My (Crazy) Life and Times

Conversations with the kids...

Almost every night, my son West (who just turned four) comes downstairs and gets in bed with us. I know this is not a good practice for us to allow, but Bob sleeps as though he's under general anesthesia every night (and therefore NEVER wakes up in the night), and I am too tired to get up and walk him back upstairs. SO, he crawls in bed with us and snuggles up to me and secretly, I LOVE IT.

Most of the time we have these cute little conversations before we fall back asleep. He has some speech delays, and they are the kind of issues that deep down you don't really want to get fixed because they are so cute that you get a headache from clenching your teeth too tightly  everytime he talks (those of you with kiddos know what I'm talking about, right?) So it's hard to recreate that in a post but I will try...just imagine him saying these things with like the cutest little voice you've ever heard...

West: (after getting in bed with me) scatch my back...

Me: ok (I scratch for like 30 seconds)

West: K, dat 'nuff...you can go to seep now

Later that night the cat jumped on the bed while we were sleeping and he says...

West: Put 'nelope (Penelope) out and lock da door (as if she could open the door with her little paws)

West is also a very early riser (compared to my other children). One morning he decided to get up at 5:30 when it was still pitch black outside. I hurried out of bed to get him because he was starting to go upstairs and I didn't want him to wake anyone up. So here I am at the bottom of the stairs, he's two thirds of the way up the stairs, and it's pitch black in our house...

Me: (in a loud whisper) West! Where are you going??

West: I hass to get someting up-tairs.

Me: Like what?

West: I hass to get my puwse! (purse)...(as if I should have instinctively known that it was urgent that he get his purse...which let the record show that it's not an actual purse but a shoulder bag thing that we got in China...ok, so it's Hello Kitty, but it's NOT a real purse!)

Ok, and just now I overheard him "reading" this card to Phoenix

"Phoenix! It's from Auntie Diane (I wish you could hear the way he says "Auntie Diane")! 'Dear Phoenix, I hope you has a great day...' Her says her loves you, Phoenix!!"

After this his best friend Anna who is over playing says in amazement, "you can read?" I can't read yet because I'm only...are you four?"

It's just the funniest exchange. It's times like these that I really love having so many kids because their interactions with each other (and Bob and I) bring me immense joy. I can't wait to film some of the conversations I have with Phoenix...you can't really convey her cuteness in type. LOL And I'm sure it's exactly the same way with all of you and your kids (or nieces and nephews or whatever kids you may have relationships with.) This is why I suffer from TMJ! I'm always clenching my jaw or else I might squeeze my kids to death! (I explained this to my physical therapist and he knew exactly what I meant!)

My internet is FINALLY working on my desktop again, so I can post more. I just hate typing on my laptop, so I dread posting when I only have that accessible to me. I've missed it though! I have so much to tell you all too. Can't wait to share some of the exciting Scrap In Style TV stuff with all of you. It's not time yet, though. hehe, you'll have to wait...

JJ

Is this for real? I'm ROFL right now!

Ok, you all have to check this out. I'm seriously tempted to buy some and do an episode about it. If any of you have experience with it (and are willing to admit it) you have to let me know all about it!

JJ

Me and Donna are TIGHT!

Ok, so I was given a great opportunity to chat with Donna Downey this morning about her possible involvement with the show, and I think I was a complete idiot on the phone with her! See, I had taken my Narcolepsy medicine about an hour before I made the call and for some reason, this morning I decided to chase it all with a Rock Star Energy Drink.

Wow. That. Was. Dumb.

It all decided to kick in about five seconds after she said "hello". So I'm talking like 200 words per minute and all the saliva is completely disappearing from my mouth so as I talk, each word comes out with that dry mouth sound that's so annoying when you're talking to someone and they have it. Like I was totally annoying myself! Ugh!

On top of it all, I think I was so jacked up on all my medicine, I couldn't really think clearly or quickly AND I was kind of nervous because it was Donna D. and she may hold the key to the success or lack thereof of my scrapbooking empire! (Ok, maybe I'm being a little melodramatic right now, but these are the things that were going through my head at the time.)

So Donna is probably trying to figure out a way to back out of her offer to contribute to the show, after talking to "crazy, scrapbooking TV show lady". <sigh>

However, I did program her cell phone number into my phone so I can just ring her up any time I want...hmm...I see a segment for the show in this...I could title it, "How to become a stalker of the scrapbooking elite."

Well, at least the whole episode wasn't as bad as my encounter with Sara Evans who is one of my very favorite singers. Some day I'll have to tell you that story...now, THAT was truly embarrassing.

Ok, plans for the site are going great. Now if I could just get a certain designer to email me back with a resounding "yes! I would love to be the  premiere featured designer for your show!" that would be GREAT. ;)

That's all for now. Don't forget that the deadline for the SIS TV Design Team submissions is April 1. We're looking for the best talent in the industry. Even if you've never been published or even submitted anywhere, we want to see what you've got. Click here for all the info.

Bye for now!

JJ

Crazy, insane busy!

Things are crazy around here right now! I have SO much to do for the web site and the show, and Bob is leaving tonight again and my mom and dad are leaving tomorrow. Yikes! That's why I haven't posted since I got back from Birmingham.

We had a GREAT time in Birmingham. Everyone was so much fun, I laughed SO much. I'll write more details later, but I have to go finalize my color palette for the website and send out some emails before I go to bed...<sigh> my work is never done...I don't think I'm ever going to be able to watch TV again. (That probably wouldn't be a bad thing.) :)

Ok, let's talk more later!

Jeanette

My heart is doing a happy dance now!

That title was beyond cheesy and something that I would normally never write, but I can't think of any way else to describe it! I got to talk to my brother this morning, and he sounds AMAZING. I didn't talk to him last night but my mom did and she is just thrilled at the improvement in him. Get this...he is probably going home today. And it doesn't sound like he will have to have any rehabilitation or anything. Just medication to keep his blood thin.

Thanks so much for your prayers and "happy thoughts" ( ;) - that wink is for Ashley). Ok, I must go pack for AL now or Kiki will not be happy with me, she will be here in an hour Oy Vay!!!!!

JJ

I don't mean to be a Debbie Downer but...

I hate to even post this with all the excitement and buzz that's been generated because of the show and the DT call, but I figured that since more people are reading my blog it would be a good time to post. We just found out that my brother has had a stroke. He is only 46. Now if I had to say right now, I would say he is going to be just fine because he has been talking to people on the phone and he doesn't seem to have any memory loss. He actually remembered his dad's phone number by heart to call him and tell him (he's my half brother, technically). He's very weak of course, and I think one half of his face is drooping, but he is concious and was telling my mom things like "tell Jeanette and Bob and the kids that I said hi" :) ...when my mom got off the phone with him, she was very upset of course and said he sounded like an old man. I just feel so badly for her especially...you see, my dad has muscular dystrophy, he has to sleep in a hospital bed and he requires pretty much full time care from her, so she never feels like she can tend to her children (and there are six of us) when they need her. It's just kind of sad. Anyway, I feel really badly unloading all of this tonight, especially when I know my blog is getting a lot of action because of SIS TV. I guess it makes me feel better to know that a lot of people will be (hopefully) praying for my brother, even if they don't know me because I know that's one of the greatest thing about this community we're all in (I assume that most people reading this are scrapbookers)...we have a bond somehow. Despite our distance and differences, we have this one thing that connects us all...it's like a big "paper-loving, too much money spending, Kelli Crowe wanna be-ing, ribbon obsessing," sisterhood. I mean, I've been going through these submissions for the DT and almost everyone it seems like I just read their answers to the questions and I want to be friends with them and pick them. I don't know how I'm going to choose...I love them all! (Ok, I'm being overly dramatic, but it is me we're talking about).  Ok, this is super cheesy, but I really think it is so cool that the acronym for Scrap In Style is SIS...No one out there is allowed to laugh...dude, my brother just had a stroke, throw me a bone, I'm feeling sentimental!

Bye for now all of my SISters...oh how cute is that...I just made that up...I'm totally gonna use that.

(Attention actual familial sisters: Don't feel slighted by all the SISter talk, I still love you the most, but we're all about community here.) ;)

Scrap In Style TV Design Call

Ok, I've kept you all in the dark long enough...I can FINALLY divulge some of the details of the new website. It's all very exciting...

In mid May we are launching ScrapInStyleTV.com (yes, we've added the "TV" back, long story but it's a good thing.) This website is going to be very large in scale. It will have streaming video of all the various segments from the show that we've done up til launch date, plus newly added webisodes each week (we are actually taking a film crew down to Birmingham, AL to the Scrap ETC event to get footage so if you're going to that event, let me know so we can say hi to you down there.), it will have various member galleries, message boards, some cool features that are in the works for premium members (but I can't divulge those just yet), AND a retail side that will consist of monthly designer kits. It's going to be a MAJOR site and hopefully will become one of the top online communities for scrapbooking.

Each month we will feature a well known designer who will actually select the products that will be included in the kits.  We will visit the designer with a film crew and shoot footage of the designer for the show as well.

The reason that we're doing the website before the show (hopefully) gets picked up by a network, is if we can build awareness for the show in the scrapbooking online community first, we will have more to offer a network. We will be pitching the show at the beginning stages of the website, though. We're not waiting like a year to start pitching it. (To give you a comparison from the music industry (since that's where a lot of my background is), if an unsigned band has generated a large following on their own by performing concerts all over, they have SO much more appeal to a label. Most labels are a little hesitant to sign an artist who hasn't toured at all. )Ok, I've probably just confused you even more, but just trust me...this website is going to GREATLY improve the chances of the show getting picked up by a network.  At the same time, we are creating an entity in the website that can exist on it's own even if the show never gets picked up.

So all that to say that we are getting ready to put an open call out for the SIS TV Design Team, "The Fashionistas" (did I mention that the site will be fashion themed? It makes me so happy just thinking about it).

I feel fairly certain that because of the TV aspect and potential exposure for this group of designers, it will quickly become one of the most elite design teams on the web. Just the early response we've received from sharing details with a few people has been overwhelming. The talent we've already seen is incredible. Also, it's going to be a really FUN team to be on. These girls will be treated very well, because I'll be realying on them for a lot. Not just layouts for galleries, but projects for the show and some will even be featured on a few episodes down the road.

If you're interested in submitting to the design team search, you can check out the calls on Scrapsubmit.com, and the Pubcalls blog which I'm unsure of the URL. You can also email Kiki (aka Kelli Darr) at kellidarr@comcast.net for all the details. She's my design team coordinator and she's rockin' it!

Ok, I have so much work to do. You all have no idea how much it takes to launch a website in 60 days! It's incredibly fun but a lot of work. I'll try to keep you all updated as much as possible.

Thanks for all of your support in the past, I hope you all love I'm going to have for you in the future!! I'm thrilled to be able to share this info with all of you that have walked with me during this journey...oh wow, check me out getting all serious like...that's so unlike me. ;)

Blessings,

Jeanette

What if I were dead??

Ok, I haven't posted in like...um, well over a week and yet not one person has emailed me to say "hey Jeanete, you alive?" or "Oh, I have missed your posts that always change my life"...or..."Jeanette, were the 'bugs' you were referring to a few days ago lice?"...NOTHING, Nada...have I expired all of my chances with you? Are you all finally fed up with my abscenses that last days on end? Please, please come back to me. I am sorry...I have a really good reason for being gone this time...you all know that Bob's on the road with Audio Adrenaline, well my parents are here helping out (well, Mona is helping...my dad not so much since he's in a wheelchair and all...) The big news is that we are launching the Scrap In Style web site in like two months! It's CRAZY! You have no idea how much stuff has transpired since the last time I posted. I'm spending most of my time trying to get things together. We have an AWESOME web designer that was like a gift from God, literally...unless he turns out to totally suck, and then maybe he wasn't actually from God (just kidding Justin if you're reading this.)

I can't tell you all the details of the site just yet because the ideas are plenty cool and 'I don't want no intellectual property thieves tryin' to steal my goods!' Wow, I was so western just then.

Ok, as soon as I can I'll divulge the details. I get so excited sometimes that my heart beats really fast and I feel all shaky...or maybe that's just the amphetimines I'm taking...hmm.

Ok, gotta go. I have a lot of designers I need to contact - OOPS! I almost gave away a secret...

Bye!