Monday, October 29, 2007

My Studio






A couple of years ago we turned a guest bedroom into my studio. I told John all I want for my birthday, anniversary, and Christmas is to have a studio. Our guest bedroom is only used about 2 times a year so I had over taken it with scrapbook supplies. My parents live in Mountain Home and so some of our out of town guests usually stay with them. We pulled the carpet up and had some laminate wood floors put down. My good friend Lori Kauffman from Cabinets and Interior Design helped me design some cabinets with a Murphy Bed just in case we needed an extra bed for company. Lori did all my cabinets for me when we moved in and her and her husband Bob (Anderson Construction) built our Dental office. My studio is like my sanctuary. I love it and I love being in there. It just relaxes me to go upstairs and sit in there. I got the 2 metal rolling carts from Sam's and they are perfect and really cheap. My table is an old table I got at Rusticities so I wouldn't feel bad messing it up. I got the sewing machine about 5 years ago for Christmas and I think John thought I would make all my clothes. hahahaha NOT! I dabbled in quilting for a bit before I became addicted to scrapbooking. Now I use it with my scrapbooking. Anyway, I am very blessed to have found something I am passionate about. I feel like I am recording my families history for generations to come and that is the real reason I do it. I made my first scrapbook in High School and I still have it. I hope my kids can look back and remember the good times we had and share their history with their children. When I was 9 we lived in Gulfport, Mississippi and a terrble hurricane named Camille hit our area. We were without electricity for a week and had a couple of trees hit out roof, but we were all alive. My grandparents lived on a creek and they got about 8 feet of water in their house. The water ruined all of their belongings but what I remember most is how all the pictures of my Dad's family were gone. Wet! We have very few left and most of them have water damage. I think it all started there. The desire to preserve the history with pictures.

I have been tagged by one of my cyber buddies, Colleen at http://cestmoi.typepad.com/, from my Heidi Swapp class to tell you 7 facts about myself (some random, some weird). So here goes:
1. I am a home body.
2. I was born in Gulfport, Mississippi.
3. I would love to be a computer nerd.
4. I sang my first solo in 6th grade and have sung solos at weddings and at church.
5. I am determined to learn more about photoshop elements!!!
6. Next year I will be married for 25 years on August 13th.
7. I treat my animals like they are members of my family.

Here are the rules which must be posted on your blog if you're tagged:
1. Link to your tagger and post rules.
2. Share 7 facts about yourself: some random, some weird.
3. Tag 5 people at the end of your post and list their names (linking to them).
4. Let them know they've been tagged by leaving a comment at their blogs.

Now, here's who I'm tagging:

1.Denise: http://deniselauerman.blogspot.com/ She is such a sweetie and is moving to my neighborhood soon and is a greatscrapbooker.
2.Anne Camille: http://annecamille.blogspot.com/ Is a very talented scrapbooker who has some really neat original ideas.
3.Brandi: http://scrapbookaddiction.typepad.com/ Brandi owns our local "WONDERFUL" scrapbooking store. We love her!
4.Jennifer: http://jclarestudios.typepad.com/ She is a great photographer!! Just look at her work!
5.Amy: http://amywelch3.typepad.com/ She inspires me with how she used the Hambly products!

Ok so tag your it!

Monday, October 22, 2007

Getting Back to Normal





It's been 3 weeks since my surgery and I am feeling stronger everyday. I go back to the Doctor on Thursday so I hope to be able to drive soon. I am so blessed to have all of my family and friends.

There is something I forgot to post about. The Mountain Home Golf team won the State Championship for the second year in a row. I was nervous for Seth because my surgery was the Thursday before the State Tournament. I was hoping he would be able to focus and play well and he did. The tournament was in Little Rock so John went down on Sunday and was with Seth on Monday, the day of the tournament. My Mom and Dad stayed with me and I ended up going home from the hospital the day of the tournament.

I am also posting 2 layouts from my Heidi Swapp "A Year to Remember Class". These are the layouts for the September and October calendar pages. It will certainly be a "Year to Remember" for me. I thought it was cool that the September layout said to include a heart. That's kinda appropriate don't you think.

Thursday, October 11, 2007

Thankful



My life took an unexpected turn 2 weeks ago. I had been having some pain around my breast bone that would come and go so I went to the Doctor and we thought I had some acid reflux because I wasn't having any other symptoms. We did an upper GI and it was normal so Tim Paden said let's do a stress test just to make sure. I went to Dr. Camp's office and we did a stress test. They read it and said well they see a little something but I am having no other symptoms and it may be breast tissue, but the only way to know for sure is an angiogram. So 2 weeks ago I went in for an angiogram and a 95% blockage showed up in a V of an artery. Everything else was clear. They couldn't use a stint because of the location of the blockage. They think it is a genetic thing because my Dad actually had a heart attack when he was 48. I am 46. It was in a weird place in the heart and a long skinny blockage. They said I probably wouldn't have survived if I had actually had a heart attack but since they caught it, it was repaired and there was no damage. THANKFUL! Ladies if you hear anything remember. My only symptom was a pain like acid reflux pain. No shoulder pain, no nausea, no shortness of breath. Evidently women's symptoms are totally different. If I can help one person then it was worth it. I have learned to be very THANKFUL and GRATEFUL for many things. God allowed me to be healed and I am so thankful. The kindness shown to me during this past 2 weeks has been overwhelming. My church family for one has been praying for me and bringing food and sending cards, and calling. My friends have been here for me helping me and sending flowers and food and gifts. My family immediately came to the hospital that Wednesday to be with me before the surgery. Even my cousin and her husband drove immediately from Jackson, Mississippi to be by my side that night. Of course John, and Lauren and Seth were held up by such good friends. They were well taken care of. They surgery went great. They didn't have to put me on a heart lung machine which is good and they used a mammory artery. The mammory artery ended up spasming so they had to use a small artery from my leg so that wasn't bad at all. Everything went great. I was in intensive care for 2 days and then I moved to the cardiac floor. I cannot tell you how wonderful our hospital is. Those nurses were my best friends and were soo nice. We have alot of Dr. friends who checked on me everyday. Dr. Paden, Dr. Elders, Dr. Croom were regulars. I even bought 3 of my favorite nurses Vera Bradley bags. I'm telling you they were wonderful. Misti Walton and Amber in ICU, and Rhonda Bell was my floor nurse. I had surgery on Thursday and went home that next Monday. A day early they said. I am doing great and John and my Mom and Dad have been here with me everyday. Mom and Dad do all the laundry and take care of me during the day and then John and Seth take over at night. I feel good but I can't lift anything over 5 pounds and I am suppose to be careful and not lift my arms over my shoulders. (Makes for some pretty bad hair days) The only real problem is I can't drive for 30 days!!! What!! My Mom and Dad will take we where I need to go. I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow and that will be my first day out. I have already asked them to take me to the Scrapbook Addiction first!!! My studio is upstairs so the second night home John was kind enough to set me up a scrap area in our bedroom and we brought down a bunch of stuff. It made me feel soo much better just touching everything. Anyway, thank you for all of your prayers, food, gifts, and flowers, but most of all I feel very thankful and blessed to have you as my friend.