Friday, March 22, 2013

Miss Bella

Thanks for all the emails asking about Miss Bella!!
I should have known to include a little note about her :)




She's doing very well .. we've had lots of snow this year and if you follow My Chic n Scratch papercrafting blog you've already seen what I'm about to share.

Miss Bella was on the Weather channel during the Winter Storm Q.  I was able to DVR it and I crack up every time I hear the weather man say "Miss Bella loves snow". 

Since the weather has been nasty .. no new pictures to share .... but I'll give you the link to the weather channel where you can see the video I submitted (I wish I could find the actual video of the weather guy talking about her).  Click here to see the video I submitted.

See ya!
p.s. sorry I have been all over the place with my posting.  I wish I could just have one blog and post all this on my main site .. but I've heard from too many people that they never read what I write .. they are just there for the pictures and the videos (and I appreciate their honesty).

Pin It!

Thursday, March 21, 2013

New arrangement for table



We're on Spring Break this week and I was on a mission today to find a Herb Garden Starter Kit.

I looked online for a while .. and then I headed to Olathe Glass .. now that I think about it .. I'm not sure I've ever seen flower pots there ...but you never know.

I bought the mirrored tray on Amazon last week and the plants and bird I bought at Olathe Glass.    

So back to my original search .. I went to Lowes and found a white pot for my herb garden  ... but I'm going to return it since I found what I was looking for on Etsy...I was really looking for something a little distressed .. that would match my house.

  The herbs I ordered were .....  Basil, Cilantro and Parsley.  (Cilantro for salsa, parsley for chicken noodle soup and basil for my hubby.)

See ya!

Update:  turns out the Herb Garden Kit I ordered on Etsy was never delivered and I was totally scammed (she took my money and ran).
Pin It!

Saturday, February 2, 2013

Final Cut Pro X

I did it!!!

Another item on my Bucket List was to learn how to use Final Cut Pro.  I bought Final Cut years ago .... never could figure it out .... then I bought Final Cut Pro X because I was determined to learn it. 

Signed up for Lynda.com for the training videos  .... but still couldn't figure it out.

Ask a friend for help .. timing was an issue.

Road block after road block.

So, yesterday I got soooo upset that I decided when I got back from my doctors appointment I would just sit and play...with something that would make me feel good.

But first .... let's talk about why I was so upset.

I woke up yesterday realizing that my shopping cart service was not charging my recurring customers.  I watched their training videos and set it up exactly as they showed me.  And no where do they say "oh by the way if you use Paypal to handle the credit cards you need to do something else".

After paying for support ... two phone calls later .. it still doesn't work.  I've done everything they said and I have no clue where to turn for help. 


Well .. enough about that .. I will keep on trucking and try to find out the problem... let's get back to my excitement!

I say .....I learned how to use Final Cut Pro ..... I think I spoke too soon.  I have no clue how I did  it and if I can duplicate it.  I still can't figure out how to import videos from my camera. 

But I'm still excited!  I posted my first final cut pro video last night and it was My Chic n Scratch Bloopers #9.  It's not perfect .. but it's done.

I was thinking yesterday .... do I want to share this story ...what good could come of it?  and then it came to me ..... all my blog posts do not have to be uplifting .. I have to share the good with the bad or the bad with the good. 

I wish I had a picture to share with you today .. but it's been soooo cold that we can hardly go outside ......and Miss Bella is a dirty dog from playing in the rain and snow! (she's gets a bath on Wednesday)

See ya!
Pin It!

Saturday, January 26, 2013

Miss Bella and Photography

I could not resist sharing this funny picture with you today!

I'm working hard to catch up on my Photography Class and Miss Bella is the subject.

It was quiet windy this morning and she was squinting!

By the way .. she's doing very well on her electric fence training .. I'm happy to report she's not ran through the fence one time this week. 

I sure wish the shock collar was prettier!!!  Maybe I should write the company and suggest that girl dogs would prefer any color over black  .... for a box around their neck... we need choices!

See ya!
Pin It!

Thursday, January 24, 2013

a simple hello

I always say ... things happen for a reason.

Although .. I'm not sure I always believe that!

For example the hotel issue in Orlando... still scratching my head trying to figure out the good that came out of that.

Since I've returned from Orlando .. I've not felt 100% .. and I'm pushed myself to much!

And ... it backfired... or wait .... I'm not sure that's the problem.

My word for 2013 is ...

Delegate

Here's my story .... 

I tell my kids all the time .. you can do anything you set your mind to.  You have to Believe it to Achieve it.  

And I'm a prime example of that all the time!

But .. I will say .. I'm a little tired of the constant struggle to make things right.

That sounds so awful .. let me explain.

In November I went to a meeting ...where it was decided I would do Online Classes. 

So, I launched my first one in December.  Everything went well .. only had one negative comment (thank God) from a paying customer and one negative comment from someone that did not pay.  I say that alone is SUCCESS considering how negative and entitled people can be.

Now for the hum dinger ... 

I set up my Sale-a-bration Class (2nd online class)... it looked beautiful .....everything worked.  But ... I worked like a dog ... for days and hours on end .. (no joking .. even at 11pm .. watching a movie with hubby ..still loading videos .. he was ready to kick me to the curb).

Then the sky falls .. videos stop working .. I tried everything .. and I was sick .. (still sick .. been up all night.. probably why I'm pouring my heart and soul out on this blog).
I spent hours making changes ... trying to figure out what happened.  I still don't know!  The thing that did happen is the company I use for my videos had a big upgrade (that was NOT cheap) and I'm thinking .. it has issues.

So ...the end of the story is .. I hired my website hosting company to add my online classes to My Chic n Scratch site.  They will set up everything ...and all I have to do is add the content (you and I both know I also have to create, film, edit, type, take pics, edit pics..the list goes on).  But what excites me the most is IF ...or WHEN (cause we know I always do) ..all I have to do is ask them for help.  Granted .. I'm paying a lot of money for it... but I think in the long run ... I'll see a return in my investment (how'd you like that I went from talking emotional to talking like my hubby... he would say .."when can you expect a return on your investment" and I say "don't ask me about numbers").

The whole point of this long post .. is I ask Alec in November about setting up my online classes .... and I didn't want to pay the money .. I'm kicking myself now!  

Now you see why my word is DELEGATE .. don't ya?

I gotta run ... need more advil!!

p.s.  if this post is gone later .. you'll know I started feeling better and decided I said too much.
Pin It!

Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Miss Bella and her toys


My house looks like I have a toddler again!!
We call Miss Bella the eating machine!!

When she gets a new toy .. it takes her less than an hour to shred it completely.

In fact some of them only last five minutes (like the lamb I gave her at Christmas).

If you look real close at the 2nd picture .. she's chewed the dog feet off the plastic toy... this toy is currently in the trash .. it only had two feet left on it.

While I was in Orlando last week ... Dave was training her on the electric fence .... she's doing pretty good .. except when she sees a live body (neighbor or other animal)....she runs right through the fence ..shock and all!

 The whole house is giving me grief because I can't train her.  I'm so afraid she'll get hit by a car ..... once you've had that happen to you ...you never get over it! (Even if you were only five years old.)

Get this .. Dave trained her to come running when we bounce the tennis ball.  So, I stand at the door .... watch her go potty and the minute she's done .. I bounce the ball several times and she comes running.  Only catch ..make sure no one is outside... she ran after the meter reader dude today and I had my hair in a towel ..... was in my pjs and had no makeup on.  All I could say was Sorry!!
She only chased him because she LOVES everybody and everything .... she wouldn't bite a flea.

Now for some TV talk ...

The Bachelor was on last night .... I can't help but love it.  I usually pick my favorite .. but I'm having a hard time.  I liked Sarah .. his first one on one date... then I LOVED Desiree ... but I also like Kacie and Lesley (blond chick).  Like Sean said ..once he talked to them ..he saw potential in all of them.  So, I guess I'll hold off on my predictions .. for at least another week or so.  I can say "Tierra and Amanda need to go".  

Justified is on tonight ....I'm looking forward to week two of Season four!!  When I watch that show it reminds me of home (Tennessee and Kentucky accents are very similar).

Gotta run .. I haven't felt good since I got home from Orlando and its time for my daily nap (seriously .. it is ..when I'm sick .. I take naps).

Later!
p.s. Stampin' Up! announced several promotions at Leadership and one of the things that really struck me afterwards was how negative some people get .. before they know anything.  I sure hope I've taught my children to think positive until there's a reason to go negative.  I personally... am going to find a way to work all of it ...into a benefit for me and my business.
Pin It!

Saturday, January 12, 2013

Leadership in Orlando

Just checking in real fast ..... It's been a CRAZY week!

If you know me well ..... You know that I have incredible good luck ....and incredible bad luck and when it's bad I FREAK!

So, I arrive in Orlando ....to be told that my hotel overbooked .....and they transferred me to a hotel over two miles away from all my friends ... A hotel right off the interstate (those always scare me for reasons I won't go into ....yep I've seen too many movies). Not only that ..... But I'm traveling alone.

I've had the help of many friends .... But being so far away I've not seen many.

Enough of the boo hooing (I know it could be a whole lot worse).....

One of the positives is ...... I got to help a few of my friends and they helped me.

Here's a picture of us at breakfast our first monrning (ignore my looks ....I'd only had two hours of sleep and had zero eye makeup on).

Now back to the hotel situation ..... Dave (wonderful husband that I couldn't live without) called the hotel and got me ....my room .... For the last two nights ....so here I am ....where I was supposed to be.  Although ....why unpack when I'm leaving tomorrow am?

I'm off .....to our last day of Leadership and I can't wait to get home and process everything ....and STAMP!

See ya!
P.s. please ignore any typos!
Pin It!

Monday, January 7, 2013

Photography Class

Today is day one of my Online Photography Class and I'm soooo excited!

I'm also scared to death!

How the heck am I going to fit this in .. with work?  And I leave for our Stampin' Up! Leadership meeting this week.

I told my assistant earlier today that this has been on my bucket list for a long time.  In fact I've tried to get in the class for a few years now.  Jan - March is not the ideal time ... but then again ... looking at the calendar ..when is?

So, I'm jumping in .. with two feet.  I'll either sink or swim. 

I printed all my material and it should give me something to read during the times the airline won't let me turn on my iPad.

I took my first picture on manual mode today .. it was too blurry to post .. so I snapped another with the auto mode.

Here's the unedited picture of Miss Bella (sorry she needs a bath after playing in the snow).


Here's the picture after I edited it in Photoshop Elements 10 (I cropped it and increased the contrast)

Amazing at what two steps can do to a picture!!


Isn't she so stinkin cute?
By the way ... Miss Bella is a Cavachon.
Half King Charles Cavalier and half Bichon Frise (she doesn't shed either).


See ya!
Pin It!

Sunday, January 6, 2013

Bean Bag ..... Dog bed

We laugh out loud every time we find Miss Bella snoozing on the bean bag.

Such a large bed .... For such a little dog.

Pin It!

Saturday, January 5, 2013

Chase & Dave

My two boys ... well one is ..... the other is my hubby.

Over Christmas break ..... Dave and I did most of our shopping together.
That is not the normal .... but since I was so behind he really stepped up to the plate. He told me after every day of shopping "I'm not going to be your chauffeur anymore" ...but the next day came ... and there he was!

A few days before Christmas we went to the Best Buy where Chase works .. and he happened to be on break .. so I snapped a picture of him and Dave with my iPhone.  He hates the picture .... but oh well I think he looks so cute!! Both of them.

See ya!
p.s. have you noticed ... I've posted 5 days straight?

Pin It!