There are several hot pools at varying temperatures and a cold pool (that is very, very cold at this time of year!)  My skin is still tingling from the experience! 

Here are a few photos to share:

I did manage to create a few cards this past week that I will share in a separate post.

And, I've been tagged by Michelle... so I'll be passing on the favor soon.

Flu!

We've been hit hard with the flu these past two weeks.  First my daughter, then me and now another daughter too!  Hope to be back soon!

Like to read?

My daughter, Hailey, and I are in a mother-daughter book club.  It is a lot of fun and a great way to be introduced to some fabulous new books!  The bookclub is hosted by our wonderful school librarian, Mrs. Grandorf.

Last month, our book club read this book which is sure to become a classic: The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Katie DiCamillo (author of Because of Winn Dixie).  Edward is a china rabbit and this book chronicles his adventures.

Hailey (who just turned 9) read this book in just under 2 hours.  I have been reading a few chapters each night to my younger two girls and each night they can't wait to jump in bed to hear what happens next to Edward.   

It's not yet available in a soft cover but you will most likely want the hardcover for your library anyways.  Also makes a great gift! 

What are your favorite children's books/authors?

Conversation - FBI

I had an enlightening conversation with some gals from the FBI today.  {hi gals - if you're reading this!} 

Some folks would consider me naive - we don't have a TV so I don't hear a lot about the "bad" things that are happening all around us - like that crazy astronaut story!  Wow!  I think we can all use a refresher on some personal safety issues - especially if you have children at home.  Here are some takeaways from my enjoyable conversation this afternoon.

• Always make sure that all first floor windows are closed  *locked* when you go to bed as well as any 2nd floor windows that have easy access.  Make sure you don't have a ladder within easy access.
• NEVER use online banking - too easy for someone to steal your identity (and your moulah!)
• Never let your kids onto the internet without parental supervision (we have strict guidelines for my eldest daughter who is the only one with limited access)
• Get a dog - one with a loud bark (and in my case is hypoallergenic)
• Know if there are any registered sex-offenders in your neighborhood - here is one site I found that you can use to look up this information.  According to this site, 1 in 5 girls will be molested before their 18th birthday!

I'm sure there are things I've forgotten... if I remember them I will add to this list.  What are your personal safety rules/tips?  Comment if you wish.

we're back!

Did ya miss me? LOL!

While everyone was heading to California for CHA, my husband and I were on a plane heading in the opposite direction.  We've just returned from a whirlwind trip to New York.  Man was it COLD!  I was sooo happy to get back to Seattle for the warmer weather. 

One of my favorite things to do in NYC is scour the fabric stores for "must have" fabrics.  I picked up only 3 tiny bits this trip... just didn't see anything I couldn't live without. I did manage to find some yummy vintage ribbon though.  Isn't it gorgeous?!!

While I was away, we received lots of new product in at the shop.  More fabulous Copic marker colors (will photograph and add to my Favorites album), restocking of all our Marvy punches (will update the info on my Favorites album on the left shortly), Clear Stardust gelly roll pens (love these!!) and more!

We also received the last shipment of our NEW Spring 2007 stamps that we were waiting for.  These will begin shipping to stores next Monday.  If you are in Seattle, you can get an early preview by stopping by the A Muse Shop.  We will post the new images on our website on February 14th.  For some sneak previews online, check out our Designers' & Instructors' blogs (on the left).

Stay tuned for a fun blog giveaway in the next couple of days. 

Linda

just bought some...

Squid soap! 

Makenna is going to *love* this! LOL!

Snow day

There's an inch of snow on the ground and school is closed AGAIN!  My girls have not had school since last Wednesday due to inclement weather (and yesterday's holiday).

If you live in Seattle, enjoy your snow day!

Look ma!

We have reached a major family milestone!  Makenna, my 4-year old, my *baby* rode her bike without training wheels for the first time today.  Just look how proud she is!

 

Don't you love her bike?  My husband picked it up at the dump - he thought the girls would enjoy a "banana" seat bike.  Do you remember them?  My sister had one and I was soooo jealous of it! LOL!

Circus polka photos

Many of you have asked to see photos from Hailey's ballet debut with the PNB.  Unfortunately we are not allowed to take photos at McCaw hall, in the ballet school or of the girls in their costumes.  Sadness.

Here are a few photos that I took the day of their dress rehearsal. 

In front of McCaw Hall.

In front of the stage door entrance - flashing their backstage passes!

A photo of Hailey & me after the show!

The girls managed to get a few photos backstage.  Hopefully there is one there of their costumes!  If yes, I will post.

Seattle events

PNB Opening Gala - Saturday September 16th

If you live in the Seattle area, you don't want to miss the PNB Season Opening Gala this Saturday night.  You will see the PNBs finest dancers performing excerpts from Swan Lake, La Sonnambula and more.  You will also get to see my eldest daughter, Hailey, dancing the Circus Polka along with 47 other litte girls!

They have been rehearsing like crazy for the past two weeks.  Today is dress rehearsal at McCaw Hall.  Yesterday they received their BACKSTAGE passes!!  Can you imagine?  They will be dancing with a full orchestra in front of thousands of people tomorrow night!  Wowie wow wow!

This is such a thrill for all the children participating.We are grateful to the PNB for creating performance opportunities for the children. 

Photographs are not permitted at the PNB school (so sad!)  This is a photo of my ballerina from a few years ago... she looks soooo young!

Scleroderma Fundraising Walk - September 24th

As a family and as a business, we support Scleroderma Research. 

On Saturday, September 24th, there is a 5K fundraising walk at Seward Park to raise $$ for Scleroderma Research.  This is a seriously underfunded cause and would gratefully welcome any support.  Team A Muse is trying to raise $200 for this walk.  Whatever monies are raised, A Muse will match dollar for dollar! If you are interested in supporting us, please visit our fundraising page.

For any stampers wishing to donate, A Muse will send a fun box of stamping goodies for any size donation.  Post here once you have made a donation and I'll make arrangements to send your goodies!

What is Scleroderma? 

"Scleroderma, in its severe form, is a life-threatening disease that affects multiple organs in the body and causes them to shut down. It is a chronic and degenerative disorder with no known cause or way to stop its progression. The National Institutes of Health estimates more than 300,000 people in the U.S. alone are living with some form of the disease. This is as large a population as patients with muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis, cystic fibrosis.

Scleroderma primarily affects women between the ages of 30 and 50."

This information is from the www.srfcure.org website.

Have a beautiful day!

Linda

Taking a break

It seems like I've been working on our new catalog FOREVER!  The agony is almost over.  I *had* to take a break this afternoon and it was well worth it to capture these shots!

Look - no training wheels!!  First time.  Yippee! 

Actually, we thought this day would come a lot sooner.  She has always been so good at pedalling her bike and she has great balance.  Her problem has been a fear of falling. I can relate.

Steady now.

Proud girl!

Of course, Makenna did not want to let Annabelle steal the show completely!  Here she is hamming it up on her bike!

I hope you are enjoying these last few days of summer!