Orphans in Need
Posted in Prayer request, YouTube Clip of the Day on by
The video below is absolutely heart-breaking. My friend Amy has been coordinating with an adoption organization called Reece's Rainbow. Amy and her small group of high schoolers choose one child from Reece's Rainbow to raise funds for and pray for. The first child they prayed for, Anna, was adopted! But many of the children with disabilities are not so fortunate. Many of them, if not adopted by a certain age (usually age 4), are sent to a mental institution. This video shows a mental institution in Serbia that is absolutely horrifying. Watch for the grown man sleeping in a crib, and the 21- and 15-year-olds who are the size of a 4-year-old and just skin and bones. Many are tied to their cribs and not let out, and their muscles have atrophied from non-use.
If you feel led to join Amy in praying for her small group's chosen child, visit her blog to read the latest. And if you feel led to donate, she has information on her blog...as of the date of this post the child they are praying for and raising funds for is named Jacob. You can see her post about Jacob here.
If you feel led to join Amy in praying for her small group's chosen child, visit her blog to read the latest. And if you feel led to donate, she has information on her blog...as of the date of this post the child they are praying for and raising funds for is named Jacob. You can see her post about Jacob here.
Hug 'O Gram
Posted in YouTube Clip of the Day on by
Yes, this is a real commercial. You're welcome for sharing.
Connor Bradley and Ramblings of my AWESOME week in San Diego
Posted in Connor, Madison on by
The long-awaited arrival has finally come! My nephew, Connor Bradley Evans was born on Friday, 2-12-10, at 7:50am...right on his due date! What a punctual little guy. Here is a picture of him with my sister, Ashley.
And here's a picture of me with Connor once they got home today. He's such a sweetie, and a great sleeper!!
My niece, Madison, is 19 months old and doesn't quite understand what's going on yet. She thinks he's one of her baby dolls and wants to hold him. She also gently kisses his head. It's pretty darn cute. But I'll tell ya, my sister and Justin have their hands full...Madison is VERY active and is getting to that age when she likes to say "no" to everything.
Last week was such a great week, and it's continuing into this week! In addition to a precious new nephew, I also have a new job! On Wednesday I was driving from my house in LA to my see my family (and was hoping a birth too) in San Diego. On my way down, I got a call from Gospel Light Publications, a company I had applied to work at. (They publish Sunday school curriculum, church resource books, and other Christian books.) Well, they let me know they'd like me to work for them on a temp-to-hire basis to try things out...in a marketing position that is perfect for me!!! I started on Tuesday and so far I LOVE IT! My co-workers are all so welcoming and nice. I am SO ecstatic! When I lived in San Diego I worked for Christian Ed Publishers/Warehouse, and I worked closely with Gospel Light as a Marketing Coordinator, so I already had a relationship with them. They were probably my favorite publisher that we distributed for, so I'm really excited to be working for them now!
Here's a little background info in case you have missed the past 7 months of my life... Chris and I moved to Los Angeles from San Diego in July. He is in grad school for Sport Management and got an internship in UCLA's Athletic Dept (his dream school), so we made the move (although I miss SD immensely). I got a temporary job at Disney for a special project, but that ended Dec. 31, and they're not hiring right now, so I have been part of the 10% of Americans unemployed for the past 6 weeks. Although I am a CTMH Consultant, it is not a full-time job for me, and since I recently moved and do not know many people in LA, it has been hard to get it going again (although I have still been holding CTMH workshops in San Diego and have been keeping my craft blog up-to-date). I had originally applied at Gospel Light back in July when we first moved to LA, but they were reorganizing their Marketing dept and dragged their feet, then I got the job at Disney. Once I contacted Gospel Light again in January, they were fairly quick to act, and didn't even call me in for another interview...they just offered me the temp-to-hire job! Woo hoo!
Ok, another reason I had such a great week is because I have new teeth. I know this sounds really weird, so for those who don't know, here's a little explanation: When I was 7 years old I knocked out the bottom halves of my 2 front teeth. When I was in high school I got porcelain veneers. They lasted for 12 years, and one night in June they just decided to pop off. (Good thing I was sitting at home when it happened...I was mortified even for my husband to see my teeth!!) I went to my dentist first thing the next day and was fitted for new veneers. They do things much differently now than 12 years ago...they're supposed to last 20+ years now! Then I had to go in 2 weeks later to have them put in. BUT the new veneers were not made correctly. They were ok, but not perfect for the huge amount of money they cost! My dentist wasn't very happy with them either. So he wanted to re-do them, but I had just moved to LA and he is in SD. This was a series of 2 more 2-3 hr appointments, so I said I'll do it in a little while, I'm burned out on dentist visits. But then I got a job and didn't want to take any days off to go to San Diego when I was trying to impress them, so I had to wait until now to get my new veneers again. And this time they're PERFECT! :) Phew.
To top off my week, I won $20 from a lotto scratcher. I went to 7-11 with my sister the other day so she could grab something (before having the baby), and she got us each a scratcher just for fun. My little scratcher put an extra $20 in my wallet. Thanks, Ash!
And so far this week is going great, too, because I'm loving my new job! The commute isn't the most fun (1 hr), but it gives me good time to think, and in the morning, wake up. And it's pretty, so it's not too bad.
Well if you've gotten this far, I thank you for reading my ramblings!
And here's a picture of me with Connor once they got home today. He's such a sweetie, and a great sleeper!!
My niece, Madison, is 19 months old and doesn't quite understand what's going on yet. She thinks he's one of her baby dolls and wants to hold him. She also gently kisses his head. It's pretty darn cute. But I'll tell ya, my sister and Justin have their hands full...Madison is VERY active and is getting to that age when she likes to say "no" to everything.Last week was such a great week, and it's continuing into this week! In addition to a precious new nephew, I also have a new job! On Wednesday I was driving from my house in LA to my see my family (and was hoping a birth too) in San Diego. On my way down, I got a call from Gospel Light Publications, a company I had applied to work at. (They publish Sunday school curriculum, church resource books, and other Christian books.) Well, they let me know they'd like me to work for them on a temp-to-hire basis to try things out...in a marketing position that is perfect for me!!! I started on Tuesday and so far I LOVE IT! My co-workers are all so welcoming and nice. I am SO ecstatic! When I lived in San Diego I worked for Christian Ed Publishers/Warehouse, and I worked closely with Gospel Light as a Marketing Coordinator, so I already had a relationship with them. They were probably my favorite publisher that we distributed for, so I'm really excited to be working for them now!
Here's a little background info in case you have missed the past 7 months of my life... Chris and I moved to Los Angeles from San Diego in July. He is in grad school for Sport Management and got an internship in UCLA's Athletic Dept (his dream school), so we made the move (although I miss SD immensely). I got a temporary job at Disney for a special project, but that ended Dec. 31, and they're not hiring right now, so I have been part of the 10% of Americans unemployed for the past 6 weeks. Although I am a CTMH Consultant, it is not a full-time job for me, and since I recently moved and do not know many people in LA, it has been hard to get it going again (although I have still been holding CTMH workshops in San Diego and have been keeping my craft blog up-to-date). I had originally applied at Gospel Light back in July when we first moved to LA, but they were reorganizing their Marketing dept and dragged their feet, then I got the job at Disney. Once I contacted Gospel Light again in January, they were fairly quick to act, and didn't even call me in for another interview...they just offered me the temp-to-hire job! Woo hoo!
Ok, another reason I had such a great week is because I have new teeth. I know this sounds really weird, so for those who don't know, here's a little explanation: When I was 7 years old I knocked out the bottom halves of my 2 front teeth. When I was in high school I got porcelain veneers. They lasted for 12 years, and one night in June they just decided to pop off. (Good thing I was sitting at home when it happened...I was mortified even for my husband to see my teeth!!) I went to my dentist first thing the next day and was fitted for new veneers. They do things much differently now than 12 years ago...they're supposed to last 20+ years now! Then I had to go in 2 weeks later to have them put in. BUT the new veneers were not made correctly. They were ok, but not perfect for the huge amount of money they cost! My dentist wasn't very happy with them either. So he wanted to re-do them, but I had just moved to LA and he is in SD. This was a series of 2 more 2-3 hr appointments, so I said I'll do it in a little while, I'm burned out on dentist visits. But then I got a job and didn't want to take any days off to go to San Diego when I was trying to impress them, so I had to wait until now to get my new veneers again. And this time they're PERFECT! :) Phew.
To top off my week, I won $20 from a lotto scratcher. I went to 7-11 with my sister the other day so she could grab something (before having the baby), and she got us each a scratcher just for fun. My little scratcher put an extra $20 in my wallet. Thanks, Ash!
And so far this week is going great, too, because I'm loving my new job! The commute isn't the most fun (1 hr), but it gives me good time to think, and in the morning, wake up. And it's pretty, so it's not too bad.
Well if you've gotten this far, I thank you for reading my ramblings!
BREAKING NEWS
Posted in Chargers on byNate Kaeding, in a press conference today, expressed his apologies. Apparently, a few years back, as a prank, the team told him the big yellow poles were antennas and had nothing to do with football....so he just aimed for the "big net" every time. "It sounded easy enough..." Kaeding said. "Now that I finally know what the big yellow poles are for...that changes EVERYTHING!!" -Associated Press
I got this from a friend's Facebook status :)
Chargers Clinch Playoff Spot!
Posted in Chargers on by
They did it again. The Chargers pulled off another win...and clinched the AFC West! I knew the beginning of the season didn't show their true potential. Nate Kaeding didn't let us down when it came to the final seconds...he kicked the game-winning 52-yard field goal and gave the Chargers momentum going into the playoffs. See the article in the SD Union-Tribune.
(Photo from the SD Union-Tribune.)
(Photo from the SD Union-Tribune.)Madison & Her Shoes
Posted in Madison on by
Madison is a girl after her auntie's heart...she has a thing for shoes. Last time I visited my family in San Diego she tried on my shoes. This time, 2 weeks later, she put on her mom's shoes (2 sizes bigger!) and walked all around the house. It was actually quite impressive.
Later in the evening she grabbed two pillows from the couch and put them on the tile to make a bed for herself. Smart girl! I sure do miss seeing her more often.
Later in the evening she grabbed two pillows from the couch and put them on the tile to make a bed for herself. Smart girl! I sure do miss seeing her more often.
Fabulous Christmas Scrapbook pages.
Posted in My Crafty Stuff on byI normally don't post crafty stuff on this blog, but I quite impressed myself with these pages so I needed to double post. (In case you, my few dear readers, are interested, I have a craft-only blog, which I update more frequently.)
As you know from my previous post, I went to Mammoth over Thanksgiving weekend...where I'm most inspired to craft. I made this layout, which I spent way too much time on, but love the outcome. You will find similar layouts on pages 8 and 11 of the Close to my Heart Autumn/Winter Idea Book. I absolutely adore those layouts and have wanted to recreate them ever since I laid eyes on them in August! Each page will hold a 5"x7" picture of mine and my husband's side of our family. (The left side looks like it should hold an 8"x10"...but I don't like putting photos that big in my scrapbook. 8x10's are for framing. So that photo will have a big border.) Click the photos to see them larger.
As you know from my previous post, I went to Mammoth over Thanksgiving weekend...where I'm most inspired to craft. I made this layout, which I spent way too much time on, but love the outcome. You will find similar layouts on pages 8 and 11 of the Close to my Heart Autumn/Winter Idea Book. I absolutely adore those layouts and have wanted to recreate them ever since I laid eyes on them in August! Each page will hold a 5"x7" picture of mine and my husband's side of our family. (The left side looks like it should hold an 8"x10"...but I don't like putting photos that big in my scrapbook. 8x10's are for framing. So that photo will have a big border.) Click the photos to see them larger.
(don't mind the spoon, it's just holding the pages up!)Every stamp I used is from the Holiday Trinkets Stamp Set (my favorite!) and the paper is Jingle. To make the ornaments, I used second generation and rock 'n roll stamping techniques. First, I inked up the ornament stamp. Then I stamped it onto scratch paper. Without re-inking, i rolled just the edges of the stamp in the ink again. Then I stamped the image onto my white cardstock, cut it out, and adhered it to the page with 3D glue dots. The Olive cardstock on the left side of the page is random-stamped with the "Deck the Halls" stamp.
To make the crumpled paper, I cut the paper to the size I needed (about 1" x 3"). Then I lightly spritzed it with my stamp spritz cleaner (because it was handy and already in a spritz bottle...but water will do the job). Once it was evenly damp, I crumpled the paper (careful not to go too crazy, the paper will tear). I flattened it out and formed it how I wanted it, then let it dry. It's adhered to the page with glue dots.
The "pine needles" were time consuming, but totally worth it. And actually not very hard. I just cut a bunch of curved strips of Olive Cardstock (cut more than you think you will need). Once they were all cut, I sponged them in Olive ink to get them more depth. I adhered them to the page with a glue pen.
The trees on page 2 are more time-consuming than the pine needles. First I stamped the trees in Olive ink all the way across the strip of white cardstock. Then I second-generation stamped the trees a couple times on a separate piece of white cardstock (stamp first on scratch paper, then on cardstock to give lighter color). I cut out each tree on the extra cardstock and sponged the edges, then used a glue pen to glue them over some of the trees on the white strip. The ornaments are colored with a tulip marker, then used a glue pen to add glitter on top.
This flurry dimensional element makes the whole page come together! I used spray adhesive on the entire snowflake, then sprinkled glitter over it. (Tip: Put your dimensional element on a few sheets of scratch paper, then go outside and spray it. Throw the scratch paper away before glittering or the glitter will stick to it.) I adhered the snowflake with 3D foam so that it is raised above the felt piece it is covering.
The "J" and "Y" are dimensional elements that I covered with paper. Tip: When covering chipboard with paper, file the edges when you're done to give a smooth (and distressed, if you'd like) finish.
San Diego & Mammoth for Thanksgiving Weekend
Posted in Family, Madison, Mammoth, Oslo on by
We spent this Thanksgiving in San Diego at my parents' house. It was great to be able to spend time with the WHOLE family! I miss seeing sweet little Madison as often as I did when we lived in SD :( Every time I see her now she's so much bigger! We also celebrated my birthday since it was the following Monday and everyone was already together. Here's Maddie trying to put my shoes on as I was trying on my new boots. SO freaking cute!
And then trying to walk in them.
She also loved carrying around my new purse, which is almost as big as she is.
And my gift bag.
This girl is going to be quite the girly girl...and will LOVE playing dress-up with Mommy and Auntie's clothes, shoes, and makeup!
Earlier in the day we had my lovely friend and professional photographer, Lauren, take our Lewinger family photos. They turned out just lovely, but I don't have them yet, so you'll just have to wait to see how good we look ;)
On Thanksgiving evening Chris and I headed up to Mammoth. We did NOT enjoy the 6-hour drive now that we're used to the 4.5 hour drive from LA. But it was worth it to be in Mammoth. It's one of my most favorite places and never disappoints!
We celebrated Thanksgiving with the Malme family on Friday. Mmmm...more mashed potatoes, my favorite! Before dinner we got a pretty good Malme family photo for their Christmas card. (I don't like how I look, and this is after photoshopping my hair, but everyone else looks great.)
It snowed on Friday night all through Saturday, leaving us 14 inches of fresh powder on Sunday. We took Oslo to the meadow...boy does he have fun there!
I took Stephanie's awesome camera with me to get some fun snow shots.
And Steph got some cool pictures that night and in the morning.
Sunday was nothin but bluebird skies. Oslo the Wonder Dog likes to show off.
(Can I just point out how perfect these photos are?! I have tried taking action shots of him time and time again, and they just never turn out great. I'm SO excited about these!)
This next photo was taken on the mountain, across the street from the lift (chair 2). It's so beautiful up there, especially with fresh snow!
And of course, our little family photo had to include our son and be in the snow. (Good thing it snowed or I don't know what we would have done.) Chris was complaining about our photo shoot taking too long...he wanted to be finished after 1 location, but we tried 4, and I still hadn't seen the perfect shot. Our lovely photographer, Stephanie, was so patient with me. Finally, once I said "one more," we got the perfect shot on the last try! (And if you're wondering, yes, I was freezing my butt off without a beenie or jacket. But worth it for the cute hair.)
How do we get Oslo to look at the camera, you ask? Stephanie was holding his tennis ball. Works like a charm every time. (Although he did bolt over to her a couple times to try getting the ball.)
It was great to have lots of family time over the weekend!
And then trying to walk in them.
She also loved carrying around my new purse, which is almost as big as she is.
And my gift bag.
This girl is going to be quite the girly girl...and will LOVE playing dress-up with Mommy and Auntie's clothes, shoes, and makeup!
Earlier in the day we had my lovely friend and professional photographer, Lauren, take our Lewinger family photos. They turned out just lovely, but I don't have them yet, so you'll just have to wait to see how good we look ;)
On Thanksgiving evening Chris and I headed up to Mammoth. We did NOT enjoy the 6-hour drive now that we're used to the 4.5 hour drive from LA. But it was worth it to be in Mammoth. It's one of my most favorite places and never disappoints!
We celebrated Thanksgiving with the Malme family on Friday. Mmmm...more mashed potatoes, my favorite! Before dinner we got a pretty good Malme family photo for their Christmas card. (I don't like how I look, and this is after photoshopping my hair, but everyone else looks great.)
It snowed on Friday night all through Saturday, leaving us 14 inches of fresh powder on Sunday. We took Oslo to the meadow...boy does he have fun there!
I took Stephanie's awesome camera with me to get some fun snow shots.
And Steph got some cool pictures that night and in the morning.
Sunday was nothin but bluebird skies. Oslo the Wonder Dog likes to show off.
(Can I just point out how perfect these photos are?! I have tried taking action shots of him time and time again, and they just never turn out great. I'm SO excited about these!)
This next photo was taken on the mountain, across the street from the lift (chair 2). It's so beautiful up there, especially with fresh snow!
And of course, our little family photo had to include our son and be in the snow. (Good thing it snowed or I don't know what we would have done.) Chris was complaining about our photo shoot taking too long...he wanted to be finished after 1 location, but we tried 4, and I still hadn't seen the perfect shot. Our lovely photographer, Stephanie, was so patient with me. Finally, once I said "one more," we got the perfect shot on the last try! (And if you're wondering, yes, I was freezing my butt off without a beenie or jacket. But worth it for the cute hair.)
How do we get Oslo to look at the camera, you ask? Stephanie was holding his tennis ball. Works like a charm every time. (Although he did bolt over to her a couple times to try getting the ball.)It was great to have lots of family time over the weekend!
Jim Carrey on The Ellen Show
Posted in YouTube Clip of the Day on byJim Carrey's entrance is awesome. No one else could pull this off like he did.
He wasn't necessarily promoting his new movie, Disney's A Christmas Carol, but they show a quick promo in the beginning. The movie is pretty awesome. I saw it opening weekend at Disney's El Capitan theatre in Hollywood, and it was nothing less than Disney style. Motion-capture technology made it possible to create this movie as close as possible to the classic Dickens tale. It is still a ghost story (I don't recommend bringing your small children), but it's also comedic. How could it not be with Jim Carrey?!
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