Aaaaahhh Fall!!!!

LOL!? I know - I know... but honestly - Autumn is my favorite!? I just can't help it?! I made myself wait until today to pull out all the Fall decorations and candles and leaves... but I am knee deep in decor and remembered that I have been so crazy busy - I haven't blogged for awhile?! So - while my boxes are piled up and the scents of orange spice, cinnamon, and apple cider drift through the house - I decided to take a little break and type awhile!

Wow?! It has been CRAZY busy!? I am a very on-purpose type of person, and I plan my days accordingly. I don't like to end the day not knowing what was accomplished or not sure of what I did. Sure, we all have those days - sometimes even entire seasons where that happens, despite our best intentions - but I try to pencil in some downtime for myself as well as for our family each week. The last couple of weeks had no luxury of relaxing!? I can't even tell you what (or IF) I cooked a real meal last week at all!? Luckily - this is not normal, and my wonderful hubby and devoted daughter both pitched in and helped out so I could maintain my focus! All of my normal routine went to the wayside last week as I spent hours and hours crafting and gluing and cropping and painting...

First off let me say this - my past experience in doing 'bazaars' or the like - well - not been positive. At all. I have been known to spend entire days not selling anything... I quit that circuit soon after I started it... that is not the crowd for me! eBay - sure... once in awhile. Putting stuff in higher end stores nad boutiques, spas, etc. - yeah - that has worked a bit better. But mostly - I have enjoyed a slower yet steady pace of internet business. However, I was asked to participate in this conference and was told that there would be other businesses selling their wares as well. It ended up that there was really only one other set up selling product that was not books or tapes related to the conference or the author/main speaker. I am not sure how they did - they had a larger set up and were luckily RIGHT in the entryway. I, however, was sort of in the back, in a hallway, next to the men's bathroom. (You think I am joking?! I am not!?) I am not complaining though... I was simply happy to be there... and once the ladies DID find me, they were all very nice and encouraging! It would have been nice to have a better spot - I think I would have done much better, but in the end, I am honestly not complaining! If I do end up doing it again next year, however, I will ask to be placed more in the front!?

Anyway - I worked like a mad woman creating 'stock on hand' - altered journals, frames, mini's, tins, as well as promoted my custom album business. I managed to have, by 'showtime', quite a nice display...

Not too shabby, huh!? Considering I had NOTHING made up ahead of time the week before?! Yeah - let's just say I can't REMEMBER the last time I cooked dinner?! Sad... but true!?!?!! My DH and DD were GREAT... so supportive and encouraging.

After the first session or two, I had sold one item... for $10!? I was not feeling the love, let me tell you!? Then, sitting in the main session, getting ready to hear that main speaker, during the music, I felt the Lord ask me, "Karri, if I say that I am pleased with you and your efforts, would that be enough for you? ...to know that I am happy and that you accomplished what I asked of you? Would that be enough?" Um... well, does that mean I will have to pack all of this stuff back up? LOL?! Right... well - in all honesty, it DID take me a little bit to be able to truly say yes, it would be enough! I knew He had lead me to do this, and He was stretching me and I knew that I had done a good job... so - if nothing sold, I had to be okay with that! (Then, wouldn't you know it - the main speaker talked about how we need to ask ourselves if Jesus is enough for us! If we get no applause, no recognition, no pats on the back... is He enough for us? OK - I got it?!)

Anyway - the end result was I sold way more than it looked like I would, I got a LOT of positive feedback, and even a few future custom orders, plus I handed out a TON of cards so who can know what business may come my way from last weekend!? All in all, it was a positive experience! The main speaker was incredible! Her name is Alicia Britt Chole and she is an author and speaker and was really saying things that God had already spoken to me over the past several years... so it was really confirming and encouraging! She is referred to as the Female Max Lucado... which is my goal - so it was awesome to be able to sit back and listen to her talk!

So - with the weekend behind me, I now have to focus on putting my house (and scrapbook area in particular) back in order, not to mention finishing decorating for my favorite season!

I STILL have to finish the last 6 pages or so of the Italy album I am working on, plus I have STACKS of my own scrapping to do as well! (Yes - STACKS - from the entire summer?!) So hopefully I will get some of that beloved Downtime soon and get back on track with scrapping!!!

Scrap On!

~Karrilee~

Aaahhhh... . ME time!!!!

I hate to say it - but... Aaaahhh - FALL!!!! What is not to love about Fall!? Besides all the gorgeous changing colors, the smell of harvest and the cooler crisp Autumn air... it also ushers in BACK TO SCHOOL! Who doesn't love those three little words?! They are what every Mom longs to hear... LOL!? OK - I will say it - even if Na makes fun of me for it - I AM one of those Moms that miss their kids when they go back to school... but not so much those first few precious hours... and not so much after the first couple of days have gone by?! By lunch time on the first and second day I miss her... but then I quickly move back into relishing that beloved ME time!!!?

Sure - there are PLENTY of other things that need to be done... dishes, laundry, vacuuming, blogging, work... but that first week of back to school - I find myself reading entire books at a time (which last week included a couple of Susan Wiggs books, one old Nicholas Sparks that I had never read, and a great book by Donald Miller) I also reluctantly gave in to a couple of movies... I went out to lunch with a bunch of girlfriends, I scrapped, oh yeah - and I was GLUED to the US Open!!! Wow!? Did any of you watch it?! It was AMAZING this year - so many incredible matches!!!

Anyway - here is my precious on her first day of 7th Grade...

Oh my?! I SO remember 7th grade?! Crap!? ??? Seriously!? She is a great kid though (as was I, of course!) ...and she is LOVING school! She had plans of trying out for the Volleyball team and at the last minute sort of chickened out!? She heard that they would be making a lot of cuts and she was afraid that she would not make it - so she didn't even want to try! I cannot TELL you how sad that made me! That is something that I would have done... and I have worked so hard to raise her to NOT make the same bad choices and mistakes that I made... her Daddy is so not like that - and he is great at everything he does because - well, because he's an Aggett - and because he has the right attitude! After she decided NOT to try out... a few days after try outs were over... they started to do Volleyball in PE and she found out that she is actually really good!? I reminded her that last year the Volleyball coach, AND also her PE Teacher last year both told her that she needed to try out for the Volleyball team. It's funny how the enemy caused her to forget that encouragement...and all she could think of was how she probably wouldn't make it?! (How many times does he do that to us?! How many lies have we accepted and allowed to keep us from even trying?!) Anyway - she is definitely trying out next year?! She loves her classes, teachers, and Pack! She had her best friend in almost every class, and another friend from church in every single class... she has lunch with them, as well as her Stalker (aka Timmy). sigh... oh yeah - did I say that I remember 7th Grade!? Crap!? Yeah... uh - Timmy decided that Kaye is the one for him on the first day of 6th Grade... and he has been very persistent... which is why we refer to him as Stalker... lovingly of course! Well - ok - not so lovingly!? She is only 12 and therefore she is not allowed to have a 'boyfriend'... she told him this repeatedly. It did not dissuade him!? He showered her with gifts through out the year and my hope was that over the long summer, he would find someone ELSE to obsess over... however, when they got their Pack information at the end of summer, Tim called to find out what Pack she was in. When she told him, and asked what Pack he was in - he replied, "500 - but not for long!" Praise GOD he was not able to change Packs!!!? They DO have lunch together and they sit together in a large group... he decided that he would fall into the habit of calling her after school - but that only lasted 3 days until I simply said - while I handed her the phone, that he is not allowed to call her all the time! He hasn't called since?!

Anyway - her Tennis Coach decided to continue with the private lessons - so she starts up with that again tomorrow! If she would have joined the Volleyball team, she probably wouldn't have been able to do both - so it all worked out! Her Coach has offered to coach her 'the distance' - saying that he believes she has enough talent to go pro... she is not interested really - but that could change!? I keep telling her how much Maria Sharapova makes each day!? LOL!? Not that I necessarily want that for her either... but it is a great confidence builder! Her coach played Pro back in the day and had matches against olden day contenders like Michael Chang... still - he has greatly improved her game and we are so thankful that he is going on with the lessons!

I have been busy working on the Italy project... over halfway done... my clients' son has been battling ALS for several years, and we were praying for a miracle... he had a lot of improvement over the past year, but last week she said he had taken a turn... they are feeling like they need to stop praying for healing and release him... it makes me sad - but I understand! I am wired in such a way though, that I doubt I will stop praying for his healing until I either see it, God asks me to stop, or I have prayed for resurrection!? I know - it seems crazy!? But - Jesus said that we would be doing greater things than he did... and he was in the habit of raising the dead!? Anyway- between the Italy book, and working a bit on the side for a couple of Realtors, I have been busy - oh yeah - that and all those books?!

ME time... it's a wonderful thing! My hubby was away for a fishing trip over the weekend - and came home happy - but empty handed - and he has today off... so my ME time is not so much my own today... but we get to go out for lunch together - so I need to get going!!!

Scrap On!

~Karri~