worth mentioning

BLOG Issues

I have been having troubles with this blog for over a year.  We have isolated most of the issues to those with Internet Explorer which means the images don't load for you. So frustrating.  So after working with Typepad to resolve the issue for months and getting NOWHERE, I've decided to switch over to a new one.  I was lucky to have most everything transferred to this new blog.  So if you want to bookmark it I will be using it from now on.  Haven't decided yet what I'm going to do with this one yet. 

http://danelle-johnson.com/danelleblog/

We left D.C. this morning to get home earlier than planned, but we are stuck in Ohare. We have one more fight, let's hope this is the one. If not, I guess we'll be staying until tomorrow. I decided it was a great day for Laney to learn terminal and gate education and airport reality. We've changed gates and terminals 11 times. Actually I think she is enjoying it. We started the day with 100 questions and now she is a pro. So I put her in charge and now she lets me know where we need to go next.

She is joy riding on the escalator in front of our gate while I download a few shows to watch for this last leg home.

I realized tonight is the last episode of the Bachelor and I'm 'hopefully' going to be in the air. Guess I will just have to watch it later...what a bummer. I am not going to even attempt to predict the ending, even though I think I have a favorite. Have to see the last dates to know for sure who it is I'm rooting for.

Today was such a treat spending the day in D.C. We will be heading home tomorrow after such a great weekend opening the Creative Cafe for Ashburn Family Scrapbook Center. I got to see lots of friends from Get Croppin', Ashley, Marirosa, Pat, Kitty, Kathy. Just the sweetest group of women.

Delaney and I really were treated like the most special guests, thanks Kely.

I am excited to look through the photos, since the weekend went by so fast. I will make sure to post more of them from our trip.

the girls on Halloween....

It was almost dark when we set out. Usually I am sure to take time for photos and I almost forgot. Lucky it wasn't pitch black when we left.

What is it about Halloween that just melts a mom? I think it's the innocence you see in each and every smile they give. I could look at all the sweet photos of kids all day long on Halloween.

These are some of my favorites of the night.

Hey Hey -- Here we are at the Art bar in San Jose and I must tell you, it rocks!! We have had the best time with these fantastic ladies learning, playing and really thinking about WHY we love this amazing hobby. It is humbling to realize that this is all so much bigger than any of can really comprehend. What we do matters - it might not seem like it now, but one day, the memories you are making today will REALLY matter to someone you love. We hope all of you reading this take a minute to think about what matters MOST to you - and that you take a minute to scrapbook that!! Have a fantastic weekend!!
Kristi Sikora-Blankenship with Dannelle, Mellie, and lots of cool, cool CALIFORNIA GIRLS!

This was a MOST WONDERFUL, STUPENDOUS WEEKEND. Lots of projects, Lots of new friends, Thank you to Scrap Lovers, Creative Cafe and Maya Road for the many mini book projects and other fun projects! - Joan J.

I am sitting in the airport in Dallas on my way to San Jose. I am looking forward to several things.

great company
happy hour this weekend at the Art Bar, Friday and Saturday night
getting away from the madness that this week has been (beyond busy and I'm wiped)

Which is why I am having this...not sure that with as little sleep as I'm getting I should be having this, but too bad, I need it. I walked in to one sidewalk cafe here and when the waitress said their margarita machine was broke, I found another place to eat...(grin.) Yeah, it's all good and let the fun begin this weekend.

California, Creative Cafe and amazing people...in store.

I am heading off to meet Kristi Sikora-Blankenship and Melodee Langworthy in a couple of hours who are both in flight now as well. Do you suppose that Melodee is sitting at the airport with one of these too? or Kristi?? ahh....they would enjoy them.

look out San Jose, we are going to be heading your way.....

This morning I went in Laney's room to borrow her brush, which we always have to be careful about.  I know her vanity in her room is pretty sacred and it's the cutest thing.  At 8, which I think is pretty young, she wakes herself and has a strict morning schedule she follows to a "T" each day, including taking bath.  I love that she is very routine, pretty cute.  So while I'm in her room getting the brush, I happen to see written on her marker board which is sitting underneath the vanity, an entire page of notes.  Of course, I had to read them.  The words I found, were the sweetest most precious thing I think maybe I've seen.  I stood there just reading it for 15 minutes or more, soaking it in.  I knew I wanted to remember those words for a long long time. 

You see, we are having some growing pains and challenges involving friends, self esteem and feeling ok.  Breaks my heart knowing what tears I know are yet to come, but these words I read were the sweetest.  They told me that all the things we have been talking about every day, each night are being heard.  I called Dad and told him and meant to go back and snap a quick photo for me, for tucking away in that special spot, so my heart could remember.

Well...at 4:30...I gasped remembering that I had totally forgot to take the photo.  Knowing Delaney was home, I quickly went to her room, only to find her sitting at her vanity writing something totally new, having a great time as only she would after school.  I stopped...just standing there.... 

I was so proud of her, yet so crushed.  I wanted to read it again, just one more time.  She saw the look in my eye, but do I tell her?  I had to, we are always honest.  So I told her I read her words and I loved them so much I wanted to keep them forever.  Made me a little teary.

You know what she said?  She said, Mom, it's ok.  I just wrote that this morning as my reminder for the day.  I have been writing happy messages to myself each morning before school and it's making the day great.  So I will write another one tomorrow and you can have that one.  It's ok, mom.

You know as a mom, you hope and pray and feel their pain so much deeper and when you see the fruits of just one tiny little bit make a difference, it's HUGE. 

So as I'm feeling so darn mad at myself for having such a brain lapse, Delaney is telling me this.  Well Mom, since you are so proud of me...can you take us out for Mexican tonight??????

I am supposed to be wrapping up lots of art, but I'm totally distracted because everyone just wants to talk about Creative Cafe.   I can't blame them because I totally feel the same.

Have you seen these pictures yet?  Now that is cool.  Oh, to see all this product in one place before it left for the 200 stores,  would have been a sight.  I am getting bombarded with emails because everyone wants to know where is this product going?  Is there a store near me?  When can I shop this?

I have been posting all week about some of the special events planned for Creative Cafe stores.  Here are a few more, lucky lucky ladies that get to shop these stores.

From Sonja at the Crop Circle in

Westchester

,

CA

The Crop Circle is planning our Grand Opening for Happy Hour on Sunday October 27th & October 28th!  We're offering an exclusive for oru VIP costumers on Friday.  We're offering punch card packaged exclusive Creative Cafe membership, good for FREE Happy Hour and all sorts of other goodies, good now through 2008, for only $20.

From Gigi at My Scrapbook Shoppe in

Port Charlotte

,

FL

We are Launching our Creative Cafe during our Holiday Open House on November 10th. We got the entire line... both Lucky and Spirit! We are so excited to start this! Our Launch is also right in the middle of our Gulf Coast Holiday Shop Hop (www.gulfcoastholidayshophop.com) Nov. 2-Nov. 16. Lots of new people through our store and lots of new people to Creative Cafe!

From Karen at K2 Scrapbook Studio in

Sarasota

,

Florida

We are so excited to get Creative Cafe! We are planning a big Grand Opening on the evening of Saturday, November 17th! the Festivities will include yummy food, great wine and lots of chocolate! And of course will feature the amazing Creative Cafe! WE will be doing our first

Art

Bar

project, free of charge to anyone who attends, and will have our design team on hand to demonstrate the use of the amazing new Accucut machine!  Lots of opportunities to play with the new goodies, and to sign up for our Creative Cafe club, and to hear about the weekly

Art

Bar

projects! Come join us!!!

K2 Scrapbook Studio

4281 Clark Road

Sarasota

,

Florida

,

34233

941-926-1744

There you have it:  3 more Creative Cafe happenings.   Send me yours if you know of another one.  If you missed out on these other Creative Cafe happenings posted earlier this week, check them out.  Might be one near you.  Also, if you want to drool a little at projects and close up photos of the products...you can read more here on Monique's blog.  She owns Scrap, Etc in

Alabama

and how I would LOVE to be there on Saturday morning.

I have to tell you...I have played with all of this product, well or should I say fondled it all and you are truly in for a treat.  You need to find one of these stores near you just to see what I am talking about.  You are going to love this... I have a link for you to find a store near you.   FIND A CREATIVE CAFE STORE

Well, thanks for giving me a little art break...

Danelle