Busy, busy me...

I've spent DAYS trying to revamp my little blog. And I'm not afraid to say, it's kicked my tail too! For instance, I can't upload photos directly from blogger. And I can ONLY upload 1 photo through Hello. So, I had to download picasa. Which is really cool by the way. I've done a couple layouts this week too. Anyone noticed that SBB seems abandoned lately? I've opened a gallery at DST and that place moves FAST! Lots going on all the time! I'm pretty exhausted and have a terrible headache tonight so I'll just keep this short and sweet... I've got another post in the works with response to a tag. Stay tuned!

Oh, and a layout to share created by Carrie Stephens and Jessica Bolton's - Emily's Wish set.




2nd Layout is using Taran Conyers - Sunflower Fairy set

Would you believe?

I've lived in this very neighborhood now for over 7 years. I used to joke that there were sensors around the entire neighborhood because the moment Joey raised the garage door, kids, neighbors, friends, everyone seemed to FLOCK to our driveway to hang out. And honestly, if it weren't our driveway, it was somebody else's. I would sit here at the house and be doing my own thing. Which before digital scrapbooking, used to be decorating and painting and getting ideas all centered around interior design. Fact is, since I've found digital scrapbooking, each new layout is a blank canvas and satisfies my creative urges to the point that my house, more often than not, takes a back seat to everything else in my life. Until Christmas time... but another story and I'll leave it at that... FOR NOW!

So, back to this neighborhood thing. My neighborhood is party central. We have just shy of 50 houses around the block and dadgum if 85% of them don't have four wheelers and many with dirt bikes too. There are woods just off a neighbor's back yard. And there are people that gather from 3 neighborhoods next to us just as darkness sets. And they all "mount up", call each other "Hetherins" (spelling may be wrong but that is phonetically how they say it) and RIDE! Joey recently decided to get us a new four wheeler as ours wasn't quite big enough to join this roaming party. I had asked for reverse, racks, headlights, and any color that couldn't be found in camoflauge. 3 out of 4 of this list realized... It's hunter green, I'm not thrilled about it but red just couldn't be found at the time.

We have been out with our little guys riding the trails with no less than some 50 ATV's of neighbors. Through creeks, mudholes, hills, ruts, over downed trees, there is no obstacle that seems too big with these incredible pieces of machinery... For me, I've only in the last few months gotten to KNOW the neighbors like this. And what a hoot! You can't believe how fun this can be!

I just went to a home and garden party over the weekend with.... YOU GUESSED IT! Neighbors! Basically, I have a life now... I've been inside for so long that many would doubt Joey had a wife if it weren't for being branded with the matching Ginormous fox sticker on the rear window of our vehicles parked in the driveway. And we have kids, I guess that might have proved my existence too! HA!

Anyway, I've had so much fun this past summer that I'm seriously dreading winter for the first time despite that wonderful, bright, loving holiday season that I look forward to all year long! WHOAH! Did I ramble or WHAT???? Good blogging Tonya... (pats herself on the back and happily skips away) :-)

Got some SCOOP! :-)

Weeks have passed since my last post, yet again... It's really kind of sad that the one thing that I'm best at is INconsistency!!!! But, this blogging thing, try as I might just never becomes habit! Why I've not just hung it up and called it done, I can't quite say... But, here's the latest!

I took a big break over the summer, good for my family and home life, but not so good for keeping close ties in the scrappin' community. I was fortunate that my CT designers were taking a break also. I felt like I may have been juggling a little more than I could handle but in all truth, not a day went by that I didn't feel incredibly blessed to be on the teams I was on. Still true for my current teams... But, I really miss the designers that "hung up their mouse" as a dear friend put it.

So, I applied for Shawna Clingerman's design team call. Funny how life just takes you in a direction that you were meant to follow. That's how I felt about the events that led me to apply. I really wasn't familiar with her work though it turns out I'd seen a number of her gorgeous layouts and she's produced all sorts of brushes that many of the layout artists I've followed all along had been using. I've been really bad at reading newsletters lately too but got Dani's and was so drawn to that totally cool Techno Grunge set featured on the back "cover". (tick tock, tick tock) Fast forward through what seemed an eternity of waiting. I'm leisurely browsing my e-mail after a neighborhood four wheeler ride. (which by the way is "four deep" for us, meaning four bodies on board. Joey driving, Trevor and Kaitlyn switching up spots and me leaned out away from the 4 wheeler much like a recliner minus the comfort and hanging on to a back rack) OOPS! Got sidetracked didn't I? (more on that later, if you can stand it)

So, I was leisurely going through my e-mail upon my return when much to my dismay, sat that little gem of an e-mail with Shawna's invite to be on her Creative Team! Totally bustin out with the happy dance!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WOOHOO!!!!!!!!! I desperately wanted to be a part of this team. I've only seen a handful of her fabulous creations but between the awesome sets, her totally rockin' layouts from her blog, and the energy and spunk in her correspondence, I'm even MORE EXCITED to have been accepted on my little scraps design team. That makes me one of "Shawna's Girl's"!!!!!!! So, that's the big news for me!!! I am so honored especially after poking through all the galleries over there, and seeing the talent she has on her existing CT... I'm totally loving the interraction and EVERYONE is so nice and witty!!!! I'm on cloud 9!!!!!!!!!

Echos of a hollow blog...

Yep, I nearly choked when I realized how long it's been since I've checked in here. Turns out, I even forgot my logon and password so it's been quite the pickle getting back too! It's no secret that I've been MIA for most of the summer. I had to step away from my computer monitor almost completely to get some real life things accomplished. It seems that if you mean to sit there for 10 or 15 minutes or even say ONE HOUR... You can be there half the day before realizing it. So, cold turkey for a while... I've focused on living more fully. We've gone on vacation, been taking the boys to BMX races where they are collecting trophy after trophy. Kaitlyn and I have been out and about on the four wheeler and swimming and playing in the sandbox and a little bit of shopping. She is a constant beam of sunshine when in her sweet little girlie mood but can change the tone in an instant if angered... We're working on the fits right now. Making no progress now mind you... but working on it...

I've spent more time taking care of myself than quite possibly ever in my entire life. I recently purchased some extensions which I did honestly research on the web for countless hours. www.extensions.com I was so anxious about this decision and finally made the leap. Wanna see? I just got some pics yesterday with them curled and it's my favorite way to wear my hair now. I certainly don't wear them around the clock but it makes for a great totally different and fun look!

Well, I got on the computer early this morning and it's now 1:49 so you can see that nothing has changed in that department. But, I'm hoping to be around more frequently since the weather is starting to turn cooler. We're already seeing yellow and red in the leaves. Fall is SO making its entrance! I'm going to enjoy a dose of outside right this minute! :-)