Life in North Texas... by a Realtor®

Hilarious shirts!

Ok, I have to have a sense of humor about this Katrina thing, because it keeps me from being sad. This shirt is for sale on eBay and it just cracks me up. It totally sums up what we have all been feeling all along about our favorite government agency.

Found something else on eBay that I haven't seen before, and I want to get one for each of my kiddos since they love Ty beanies and this one just tugs at my heart strings.

Now this one is downright funny to me, and I can laugh about it because I can identify with it! I was stuck in an old tattered white Hooters T-shirt after the hurricane because that is what I wore when we evacuated, so this is pretty funny. Also for sale on eBay! I should get one of these, too! LOL!

Found another hilarious item on eBay. Did I mention to you all that I love eBay? I can find anything and everything on that wonderful site! I only wish we had thought of it first. Anyhoo, back to the topic at hand. I found this funny decal that I would love to stick on the back windshield of my Tahoe.  This is a hoot! Again, pretty much sums up the old feelings, there.

Ok, I guess that is enough of my twisted humor for one night. Actually, I got really sad looking at the Katrina stuff on eBay, but if I keep my sense of humor, I get through it.  :) Hope you don't think I am some sort of nut case.

And now I am off to bed. I have had my nightly bowl of cereal, my diet Pepsi, and my hot bath. All is well.  :) One more thing - my uncle was told about his family yesterday by the hospital chaplain and my mom. He is really shocked at this point, and doesn't really know how to accept it yet. I talked to him on the phone and he said, "They told me my family is gone; my mom, dad, brother, and sister. I just don't know what to feel." - it was so heartbreaking. The doctors have him on some, for lack of better word, "downers" right now to help alleviate the anxiety. Hopefully, he won't have to stay at the hospital longer than a few more weeks. Keep sending those prayers, and thank you to everyone who has been following along.

OMG OMG OMG!

You must RUN to Scrappers Bliss and see all the new stuff! A2Z, Heidi Swapp, and the new Lil Davis paints! SO COOL!!! I can't wait to get my design team package in!!

Did a page for ME!

Finally did a page for me. :) I am loving the Chatterbox Sun Room papers right now, and those darned white Pressed Petals chipboard letters will be the scrapbooking death of me. I am almost out of them - oh dear, whatever shall I do? HAHA! So I bought some BLACK ones! YAY! LOL! Want some? Go to Scrappers Bliss and get them in every color!

I just finished up some Michael's projects for Chatterbox and am now working on the development of my classes for the upcoming Chatterbox cruise in May.  :) Can't wait - I am really excited about it. I will be teaching a class for Junkitz, Chatterbox, Rusty Pickle, and Sassafras Lass. Wish me luck!

The weather here is crappy today. It is cold and dreary, and Domonique has basketball practice tonight - outside. Poor girl! Last night was her first night of practice, and they had to introduce themselves, going around in a circle saying how long they have played and what their names are. So Domonique said her name and that it was her first time playing basketball (she has played every sport BUT basketball for years!) and this snooty mom sitting near me says, "Did I HEAR that correctly??" and she looked at me. I told her yes, this was her first year and she said, "My daughter will have a heyday with her; she has played for YEARS" then she just giggled obnoxiously! I was so mad, so I said, "Well, I hope your daughter doesn't play soccer next season. My daughter has played soccer for YEARS." - LOL! I started to tell her that they didn't call Domonique "Bulldozer" in soccer for nothing, but she just grunted at me and turned around. Can you believe the nerve? I love it here in Texas but let me tell you, there are some SNOOTY broads in Frisco! LOL! That part makes me homesick for Biloxi sometimes, but I know that there are snoots everywhere. *sigh*

On another note - My uncle in Nebraska has been moved to his own room and is getting better as time progresses. He still knows nothing about his family, but the memories of the accident are starting to slowly creep in his mind. Yesterday he began to cry and when my mom asked him what was wrong, he kept saying that there were two people hanging upside down and that he couldn't help them. The doctors said it was most likely his parents, from the angle that he was found in the wreckage. So sad. He has a long road ahead of him. Still has lots of memory loss and he jabbers on about things that don't make sense at times, but other times he is coherent. Robin Middendorf (Gingham Grasshopper) is so sweet - she took a basket of food and snacks up to my mom while she is at the hospital since it is difficult for her to leave to eat! I am so grateful to Robin for that. What a sweetheart!  :)

I am off to work on some projects and have some salad.

Love this little creature!

I simply love this little creature! She makes me smile no matter what! She sits in my scrapbook chair while I scrap, since I usually scrap standing up. She is perched here on a pillow. Such a spoiled little poochie!

Thank you to those who have sent me prayers regarding my uncle who was involved in the tragic accident last Sunday in Seward County, NE. For those who may not have seen my post, here is a link to the news story. Basically, My uncle (through marriage) was riding in the car with his sister, his brother and brother's wife, and both of his parents Sunday morning on the way to Omaha, Nebraska. A driver on the opposite side of the interstate lost control of his Dodge Ram truck, crossed the center median, and slammed into the SUV that my uncle was riding in, killing his entire family except his brother's wife, who walked away from the accident with only a broken collarbone. My uncle is currently in serious but stable condition in Lincoln, NE with massive head injuries, broken ribs, a broken thigh bone, collapsed lungs, and he is on a ventilator. He is the only surviving member of his immediate family, as they were all killed in the same car.

Each day, he is getting better, and the doctors are hoping to be able to remove the ventilator tube tomorrow. My uncle (Wes) will need lots of physical therapy and care, and he still hasn't been told that his parents, brother and sister are deceased. He keeps trying to mouth the words to ask about them, but so far the doctors have avoided answering him because they want him to be stronger and be breathing on his own before they break the news to him.

Here are the obituaries; the relatives names are Clyde Albers (brother), Kathy Ramirez (sister), and Edgar and Violet Albers (parents). It is so sad.

In light of this accident, coupled with what we have endured with Hurricane Katrina, I have done a lot of reflecting just on life in general and how thankful I am to be alive and that my family is here with me. We are so lucky to be alive after Katrina, and this accident is yet another reminder that we really don't ever know when our day will come. It could be tomorrow, it could be ten years from now, it could be way down the road. One thing, however, is certain - it will come. We must live each day like we may not have tomorrow. Stop putting off those things we want to say or do. Forgive the little things, and the big things too. We need to learn tolerance of little annoyances; spend more time with our loved ones. Thank God every day for the day He has given us and use it wisely.

I beg you to hug your loved ones and say the things you mean to say. Don't put off things that won't get done if something happens. Swallow your pride, if necessary. Say "I love you".

You won't be sorry.  :)

My poor, neglected bloggie-poo!

Yes, I am very bad, I have done it again. *sigh* I have neglected my blog yet again in favor of the projects I have been working on recently! I am really excited about all of the BHG projects I have been working on, plus I have been working on projects for the upcoming Chatterbox cruise in May. Not to mention some Chatterbox projects that we have a new shorter deadline for, so things have been really wacky around here! I know, I know, I promised to keep updating! I will do my best!  ;)

I went to a fun crop Saturday night with the chickies at Scrapbook Warehouse in Lewisville. Seems like the time flies so fast and I don't get much done, but the social time is just what I needed. I took Domonique with me and she worked on her "All About Me" album.

So here is an album I made back in December for an incredible project for Chatterbox. It is for a "Why do I Scrapbook" booklet that is now available nationwide at various scrapbook stores. The project was a really difficult project, and I shed quite a few tears along the way, but basically it was supposed to be something that we had good intentions of doing but never got around to doing it. Mine was about how I found my biological father when I was 24, and I had always intended to share baby pictures and photos from other important events from my life with him, but I just never got around to doing it. Well, after Hurricane Katrina hit and destroyed most of my photos, I was unable to do the project as I intended to do it. With the help of family, I was able to put together this album and a few important pictures here and there to finally give to my father. When we get our albums back from Chatterbox, I will send it to him, and I can't wait to see his reaction.  :)

Finished a layout tonight!

Oh my goodness, I actually put together a page and it took less than an hour once I got going! I love to use eye-popping colors on a black background. This scan sort of looks wonky but nothing is crooked IRL. Yeah, the usual scanner disclaimer! The "ALEX" is done using rub-on lines and letters.

Last night Matthew had two friends spend the night! I was so excited, since this is the first time he has had any friends stay over since the hurricane. They really had a great time, chowing down on pizza and staying up ALL NIGHT playing Halo 2. Domonique also had quite the social life this weekend, as she had a friend stay over Friday night, then she ditched her brother and friends last night by spending the night at a different friend's house. They also went to the movies today. Needless to say, when she got back home this afternoon, she was exhausted! It is great to see them adjusting and making lots of friends. Matthew fell asleep after his friends left this afternoon and he has been asleep ever since. I probably shouldn't have let them stay up all night, but when they were having so much fun, how can I say no? Softie I am. LOL!

Tomorrow it is supposed to be 81 degrees outside! I can't wait! I love warm weather and I hope that the majority of the cool weather is gone. It was so funny because today we looked out the front window and saw a horse-drawn carriage going down the street, full of little girls dressed up like princesses with white dresses and matching tiaras! Alex came running over and said, "Now there's something you don't see every day!!" - I cracked up! He is the funniest little 7 year old, I swear! I explained to him that someone in the neighborhood must have been having a "princess party". They really go all out, here. It is kind of funny!

I am off to bed. :) Thanks for reading my ramblings! Also, thank you for all the wonderful e-mails asking me to update my blog regularly again! Sorry - I got out of practice there for a week or so, but I will be better!  :)

Finally!!!

Alright, alright! I have finally added some pictures of the Chatterbox designer retreat! Scroll down and you will see the album on the left side of my blog (left column). I hope you enjoy getting a little glimpse of what I experienced!

First, let me say that I have never been more proud to be affiliated with a company such as Chatterbox! They truly practice the very things that they teach to others. Melody's personal albums convey the entire Chatterbox message; she makes them meaningful. I learned a lot from her as she shared her private experiences with us as a team. We shared laughter as well as tears. We bonded like no other group of women I have ever been a part of. When I left Idaho, I literally cried because I had to part ways with some incredible friends. No matter what ever happens to me personally in the future; whether or not I am a designer for Chatterbox for years to come or perhaps I get replaced, I can say that I walked away with amazing friendships that will hopefully last a lifetime. Chatterbox treats each of us like family, and showered us with individual attention the whole time we were there. They planned informative workshops, fun projects, and fed us like you WOULD NOT BELIEVE! (Wanna see proof - check out my photo album for pictures of the FOOD!) Melody brought us to her home so we could see a glimpse into her every day life. One would expect a glamorous mansion with flashy furniture and an impeccable atmosphere; instead we saw a century-old farmhouse, cozy with lots of family photos, well-loved decorations, and a house obviously full of love and meaning. Everything that Chatterbox does is all about family; all the way down to the pint-sized kids play room at the Chatterbox office. All of the Chatterbox staff welcomed us with warm smiles and open arms. Money simply cannot buy the feeling that you get after spending a weekend with these people!

Ok, all sappy stuff aside, I seriously have to lose this four pounds of weight I gained after eating all that awesome junk food! We had Burger Den one day for lunch, then pizza that night, then Mexican food the next day for lunch, and Italian food the next night! Not to mention all the dessert and snacks in between. I felt like a cow after I got home! LOL!

Amazing friends, incredible company. I am truly blessed! I am so proud to be a "Chatterbox Girl". Now be sure to post a comment and let me know what you think of the pictures!  :)

Please stand by...

LOL! Please bear with me - I know I haven't updated since the Chatterbox retreat and I was going to do it tonight, but I have been up to my ears in stuff, including a couple more BHG assignments, so I PROMISE that tomorrow I will update and post some awesome pictures from the trip! I will spill the beans about what has been going on in this crazy little corner of Frisco, TX!

Until then, here is the paper that I love so much. LOL! Can you believe I was nutty enough to take lots of pictures of the products at the Chatterbox retreat! You know you must really be addicted to the stuff when half the pictures are various shots of the embellishments, papers, etc. I must really be a nerd!

Anyhow, hang in there and I will tell more tomorrow. This was truly the most incredible trip ever, and completely changed my life! I can't wait to share it with all of you!

Goodnight, friends!