Monday, July 30, 2007

A House isn't just a house


Call K2 and sign up for my cute Doodlebug house class on Saturday. I had so much fun making this little house. You will get a cute naked house and then you get to choose 3 pieces of coordinating pattern paper. We will have those fabulous Doodlebug paper frills in primary colors for you to use and decorate your house. Come and have some fun with me.

Weekly K2 Design Team Challenge


Ok girls, I am the K2 Design Team member to issue this weeks challenge...I know you are asking yourselves, hey Jocie issued last weeks challenge. Well, you are right. But July has 5 Monday's and I am week 4 and week 5. So here it goes.
I challenge you to use your scraps! I keep my scraps as long as they are decent size and I keep them in a Creative Memories 12x12 paper holder. I usually throw them all out once a year or so and then start collecting again.
Start scrapping and send me a link or a photo of your layout using paper scraps!

Sunday, July 29, 2007

Happy Birthday Franklin



Happy 3rd Birthday Franklin. You had an awesome party yesterday. Great food, swimming, bug catching and a great cake made by your Mom. We had a lot of fun, thanks for inviting us!

Friday, July 27, 2007

I have gone Ditigal thanks to Megan

On Thursday night I headed to K2 Scrapbook Studio to take a digital class taught by my awesome friend Megan. The class was incredible. Megan is a great teacher. We all brought our laptops and Megan taught us how to alter our photos in photoshop and then how to create a digital page using a digital kit. It was so much fun.

Wednesday, July 25, 2007

Girlfriend Time

I had such a nice night out with the girls tonight. We went to Carabba's and had a yummy dinner and stayed talking til almost 11 p.m. We missed you Molly and Karen. Thanks for such a fun evening Mindy, Melissa, Fern and Andrea. Megan, hope you had fun at the concert tonight, I can't wait to take your digi class at K2 tomorrow.

Scrap and Dash today!



Happy cutting!! This weeks Scrap and Dash involves a lot of cutting and a lot of patience. You will need really sharp scissors to create these 2 pages. I just loved the new Basic Grey. I think I may add some glitter when I get the pages back.

Monday, July 23, 2007

At the Beach



We went to the beach yesterday night after dinner with my godparents. The gulf is so warm. Andrew had so much fun just putting his feet in the water and looking for sharks teeth.

K2 Design Team Challenge


Ok ladies, I am the appointed K2 Design team member to issue the challenge for this week. Many of you know I am the scraplift queen. So I challenge all of you to scraplift my scraplift! Make it your own. I had so much fun using lots of little embellishments. Send me an email or a message on my blog with your scraplift. Have some fun.

Sunday, July 22, 2007

One Year Today


One year ago today I lost my father. His name was Marvin B Udell and he was only 69. He was a dentist and a father, husband, Poppy, Uncle and a friend to many people.
I want to thank everyone who called and emailed me today to remember both me and my father on this difficult day. It is so hard to believe it is already a year. For most of this past year, my father is the last person I think about each day and the first person I think about when I wake up. I kept wanting to wake up and have it all be a bad nightmare. If you have never lost a parent I can't begin to explain what it feels like. My dad was my anchor, strong, solid and someone I could always count on.
Today for just a moment I let myself ask why? Why him, why me? On the day of his funeral I ran an errand for my mom to the bank and I remember driving in the car crying that asking why would not help, there is never a reason that will satisfy or comfort a person in mourning. At my mothers funeral 29 years ago people said it was a blessing, that she was so sick and suffered so much. At my dad's funeral most people looked at Jon, Shari and me and said you poor children, both your parents are dead.
In this past year my life has gone on. Yes, I think of my dad everyday, yes I cry in the car on my way to and from work most days but my life has gone on. That is what my dad would have wanted. It is my mother's life who has not gone on. She is the one without her partner. They had such dreams for their retirement years. Today I ask why for her. I have not gotten an answer. You can ask why all you want but it doesn't help.
I said to Shari today, where is he? She can't answer me. I can still hear his voice, I talk to him in the car all the time. My life will never be the same without him just like my life is not the same without my mother or my Aunt Paula or my Nanny. I have learned to live and smile and laugh and feel joy without so many people I love. I am 43, my mother died at 40.
Love, love changes everything,
hands and faces,
earth and sky
Love, love changes everything
How you live and how you die,
Love can make a summer fly or a night seem like a lifetime
Yes, love, love changes everything
Now I tremble at your name,
nothing in the world will ever be the same.
One year ago today my life changed forever. Nothing in the world will ever be the same.
My dad taught me that tomorrow will still be Monday, life is what you make it. I know all these things to be true. Tonight my heart breaks and I have tears running down my face. Tomorrow is another day.
To everything there is a season and a time for every purpose under the heavens.
A time to live and a time to die...
for my parents their time came too soon.
I hope they are together in heaven and I hope they have White House hoagies and black cows and chocolate covered pretzels in heaven. I hope you get to play golf everyday and bridge every night. I hope they have beautiful classical music to listen to and pictures of those you left behind that update each day. I hope they have homes with a courtyard and comfortable chairs to read books in. I hope they have wonderful cool weather and that everyday is sunny. I hope you only feel love and peace. I hope someday a long time from now, I will see them again and they will greet me with open arms.
I miss you daddy. We all miss you. You were a life force, a presence. You left your mark on all who knew you. Sweet dreams.

Good Summer reading



I just read these two books. I want to hank you to Melody Stevens, my new book critic for recommending Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See. What an incredible story. I just loved the book.
No Angel by Penny Vincenzi is a great read. It was almost 700 pages and takes place in England pre-WWI. A big book but a really good story. The best thing about the book which I didn't know before I read it was it is book 1 in a trilogy and all 3 books are in paperback and available. I love finding a new author and then finding out they have more books to read that you can get your hands on. Read Snow Flower and the Secret Fan!

I have been tagged


Ok girls I have been tagged by Karen and now I must tag 5 people. I tag Amy, Fern, Patricia, Lora and Amanda.
All you have to do is copy the Rockin' Girl Blogger jpeg and put it on your blog!

Africa


I realized I never posted what I wrote inside the photo album I have about our trip to Africa. Africa is a place that you never forget. We all think about it everyday.

Africa
It was a gift like none I had ever been given.
A gift to travel to Africa on Safari with my family.
The trip of a lifetime we called it.
We waited and counted the days down till it was time,
Time to travel half way around the world to Africa.
We dreamed of what we would see and who we would meet.
The world is large.
God’s creation is indeed so great.
We saw sunrise and sunset each day.
We drove and drove to meet the animals God created.
We watched and observed them in their own habitat, not in a zoo but in huge open spaces.
We tasted the food of Africa with it fragrant flavors.
We met the people of Africa with their smiles so warm and inviting.
We heard their music and their voices in song.
We celebrated birthdays and anniversaries.
I laughed and I cried.
I laughed of happiness and in celebration.
I cried in sadness of a world my parents would never see.
I marveled at the size of Africa, and we saw only a small part.
We were welcomed into their homes and I saw poverty like I have never seen.
We met their school children and I was sorry I had nothing but Kleenex to give them.
We traveled far to celebrate a great man’s 75th Birthday.
It was like no party I have ever been to.
We will return one day to Africa, we must.
I will hear their voices and see their faces.
I will close my eyes and see the animals so beautiful and strong.
It was the trip of a lifetime.
It left us with memories we will carry the rest of our lives.
I wish for everyone to go there and see the marvels I have seen.

Tuesday, July 17, 2007

Scrap and Dash tomorrow






I can hardly believe it is already Tuesday which means tomorrow is Scrap and Dash at K2. Head on over tomorrow at 5:30 to create these two layouts. The NYC is the regular and the CHHSW is the bonus. Both layouts use the new and fabulous Rhonna Farrer papers.
Doesn't Amy just look so cute in her little tiara at last Friday nights crop!
If you are going to the SDV in Orlando in September and haven't signed up to take my "Get Ready for the SDV" class there are still a couple of seats left. At the class you will get a detailed week by week task list to help you get ready. Last year at the SDV I completed over 52 12x12 pages. I will share all my secrets and you will each get a handout and 4x6 photos of my set up from last year. I will also share my detailed list of what products to bring.
Happy Scrapping!

Monday, July 16, 2007

Thinking about my Daddy


This feels like it is going to be a hard week. On Sunday it will be one year since my daddy died. I think of him everyday but these past couple of days I think of him all day. I have learned you can't ask why? I miss him so much. He was my touch stone, my rock, my hero. My dad was always right, he was larger than life. He had certain sayings, "sheer volume", "you can't get there from here", "cockymon", "you be's bad, you get a lickin". He loved us and we loved him. I never wanted to imagine my life without him and now I know why. For 28 years I missed my mother, but it is now my father I miss. I had him longer, I know what I am missing. This year has gone quickly. So much has happened. This was truely a year of change and of loss. I lost more than just my father this year...
I can still hear his voice and I have drempt about him many times. I can still feel his arms and his hugs. Life does go on, but it is different now. I have had the support of so many wonderful friends this past year and the love of my family.
Life goes on, wonderful things happen. There is much to look forward to. Jeff is going to become a CPA this year! I am so proud of him. Andrew will be in 3rd grade. It all continues, just without him. When you have some delicious summer fruit this summer, think of him. When you swim in a cool and refreshing pool, think of him. When you have a cheesesteak hoagie think of him. When you hear Jaque Brel, think of him. When you see my child's eyes, think of him.

Sunday, July 15, 2007

Happy Birthday Julia Hope


Happy Birthday my dear sweet Julia. I can hardly believe you are 8. I can remember the day you were born so clearly and I can remember the first time I ever held you in my arms. Before I had you and Morgan as my nieces I couldn't understand how Aunt Paula was always wanting to touch us and kiss us and sit as close as possible to us while as soon as you and Morgan were born I understood. I could never give you enough hugs and kisses. I love you. I love your smile, your sweet voice, the way you call my Aunt Jocie. You are sweet, sassy, smart and so lovable. I wish you a BIG HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! all my love aunt jocie

Amazing Friends


I am a lucky girl to have such amazing friends like Fern and David. I love them both so much. Fern has called me every day since my dad died to see how I am doing. Both Fern and David are there at anytime of day if we ever need anything. They are such an amazing couple and such dear and special friends. Thanks Fern and David, I love you both. Last night I went out with Fern and David and we enjoyed a delicious dinner at The Mangrove Grill, after dinner we went to Barnes and Noble and enjoyed some time browsing for books. Fern and David are committed friends, partners and parents. They are smart and hardworking. They are simply amazing!!!

Tuesday, July 10, 2007

Scrap and Dash tomorrow



Head on over to K2 tomorrow for Scrap and Dash. I have created two layouts perfect for your 4th of July pictures or Fathers Day or Memorial Day. While you are K2 grab some of the new and really awesome Cherry Arte paper, Karen put it out today. While I was there today I got the new Rhonna Farrer Phrases Rub-Ons, they ROCK!! I love the new Rhonna Farrer, Basic Grey and all the Cherry Arte that is brand spanking new.

Cherry Hill High School West


I can hardly believe I am out of high school 25 years! My 25th High School reunion is the weekend of Thanksgiving and I just made my air arrangements to go! Andrew and I will be celebrating Thanksgiving in New Jersey. I think it has been over 6 years since I was in NJ for Thanksgiving. It will be nice to feel some good cool weather at turkey time.
I would love to see my old gang, Suzanne, Debbie, Melissa, Donna, Ronda, Carol, Lori, Bobbie, Beth Gantz, Beth Green, Bruce, Brad, Herbie, MaryBeth (Buffy), Jocie Perkin, Cheryl, Peggy,Alan K. and Val. I would love to see some of my Joyce Kilmer classmates, Tim Hinchman, Billy Coyne.
So dust off those purple jackets and get out the class ring of 1982 lets celebrate!!

Wednesday, July 04, 2007

Happy 4th of July!





Well I am finally starting to feel like me again. Jetlag is really something. I got all the laundry done yesterday and finally uploaded all the pictures. When I looked at them it was re-living the whole trip again. What a trip it was. I am so glad I kept a journal during the trip. You always think you are going to remember everything but you don't. I wrote everyday and filled at least 3/4 of the book.


We are having a quiet day today. Jeff is now studying for part 3 of the CPA exam. He passed the first 2 parts!

Andrew loved being on safari and said it was the best vacation ever! You got that right! Here are some pictures from the first leg of our trip to the Big Apple. We had dinner at Ruby Foos in Times Square with our friends Melissa and Ilene and their two beautiful daughters Alexi and Sierra. I couldn't believe how much they have grown. Alexi is a young lady already. Melissa was pregnant with her when we moved out of NYC. My big sis Lora met us and we had a delicious chinese dinner and then after dinner we walked down Broadway. It was so unreal to be in NYC. I can hardly believe I ever lived there. Andrew had no fear, we had to keep pulling him back to stay with us. There were so many people on the streets. After dinner we headed down Broadway to the M&M store and then to Virgin Records and then the mecca of all, Toys R Us. Andrew was in heaven. It is a huge 4 floor store with a giant carosel in the middle. We had such a great night. We got back to the hotel after midnight and were up the next day early to catch our plane to Dubai.

Monday, July 02, 2007

Home at Last!

I will blog longer later today, but I am home!!! It took us 2 days to get home but we made it late last night after a 3 hour delay in Atlanta. It was the trip of a lifetime and it gave us memories to last a lifetime. We are committed to going back to Africa again. It was so incredible. The animals, the people, the places we went, the food we ate, the things we did and the experiences were all over the top. We stayed at the most incredible lodges. Check out www.ccafrica.com to see where we went. What an incredible company to travel with. Thank you Uncle Dick! I will start to upload pictures later. I am starting the unpacking and laundry now. Tonight we will be having pizza for dinner. There was no pizza in Africa. We got home too late last night to order one. We feel instantly asleep once we hit the pillows. It was a super long travel day once we hit NYC at 8 am yesterday. It took all day to get to Tampa.