Salon Fusion Photo Shoot

My friend Jenny Hoke is an awesome photographer. Her specialty - babies and children. But don't let that fool ya'. Jenny can photograph ANYTHING. Colleen has become a regular on Jenny's calendar - with Benjamin and A.J. It wasn't long before the girls at Salon Fusion got a glimpse of Jenny's photos, and they were quick to book a "big girl" session for some advertising headshots. For those of you who don't know her, that's our Colleen - bottom center.

Can't wait to see what Jenny does with Kelli's senior pictures later this summer.

American Idol - Country Week

I'll be here each and every week - as long as Danny Gokey remains in the competition. I think his main competition will come from Adam Lambert, who has an amazing voice. BUT, I have to say that what he did to Johnny Cash's "Ring of Fire" kind of FREAKED me out.

As for Danny, he performed, "Jesus Take the Wheel" by Carrie Underwood. It started off a little slow, but in true "Danny Fashion", he brought it HOME when it counted.

What a LOAD of BLING!!!!

As my husband puts it, "these three rings cost more than our first house". And, he's probably right.

From left to right: our August bride (Chrissie), our November bride (Katie) and our June 2010 bride (Melissa - Chrissie's BFF). Melissa is Chrissie's Maid of Honor in August and Chrissie will be Melissa's Matron of Honor next June.

The Memory Loft

A few weeks ago, I went on a weekend getaway with my daughter Carrie and some friends - an entire weekend of scrapbooking, pajamas and chick-flicks. Our location was The Memory Loft in downtown LaPorte. The location holds 10 and we had 6, which was just about PERFECT. We had plenty of room to "spread out" - and we did. The bedroom loft looks down over the "great room" where we spent most of our time. This bedroom sleeps five. There was an additional bedroom at the back of the building, that slept five more. We had two full baths and a Gourmet Kitchen - not that we did any cooking. All of our meals were prepared in advanced or catered.

We arrived on Friday afternoon and left on Sunday afternoon. The weather was cold and snowy. Aside from a quick trip to Walmart and Stamping on State Street, we stayed in our pajamas and ate a lot of JUNK. I think we polished off a bunch of movies, including Pretty Woman, Flashdance, Footloose, Sweet Home Alabama, and two viewings of Mama Mia.

Oh yeah, and we DID get some scrapbook pages completed.

Spring is "Springing"

...and my SCENTSY business is booming!! I received my 1st commission check last week. March 1st brought the new spring/summer catalog and it's full of beautiful warmers and fun, new scents - to bring us out of the winter doldrums. Please visit my website www.scentsy.com/pattyk (if you'd like to browse a catalog, or place an order). New spring/summer scents include: Beach, Herb Garden, Lush Gardenia, Pima Cotton, Red Delicious, Sangria, Sweet Tea Magnolia and Tea Blossom (and many more). If you're not familiar with SCENTSY, remember - there is no open flame. Your wax scents are melted using a 25 watt lightbulb (which is included with your warmer).

Here's just a small sample of some of the new warmers.

The SAFARI Collection:

SENDAI

SYMPHONY






KOKOPELLI

Here We Go Again.....

I'll admit it - I'm addicted to American Idol. It's a great way to spend my evenings - especially when I have 400 wedding invitations to make. I sit at my craft table, tune into FOX and pick my favorite. I don't actually pick up the phone and vote, but I do give my opinion when asked. I've come close a few years, and actually picked the winner last year with David Cook. My biggest disappointment was the year that Chris Daughtry was voted off. I swore I was FINISHED!! But, that didn't last for long.

So, here we are - thirteen contestants, out of millions who auditioned. I've loved Danny Gokey since his very first audition. Can he beat Adam Lambert and Lil Rounds (two EXTREMELY talented contestants)? I don't know. But you can put me on the Danny Gokey bandwagon for the next 13 weeks. Week One - the music of Michael Jackson.

"RAINY" Day in Chicago

Well, the weather in Chicago may have been rainy, but that didn't dampen the spirits of four BEATLE fans. I had purchasd the tickets as a Christmas gift for Bob. Ben's mom bought the tickets for him and Kelli for his birthday last week. The four of us headed into the city, went to the afternoon performance and finished the day with dinner at the Italian Village.

As for "RAIN" - the name came from an unknown Beatle song on the flip side of Paperback Rider". The show was fantastic - covering all the years from the Ed Sullivan Show through Abbey Road. Four costume changes (including Sgt. Pepper). The audience spent most of the show on their feet, singing and dancing in the aisles.

During the finale of HEY JUDE, "Paul" asked everyone OVER 50 to sing and then everyone UNDER 18. It showed how many generations their music had covered.

March Warmer of the Month - BOLEYN

Scentsy’s new spring/summer catalogs are filled with new warmers and scents reflecting the lightheartedness of spring, and the relaxing days of summer. March’s Warmer of the Month, Boleyn, is fresh, new and dramatic – and offered at a 10% discount for the month of March.

With spring and summer fragrances like Pima Cotton, Coconut Citrus Parfait and Lush Gardenia you can welcome the lengthening days and bring fresh, new fragrances into your home. March’s Scent of the Month, Sheer Saffron, is a perfect fragrance to transition from winter to spring, with a hint of evergreen combined perfectly with earthy sage, delicate white flowers and crisp citrus. Sheer Saffron is also available at a 10% discount if you order between March 1 and March 31st.

I still have a few dates left in March. Book a party and you'll receive a free plug-in warmer - $15 value.

As Busy As I Am.....

I still manage to find time for scrapbooking. Last weekend, Carrie and I went on a scrapbook retreat, along with our friends Lisa and Darcy. We spent the weekend in LaPorte at the Memory Loft. It was an entire weekend devoted to chick flicks, pajamas and scrapbooking. Here's a little of what I accomplished...