Tomorrow, the kids and I are going on a “staycation”. I don’t know who is more excited – me or the kids. I think it’s a tie.
They have been off school all week for Spring Break, but they have been with Dad. They are all mine starting tonight through Easter weekend. We decided to stay close to home and go to one of the hotels near Disney World that has an amazing pool and lazy river. The hotel is also having all sorts of events for Easter Sunday, like an Easter egg hunt, visit from the Easter Bunny, etc.
And then we have reservations for a late brunch/early dinner buffet. Let me tell you, after doing the “holiday buffet” thing for both Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners, I am all over that idea for holidays now. Delicious food…that someone else cooks…and they clean up and do all the dishes. My kind of holiday dinner!
How about you? Any “staycations” planned? What do you do on your “staycation”? Let us know on the blog!
We have a special promotion with MBI until Friday, April 2. Get a free MBI Album with a $75 purchase. Simply add the album you like to your cart and apply coupon code MBIALBUM at checkout (one coupon code per order, please)
The new collections that we have for you this week are: Bo Bunny’s “Paradise” for our beach lovin’ scrapbookers and “Roughin It” for our nature lovin’ crew. For those of you that have been waiting for more of a whimsical theme, we give you “Fairy Tales” by Reminisce that features three famous tales: Alice in Wonderland, Snow White and Little Red Riding Hood. (Unfortunately, Reminisce is only offering the Fairy Tales line for a limited time so if you are even “thinking” about getting this line – I say “DO IT NOW!”.) We have The Paper Company’s “Mediterranean Summer” that has a very exotic look to it and finally, our last Easter line that we are going to carry this year is the ADORABLE “Hippity Hoppity” by We R Memory Keepers that has the cutest matching embellishments that we have ever seen (ok, maybe that is exaggerating a bit, but we really do love them!)
The SYT Designers have been impressive as well – they are busy working on all of the requests that our fabulous Scrappers have asked for, including: a custom Once in a Lifetime Vacation die cut as well as, Spring, Easter, T-Ball, Softball, Biking, Family, Sewing, In Memory, Ecuador, Australia, Scotland, Luxembourg, Taiwan and Egypt themes.
T-Ball Star and Softball Chick are our new SYT paper collections this week. You HAVE to check them out if you have anyone that plays t-ball and/or softball…no pun intended, BUT I think we knocked these out of the park! The collections include a custom paper option and an element sheet that can be cut apart and used as embellishments on your page – - way to go team!
On Wednesday I was talking about how independent Lauren is getting. Well, Logan doesn’t want to be outdone!
We had been having quite a bit of trouble getting out the door to school in the morning. Lauren and I are ready to go and Logan would take his sweet time getting ready and make us all late.
Well, I told him that we were walking out the door at 7:50. Whatever condition he was in at 7:50, that’s how he was going to school. Apparently, the thought of showing up with “sticking-up hair” was enough to motivate him to get moving. We’ve been on time every day in the last week! And he is SO proud of himself.
Way to go Logan!
Today is the last day to stock up on Creative Imagination
products at 20% off PLUS you can get a free goody bag! Through midnight tonight (3.26.10) with a purchase of $59 or more you receive free
shipping AND a goody bag. Use coupon code FREESHIP59.
Did you get a chance to see all the great new items we added on Wednesday? Here are just a few of the collections and themes for you to check out:
"Kioshi" by Basic Grey (a beautiful spring color palette perfect for your Easter and Spring photos)
"Mamarazzi" and “Sophie” by Bo Bunny
"Easter" by Moxxie
We R Memory Keeper 12×12 Albums
Prom, Graduation, Easter, Spring, School, Europe, France, Mexico, Egypt, Hawaii, Texas, General Travel, Camping, and Special Olympics
Custom Graduation Cap And Year Laser Die Cut
Prom Fun: Limo, General Travel (Aircraft 12 x 12 Paper)
custom papers.
When was the last time you cried? Why is it that we are often ashamed of showing our emotions?
I was at a birthday party for one of Logan’s classmates this weekend. One of the moms was talking about how great it was that the kids were starting to get so independent. A few examples were shared and I said “You know, I am in a different situation than most of you. Most of Logan’s classmates are your oldest child, but he’s my youngest. Lauren just turned 10 and let me just tell you. You think its awesome now? Just wait! You have NO IDEA how much better it’s gonna get!”
I started telling them how proud she is to make lunches in the mornings. And how responsible she is. And how helpful she is to me. And how, finally, after 10 years, my daughter is becoming old enough for us to become friends as well as mother-daughter. And as I shared this, I started to cry. Heck! I’m even starting to cry as I am sitting here typing this!
And then one of the moms looked at me and said, “Look at you! You’re getting so emotional! I liked you before, but now I REALLY like you!”
I thought that was such an interesting comment and I have thought about it a lot. And here is what I think she was trying to say.
I was being real. Not normal, superficial, birthday party chatter. But real. And authentic. And human.
And don’t we all crave that kind of interaction? Especially us women?
A friend told me that if we are truly alive, we are only ever one thought away from tears.
I must be really alive then, because just about anything can make me cry these days. Sometimes tears of sadness, but just as often tears of joy. Every day I say “Today is going to be a no-cry day!” But maybe every day SHOULD be a cry day. Because I like feeling alive instead of trying to stifle my emotions and feeling ashamed of them.
So, give yourself the gift of a good cry. Don’t just leak. Cry. You’ll feel better. Now, can someone please pass the tissues?
Creative Imagination products are on sale through Friday at 20% off AND it’s goody bag time again! Now through Friday (03.26.10) with a purchase of $59 or more you receive free shipping AND a goody bag. Use coupon code FREESHIP59.
I’m so excited – this week we have We R Memory Keeper 12×12 Classic Leather Albums AND they ROCK! These are interlocking D ring, top quality, highly requested albums. We LOVE them! (…and I say “we” because my staff has already purchased many of these albums.)
Why do we love them? I’m glad you asked! We love them because of the quality (of course), the fact that the pages can be moved around without taking the album apart, the divided page protectors that can be added into your album AND the colors are just YUMMY!
We have several new collections for you this week. We have "Kioshi" by Basic Grey which has a beautiful spring color palette perfect for your Easter and Spring photos, "Mamarazzi" and “Sophie” by Bo Bunny which are (in Tiffany’s words) “to die for”, "Easter" by Moxxie, and don’t forget about the We R Memory Keeper 12×12 Albums that I was just raving about!
The SYT Designers have been hard at work, as always – they have brought to you the following AMAZING designs: Prom, Graduation, Easter, Spring, School, Europe, France, Mexico, Egypt, Hawaii, Texas, General Travel, Camping, and Special Olympics. We also have lots of new custom items for you to choose from: a Custom Graduation Cap And Year Laser Die Cut and Prom Fun: Limo, General Travel (Aircraft 12 x 12 Paper) custom papers.
Oh and for all of the kind words about our first complete paper collection – THANK YOU! Wait until you see our Prom Fun collection (which includes a custom paper) this week!
Click here to see all the new items: www.scrapyourtrip.com/3242010.html
We also have 251 overstock items on sale at 25% off. Click here to see: http://www.scrapyourtrip.com/3242010sale.html
Don’t forget to check out projects for this week’s collections down the right-hand side of the website. You can see all our projects on our Shop by Layout section. Click here to see: http://www.scrapyourtrip.com/shopbylayout.html
Thank you to everyone to gave us some feedback in the "Ask your customers what they want. Do that." survey. I also truly appreciate all your words of kindness. It makes me feel so good to know that my company has helped you preserve your memories in a way that is meaningful to you!
And since the second part of the survey was "Do that", I want you to know that we have already been working on some of your suggestions. Keep an eye out next Wednesday for some of the things you asked for.
I do want to take a moment and explain that while we will always try to create the items you ask for, sometimes we are unable to because of trademark and licensing issues. There were several requests for "Hot Wheels" items. We cannot make those, unless I would like to have a not-so-nice conversation with the attorneys from Mattel. We’ll always do the best we can, but we will always be respectful of other companies trademarks.
So, please keep your ideas and suggestions coming! We really enjoy making items for you that we know help you make your scrapbooks uniquely yours. Please post them below.
Hope you got a chance to check out the debut of our very first SYT themed paper collection (baseball). We’re going to be bringing you lots more in the future, so stay tuned!
Besides our own collection, we also have several others for you this week. We have "Green at Heart" by Basic Grey, “Easter”, "Prom" and “Graduation” by Reminisce, "Modern Market" by Cookbookin’, “Abode” and “Heatwave” by American Crafts, "Rev ‘Em Up" and “Smile” by Carolee’s Creations, and “Ballet” and “Basketball” by Karen Foster.
The SYT designers worked hard on this week on: Beach, Cruise, Easter, Canada, Italy, Switzerland, Fishing, Hunting, Cooking, Theme Park, Florida, Alaska and California and Alice in Wonderland. We also have a custom general travel die cut and our very own custom baseball paper to match our SYT baseball collection!
Today is the last day to get a free $10 or $20 electronic gift card with purchase. Just add the Gift Certificate to your order ($10 Gift Certificate or $20 Gift Certificate) and enter the coupon code and the Gift Certificate will be yours free! (Cannot be combined with any other offer. Offer expires at 11:59 Eastern Time, Friday, March 19, 2010).
Happy St. Patrick’s Day! The kids have been gearing up for this day at school for weeks! Logan has been sharing with me all the adventures of his class leprechauns, Sean (the good one) and Shaymin (the bad one). He gets so expressive when he is sharing the stories! I think he is copying the way his teacher tells the story, because he’s never told stories in quite this same way before.
I have some really exciting news to share with you! I am proud to announce…drum roll please…the debut of the very first themed Scrap Your Trip paper collection!
This is the latest in the evolution of Scrap Your Trip products. We started creating our own die cuts back in 2006 – now we create more die cuts than any other scrapbooking company. We started our own line of paper in 2008 – now we design more scrapbooking paper than any other scrapbooking company. We started making custom die cuts in 2007 and custom paper in 2008 – now we have more custom items that you can make uniquely yours than any other scrapbooking company.
And look how far we’ve come in four years!
Glacier Bay Die Cut from 2006
Glacier Bay Die Cut Added 3/17/2010
A couple of months ago I was interviewed on The Room Live and when they asked me what the secret to my success was, one of the things I said was "Ask your customers what they want. Do that." We started creating our own products back in 2006 because you were asking me for things I couldn’t find for you. It has been so incredibly rewarding to watch the SYT brand of products grow and flourish over the past four years. Thank you for getting us started down the path!
And so, since one of the secrets of our success is "Ask your customers what they want. Do that.", I want to take this opportunity to ask you again what you want. It’s a completely open-ended question and I can’t wait to read your suggestions! Please post a comment below.
Besides our own collection, we have several others for you this week. We have "Green at Heart" by Basic Grey, “Easter”, "Prom" and “Graduation” by Reminisce, "Modern Market" by Cookbookin’, “Abode” and “Heatwave” by American Crafts, "Rev ‘Em Up" and “Smile” by Carolee’s Creations, and “Ballet” and “Basketball” by Karen Foster.
For all of you that have been asking for Alice in Wonderland products, the SYT Designers heard you and have designed a few die cuts just for you…. (Yes, Twilight fans – we hear you too! Stay tuned! Some other themes our designers have worked hard on this week are: Beach, Cruise, Easter, Canada, Italy, Switzerland, Fishing, Hunting, Cooking, Theme Park, Florida, Alaska and California. We also have a custom general travel die cut and, as I may have mentioned (beaming with pride), our very own custom baseball paper to match our SYT baseball collection!
Want a free $10 electronic gift card? Or $20? They are yours with either a $59 or $110 purchase. Just add the Gift Certificate to your order (http://www.scrapyourtrip.com/10gice.html or http://www.scrapyourtrip.com/20gice.html) and enter the coupon code and the Gift Certificate will be yours free! (Cannot be combined with any other offer. Offer expires at 11:59 Eastern Time, Friday, March 19, 2010).
Have you seen the YouTube video from OK Go for their song “This Too Shall Pass”? It’s one of the new viral video sensations and has over 7 million views. It is SO amazing; I had to share it with you.
This video really speaks to me on a lot of levels. First, the song is called “This Too Shall Pass”, which is one of my favorite sayings. But here’s why it really speaks to me (which you won’t understand unless you watch it).
Life is a string of events. First one thing happens…which causes another thing…that causes another thing…and so on…and so on…and so on. We never know what’s going to happen next, but I believe it all happens just as it should. Perfectly on time. And umbrellas may fall out of the sky, but it all started with a State Farm truck and a domino
Hope you enjoy the video. Even if it doesn’t speak to you like it did to me, it’s still really cool!
Speaking of cool, have you seen all our cool new scrapbook supplies this week?
We have a great variety of new collections this week. We have "Lucky Me" and “The Great Outdoors” by Reminisce, "Sport Trendy" by Stamping Station, "Garden Variety" by Cosmo Cricket, "Simply K", “Blossomwood” and “Nature” by K and Company and “Baptism”, “Off Road”, “Wedding” and “Easter” by Karen Foster.
You have got to check out "Simply K" byt K&Co. There are 11 pre-designed, two-page layouts. They are even embellished! It doesn’t get any easier than this.
The SYT Designers were working on the following themes: Ballet, Basketball, Birthday, Boys and Girls, Cruise, Disney, Firefighter, Grand Canyon, Japan, Judo, London, Mexico, New Mexico, Paris, Pets, Police, Sea World, Snowmobiling, St. Pat’s, Travel and Williamsburg We also have a custom Firefighter laser die cut.
“It takes a long time to grow an old friend” – John Leonard
What would we do without our girlfriends? Who would we laugh with…cry with…swap stories with? Our girlfriends often know us much better than we know ourselves. Time with my girlfriends is a gift I give myself (just not often enough).
I had a four-hour lunch on Sunday with my oldest girlfriend (oldest by length of friendship – not age!). We’ve been friends for thirteen years. We started working together at my last company at about the same time and our departments worked very closely together. We had lunch together almost every single day for almost six years.
She helped me celebrate my promotion. We cried together the day we found out our company was downsizing our jobs.
She knew me before I had kids. She was there for me through all my miscarriages. She was the one who told me I was in labor with Lauren when I was in her office complaining about my “Braxton-Hicks” contractions. She was the first one to visit me at home, bringing me a dish of Chicken Spaghetti, when Logan was in the ICU.
Over the past few years, we have seen each other less and less. Usually just a lunch get together for each of our birthdays. But she is the type of friend that you can pick up right where you left off, even if you haven’t seen each other in awhile.
She was the first person who called me when I wrote that I was getting a divorce. “Why did I have to find out about this from your e-mail?!?”
We talked and talked and talked on Sunday. I kept thinking how wonderful it was to have someone who knows me that well…who knows everything that has happened to me over the past thirteen years…who just “gets me”.
So, to continue my “attitude of gratitude”, today, I am grateful for my girlfriends. Their friendship enriches my life.
Now on to scrapbook supplies!
We have a great variety of new collections this week. We have "Lucky Me" and “The Great Outdoors” by Reminisce, "Sport Trendy" by Stamping Station, "Garden Variety" by Cosmo Cricket, "Simply K", “Blossomwood” and “Nature” by K and Company and “Baptism”, “Off Road”, “Wedding” and “Easter” by Karen Foster.
You have got to check out "Simply K" by K&Co. There are 11 pre-designed, two-page layouts. They are even embellished! It doesn’t get any easier than this.
The SYT Designers were working on the following themes: Ballet, Basketball, Birthday, Boys and Girls, Cruise, Disney, Firefighter, Grand Canyon, Japan, Judo, London, Mexico, New Mexico, Paris, Pets, Police, Sea World, Snowmobiling, St. Pat’s, Travel and Williamsburg We also have a custom Firefighter laser die cut.
I had a really interesting conversation with Lani the other day. We were talking about someone I know who, if out of 100 things, 99 are wrong but one is right, they will find the one thing that is wrong. I told her I am the opposite. If there are 99 things wrong and one thing right, I will find the one thing that is right. Ever the optimist, I suppose. Or maybe, it’s just how I choose to look at the world. What can I say? It’s gift!
This really came into play for me the other night when my minivan was broken into. A “smash and grab” of the driver’s side backseat window. I was at Bed Bath & Beyond getting stuff for my new house. I was parked in the closest parking space to the door underneath a streetlight. It took a few seconds for me to realize what had happened and notice that my briefcase was in a different position in the backseat than where I had left it. I went through my briefcase and saw that my Flip Video Camera was gone.
I went back into the store and asked them for a broom and a dustpan so that I could get some of the glass out of my car. I told them I didn’t want to call the police. And I almost immediately started thinking of all the ways this could have been so much worse and how grateful I was.
I was grateful the kids weren’t with me. Besides glass being everywhere, I know it would have really freaked them out.
I was grateful that the only thing of value in my briefcase was my Flip. Just that morning, I had taken out my iPod, my old cell phone and my checkbook.
I was grateful that they put my briefcase back in the van. All the stuff I am getting together for my tax return was in there. And all the paperwork for the divorce.
I was grateful that it was 60 degrees that night instead of the 45 degrees it has been every night so that I wasn’t freezing cold on my drive home.
I was grateful that I can afford to get my window replaced and that I don’t have to drive around with a plastic bag and duct tape on my van.
An attitude of gratitude. It has made such a difference in my life. Yes, bad things happen. But there is always…ALWAYS…something to be grateful for. What can you be grateful for today?
My daughter has hit the “double digits”. Yep, on Monday she turned 10! I took her to get her ears pierced and she had a “girl hang-out” birthday party at our new house with six of her best friends from school.
It really does just seem like yesterday that “Miss Nellie”, her babysitter, made her an Elmo cake for her first birthday. But this birthday party? The girls picked up the coffee table to move it out of the way and had a dance-off to “All The Single Ladies” by Beyonce in my living room. How did nine years go by so fast?
I am old enough and wise enough now to listen to the parents before me who say “I blinked and here she is…graduating from high school”. Her life living with me is more than halfway over. It really does feel like the older I get, the faster time goes by.
So, as has been my theme for the past year or so, I am just trying to live in the present and enjoy every moment with her. Even when she was embarrassed to have me watch her dancing at her party and didn’t want me to take pictures of her and her friends. She also made me promise I wouldn’t put them in my e-mail or on Facebook.
But, I still took them. I still captured the memories. And while she isn’t thrilled about it now, there will come a time later in her life, when she looks back on all the memories I have captured of her (thanks to being in the scrapbooking world) and she will be glad I ignored her.
I love you, my sweet girl. I am SO lucky to be your Mom.
