The Memory Bee

7.30.11 Finally... photos from CHA!

Time has been speeding by since I've been home from the Craft and Hobby trade show in Chicago last week... time to share pictures before it's really old news!

I arrived a day early and met my friend Barbara (who was there on a business trip with her husband) downtown to do a little shopping and exploring. I had my first Sprinkles cupcake and I thought it was delicious (actually better than Magnolia!) Maybe it was just the great flavor (caramel and sea salt) that made it so good!

Michelle and I were roommates and partners in crime again... shopping the show and talking about plans for another visit to Paper Tales in the new year!

At the show, my first stop was at Jenni Bowlin Studios, where Jenni and I caught up on things, and I picked up samples of her new Christmas papers which I'm hoping to use in the new Christmas album class that I'll be teaching in stores this fall. It has a vintage holiday look that I love!

The next stop was at the American Crafts booth to see the new Amy Tangerine collection and say hi to Amy Tan. I really liked her new products and would love to use them in a future class although I'm not doing a new travel album just yet... really fun things though!

Of course, I loved everything at October Afternoon! It's like the designers crawled into my brain and saw what I would love and then made it. I plan to use one of their new collections in a another class for this fall. Here's a peek at some of the new embellishment packs.

Love this paper and the paper dolls in the coordinating Miscellany pack...

I liked the new Pink Paislee products... especially the new Mistables pieces. I might even mist in a class! Yikes...

I always love the Doodlebug Designs products although it's not my usual style. I thought the baker's twine printed letter stickers were darling!! Love the new Doodle Pops!

Cute new Hambly transparencies...

My best packaging award goes to Tim Holtz's tissue paper! Ingenious!

I also loved the new Miss Nelly collection from Kaiser Crafts... I'd love to get my hands on it to design a class!

The new Graphic 45 school and Christmas collections were stunning and the samples are incredible! My camera battery was dead by the time I got there so I don't have pictures but you can visit their website to see them.

I also saw lots to love at the Prima booth and the Crate Paper booth and lots more that is just a blur now!

It was wonderful to see my South Africa friends Glenda and Lyn!! Can't wait to spend time with them in SA in September!!

Love seeing my San Jose buddies too!! (Erin and Shelly :)

I've got a load of stuff to play with and plan with... three new classes coming up soon! I posted the rest of my schedule for the year on the sidebar... I may add one more store in December. We'll see!

(Brandon update: I've been able to chat on Facebook everyday with him... what a huge blessing! He's gone out on his first patrol missions in the city near his base in the last couple days... it's been quite an eye-opener to him. He says it's just all shambles. Thank you all who emailed for his address for his birthday! He'll be getting cards from all over the world and will be wondering what's going on! :)

7.26.11 Brandon's birthday

Brandon's 22nd birthday is August 2... I'd love to show him how many people are thinking of him and praying for him in Iraq with a flood of cards! If you'd like his address you can email me at memorybee@msn.com. A card or a letter just takes a regular stamp.

Talking to him on Skype for a couple minutes yesterday!

7.26.11 The Luckiest Girl

One of my favorite books when I was a young teenager was The Luckiest Girl by Beverly Cleary. I read it every summer! Now I feel like the luckiest girl... I had such a great week and weekend in Chicago. I'm feeling incredibly blessed by the welcome and friendship of the gals at Creative Cuts and Crafts! I know I say this often but I can't help it... I'm feeling so inspired and encouraged by the enthusiasm of the students this weekend! I had a wonderful time. Linda and Claudia are the owners of the store and go above and beyond to create such a hospitable, warm place for their customers to learn and hang out! Loved it!! Thank you to all!

We had a VERY full house but we had fun!! I can't wait to return... :)

I had a great view of Chicago as I headed home early Sunday morning...

Next up I'll have lots of pictures from CHA: my favorite products and people!

7.16.11 I love what I do!

After being home for a while, it felt kind of strange to be "back on the road" again... when I'm home for a longer period of time, I sometimes ask myself why I do what I do, but this weekend of classes reconfirmed the reasons that I love what I do. How lucky am I?! Feeling very blessed and humbled that a class I've taught can be a huge blessing to someone.

This is Susan and she brought her finished Pennies from Heaven album that we made last year to share with me. She said that it has been a life-saver, a life-changing thing for her as she's gone through some really stressful times with her grandson who was born several months pre-mature this year. He's doing great now, but in the midst of those difficult days, she found lots of pennies... little reminders to trust God! I think she discovered how much God loves her through it. How cool is that! It makes it all worthwhile!

I had a great weekend at Novel Approach here south of Houston! It's soo nice to see students I've known through the years but I also love meeting so many new people and leaving with lots of new friends. Thank you for making me feel so welcome. I can't wait to return! Your cute pictures are in the album on the side. Thank you for all the pretty ATC cards, too!

I'm off to Chicago tomorrow... I'll have updates from the city and the CHA trade show!

7.13.11 Befores and afters

Lots of befores and afters right now...

After deployment: I'm adjusting to the reality that Brandon and Alicia are in Kuwait. They will be heading into Iraq in the next week or so... I won't be putting exactly when on my blog, but I'm kind of liking them being in Kuwait. It feels safer! I've been able to chat on Facebook with Brandon everyday (except today) since he arrived there. It's been such a treat because I'd been prepared that I might not hear anything from him for a couple weeks. He's been going to the USO on post and I've been online to see his message pop up. I love that we can talk for a little while in real time... such a blessing! It has really lifted my spirits!

After getting new furniture from Ikea:

This is the couch that I've had in my living room for over 25 years... I've actually always hated it!

Remember how my living room looked last year while we had the kitchen done? You can see a little bit of the pink chair and the yellow chair in the mess.

I love my new white couch and chairs! I'm so impressed with the quality of the slipcovers on this Ikea furniture! You couldn't make them yourself for the price! (The couch slipcover is $49 and the chair $29. Even though they are machine washable, I bought an extra one for each piece... just in case.)

I've wanted to tear out the carpet and refinish the hardwood floor underneath, but now I'm not minding it as much. I'm thinking of painting some of the furniture... maybe the coffee table and the piece that the china is in. I've also picked out curtains for the windows... time to get rid of the lace swags! I'll show another picture when those are up. They are white and light and airy from the Simply Shabby Chic collection at Target. I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm also thinking of changing the wall color!

Here's a before of the family room (after the OLD couch was already gone):

This is looking toward the family through the kitchen (as we were packing it up before demolition):

Here's the same view now with the wall divider gone!

I took your advise and got the Ikea leather couch and chair. I have curtains for this room too that need to go up and need to hang pictures on the walls. You can see some of the pictures standing to the side ready to go up.

looking back to the living room...

and a glimpse of the cozy counter...

It's been really good to be home since early June and get so many things in our house more settled, but now it's time to start traveling again! I'm so excited to be returning to Houston this weekend to teach at Novel Approach and then from there on to Chicago for CHA (the Craft and Hobby trade show) and then teaching at Creative Cuts and Crafts the next weekend. Lots of adventures ahead!

Thank you again for your continued encouragement and prayers for the kids! I know they appreciate it and you KNOW I DO!!

7.8.11 Checking in from Bangor, Maine

I'm thrilled to get this picture of Brandon, taken in the middle of the night last night in Bangor, Maine. I think it is so cool that there are so many thoughtful, kind people in the world who take these pictures. They photograph just about every soldier that passes through the airport on their way overseas and then post them for the families. It means more than I can say. So thankful that these volunteers are there to shake their hands for us.

He called about 1am from there for one last "I love you." Hope we hear from him soon (although I've been told that it can take awhile.)

I'm a proud mama! Thank you again from the bottom of my heart for all your good wishes, prayers, and love!!!

7.7.11 Brandon's deployment day

I promise to get back to scrapbooking and traveling and shopping and pretty things soon but my mind and heart is pretty much consumed right now with Brandon's departure for Iraq today. He called as he was heading out to the plane and promises to call when they land in Maine sometime during the night tonight before they leave the US and his phone doesn't work anymore. He'll be in Kuwait for a couple weeks and then head into Iraq. He had his assignment and I have his address all ready to send things to him, but today he found out that it may change and probably won't know where he'll be until the day he goes into Iraq.

Even as I type that, I can't believe it's real. I'm full of so many conflicting emotions... my mind is telling me one thing and my heart tells me another. I've been dreading this day... but here's what I know for sure: I know I trust God, that He is in control, that He loves my son even more than me, and that He will accomplish great things in and through Brandon during this time. I will miss him so and will always be concerned for him. I'll be clutching a penny... that's for sure! :) (If you're new to my blog, God sends me "pennies from heaven" to remind me to trust him. "In God I trust.")

Brandon said he got a hug from the "hug lady" as he left at the airport. The hug lady is 79 year old Elizabeth Laird. She hugs every single soldier who leaves or arrives back at Ft. Hood. God bless her for hugging our sons and daughters when we can't be there! (this isn't Brandon... it's a picture I found of her online. :)

I found some pictures of a couple of the bases where Brandon may be stationed. It was comforting to be able to picture where he'll live. The soldiers live in 2 person CHUs (sounds like shoes)... Schuh in a CHU... I bet he'll get some ribbing for that! They are containers that become home!

It's going to be mighty hot there... they have a heat index guide...

(I found most of these pictures on a soldier's blog that was stationed where I thought Brandon would be, so I assume it's ok to post them... especially since I'm not sure he'll be there now.)

I posted this on Facebook and I'll include it here too... the Bible verses that Brandon likes the most and brought up again yesterday...

Psalms 144:1,2  Praise be to the Lord my Rock, who trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle. He is my loving God and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer, my shield, in whom I take refuge.

I'm so thankful for the comfort of God's Word and the love of friends and family. I am treasuring every message of encouragement and appreciate your prayers for all of us more than I can say. Thank you, thank you!

Alicia leaves on Saturday... pray for her too!

With so much love, Debby :)

7.4.11 No words... just lots of love!