I am hosting the Added Challenge/Inspiration for August at DSM.  You can find the challenge forum for DSM here.

The ad inspiration that I chose is this…

I made a template for this challenge that you can download for free here.

Here’s my take…

And my creative team…

JenF…

AnnB…

AmyL…

I hope you can stop by and join the fun! ;D

…lists.  They are neat and concise and to the point…or they can be. ;D

So I was thinking of describing my hospital experience that way.  Oh and yes I know I said I wasn’t going to post until next week.  But I’m sitting here with nothing to do.  I haven’t slept in 2 days and using my computer is the only comforting thing right now.  Well maybe not comforting…but it takes my mind off pain and lack of sleep.  So here’s my list…not my bucket list…bwahahahah!  Just a warning…if this has typos in it…I haven’t slept in two days.  Night one…worrying about the procedure.  Night two…pain from said procedure.  Ugh!

1.  I got all checked in just fine.  But…they didn’t know what my INR levels were and they wouldn’t do the “surgery” unless they knew so we had to wait for my blood work.  That backed things up a bit.

2.  When the doc got in, there were no clots in the filter but some of the “legs” of the filter had turned up instead of facing down so he had to turn them around.

3.  When he tried to pull it out it wouldn’t come out.  It hurt like HELL!  It had adhered to the wall of my vein…as they often do if you leave them in too long.

4.  He worked on me for over 3 hours.  This is a procedure that “typically” takes 1/2 and hour.  I was awake for all of it except one short part at the end.  They sedated me at the end because it was just getting to be so much.  They had to give me A LOOOOOOOOOOOT of pain meds.  Yes.  It sucked!

5.  As you may know they go in thru my neck to get this thing out.  Well.  He ALSO had to go up thru my groin because he put a balloon up under it to try to dislodge it.  So I had two catheters in me.  Yes it was awful.  I repeat.  Awful.

6.  I was in a ton of pain.  Did I mention that?  If I didn’t (he he) then I am again.  I still am.

7.  I am alive.  Yahoo!  I would insert dancing but I can’t exactly do that right now.

8.  They had to leave the filter in there AFTER all that…and it will stay in me for life.  The surgeon is not going to try to get it out a second time.  So after all that pain and suffering…it is still in there.  Peh!

9.  Where do I go from here?  If my genetic tests come back negative then hopefully I’ll get off coumadin in a few more months.  Leaving the filter in has some risks but trying to get it out has more risks I guess…so it stays.  Hopefully this will all soon be but a happy memory. 

10.  Maybe I’ll sleep tonight.  Maybe I won’t.  But if I don’t get some sleep soon heads will roll!  If you ask Corey…they already are!

I think that’s all I want to share.  Or all that I should.  Given my lack of sleep.

Since I don’t usually like to post without photos…here are a couple from the beach the other day. ;D

On Monday August 2 at 9am MST (11am EST, 10am CST, 8am PST) I am hosting my first Speed Scrap at Digi Scrapbook Mania.  I know it is kinda a weird time but we are trying some new times to see what people like.  I hope you can join me!  I have a great freebie if you do!

I probably won’t post again over the weekend.  Having my “minor” procedure done tomorrow.  I expect I’ll be tired and grumpy and sore.  At least I’m preparing for that.

I do have products ready for my grand opening at My Life and Scrap…I REALLY do.  But I can’t figure out ZenCart.  I just wish I could design and someone else could do the rest for me.  Sometimes I feel really retarded.  I haven’t had Corey help me with it yet.  That’s probably the problem.  He usually figures out all that crap for me and just tells me what to do.  I’m trying to be all independent.  Yeah.  It’s not working so well.  Have a great weekend!  Hope to see you at DSM on Monday! ;D

I couldn’t be more busy.  Or more lacking in computers to do things.

I got a new job at My Life and Scrap.  So I am now a designer at two places.  I’m working my tail off to get my new products together so I can open my store at MLAS.  My nice fancy computer Corey got me…so I could be a “real” designer and work in a “real” office…the motherboard died.  THEN he gave me a replacement that was, bless his heart, slower than death.  So I went back to my laptop and was working across the network.  THAT was even slower.  So he went to get my data off my brand new hard drive and the case that he put it in blew it up.  He went to see if it (the hard drive) really was dead and put it in the slower than death puter…and it blew the mother board in that one.  So I am computer-less…except for my trusty…knock on wood…laptop.

So now Corey’s in data recovery mode.  Trying to get all my data back.  Yikes.

So I’m trying not to stress.  And trying to work.  I ALSO am going to be guest CT at ScrapArtist in Aug.  I also have 3 speed scraps and a challenge I’m hosting at DSM.

Oh and btw…did I mention that I have to have my renal filter out on Friday?  The one they put in April to stop the blood clots from reaching my heart?  So I have to stop coumadin, start lovenox (yeah those pleasant shots) and go in for that…supposed to be an outpatient procedure…but when they put a catheter down your neck…it kinda hurts for a few days!  Also they say if there is a blood clot in it (the filter) then it has to stay in there for life…which has its own issues.

Yeah.  It just doesn’t stop around here.

So I don’t have access to any pretty pictures to show you…or any previews to any new products…or my challenge at DSM or the Freebie you can get if you do the speed scrap on Aug 2.  Sorry folks.

But I wanted to let you know I hadn’t fallen off the face of the earth…just yet! ;D

What a blessed thing!  When you have had insane heat it is such a relief! ;D  The kids…specifically Ava…have taken to wanting to play out in it.  Laney likes to…as long as there isn’t thunder or lightning.  She’s terrified of both. ;D  I don’t really like them going out when there is lightning.  But I do want them to enjoy the rain.  I captured her out in it the other day.

I’ve told you before that when I get out the camera to take photos of the dogs Skits poses and Baxter runs away.  It makes me laugh.  You might wonder why I have more photos on my blog…cute photos anyway…of Skits and why I have layouts, and the kids do too, of Skits and not Baxter.  Same reason.  Better photos cause he poses.

The other evening Corey and the kids went outside to play catch in the front yard.  We have a window seat in the formal living room that the dogs like to perch in and watch the goings-on in the front yard.  I found the dogs perched there watching.  I grabbed my camera to capture it.  As soon as I returned Baxter ran away.  Skits turned and literally “posed”.  Here he is…

It never fails…I take my camera, no one cooperates, weather, sunlight, subjects (ehem, namely my eldest daughter), whatever!  I DON’T take my camera and everything is just perfect.  What is up with THAT?   Seriously.

We went to the dog park this morning.  It was so nice.  Cloudy. 62°.  A very nice break from the insane heat.  Everyone was in good moods.  Skits could actually run…and not be limping and whining from his “recent procedure”.  And I didn’t bring my camera.  Typical.

I do have some photos from yesterday.  I took the girls hiking on The Rock in Castle Rock.  It was hot but we went early and were mostly in the shade.  It’s not a bad hike but I’m still having days where I just don’t feel up to par.  That day was one of ‘em.  But I pushed myself and we made it! ;D

In other news…I will soon be selling my designs at My Life and Scrap!  Insert the Chandler Dance! ;D  In an effort to make everything current I am going to be closing my store here on my blog for a time and taking down my freebies.  Some of these products have been around for awhile and I want to do some updating.  Please bear with me as I update things and get things going over there at My Life and Scrap.  Meantime you can stop by my store at DSM and purchase some of my newer designs!  Thanks for all your support!

I’ve got two new products in my DSM store today.  Both are on sale!

Happy Monday!

It’s not all work.  It is some play. ;D  Here are some recent layouts I’ve done.  Yes.  Just for me! ;D

Layout credits.

Layout credits.

Layout credits.

I think the girls were inspired when they saw this layout…

Because they both wanted to scrapbook and when I asked them what they wanted to scrap about they both said, “Skits!”

It could be because he is on our minds a lot because on Friday he got “fixed” and he was gone all day.  We sure did miss him and realized just how much he “entertains” us.  Even Baxter was depressed.  We all piled in the car late Friday afternoon to go get him…yes, even Baxter!

I’m writing this on Saturday and he is doing well but he is sore and stiff.  Poor dogger!  We love him so muchly!  We have to help him go up and down the stairs to get outside to the yard to go potty.  He is not so keen on doing stairs yet.  He is lying low and we are trying to get the kiddos to back off and let him be.  It’s hard cause we just want to smother him with love.  He is such an awesome dog! ;D

Here are the girls’ layouts…again, I helped Laney a little more than Ava.  I did both their extractions.  They chose all their elements and put them where they wanted.  The photos are their own.  All elements (except that moon) and paper are mine! ;D

Anyway…on to the layouts! Laney’s…

And Ava’s…