On Monday I took everyone into Borders so we could buy the potty book.  I got lucky - Dan really likes it and we had to read it a zillion times when we got home.  So now the girls read to him in the bathroom.  I’m still using a timer though that goes off ever 30-40 minutes… the times that Dan has to go and the timer doesn’t ring is when we have an accident.  So he’s not good yet at making it to the potty without being prompted….Did I mention that I HATE potty training?

On a different note, the past week we have been having “picnics” out in the backyard for lunch.  The kids really like it - probably more because I’m out there too.

We also have one of those round ring pools.  This is the 4th year of the same pool - we’ll be getting a bigger one next season.  But this year was the first time I tried one of those salt-water filtration systems instead of doing the chemicals.  I also bought a bigger and stronger filter (2500 galloons per hour instead)… OMG… what a difference!  I love it… no more trying to figure out how much chlorine to put in the pool… no more dingy water… it has been a great buy for us.  I definitely waited too many seasons to buy a stronger pump (the one that comes with these ring pools is just not strong enough)… so the pump has been great but the chlorine generator has been wonderful for me.  I want the pool to be as low maintenance as it can be…

Dan LOVES the pool.  He puts his face right in the water - tries to swim to the other side - and doesn’t mind going under the water.  Even though the girls really liked water at an early age too, they never liked going under the water and didn’t really start doing that until they where 4 1/2.  Dan is doing it now at 3 1/2.  Absolutely LOVES LOVES LOVES the water…

This week I have been mostly working on CHA follow-up items.   I have gotten a lot off the long list and that has been very nice!  Yesterday I was able to get the handmade thank-you cards mailed out.  I forgot to take a photo of them though so I have nothing to post.  They came out nice though… I used our new collection, Sawyer to make them on clear sheets (should have gotten a photo damn it.. lol!).

I think Kristy Valshan is starting to find a stride… we’ve had a bit of a rough patch for about the last 8 months or so because we were tied up with a manufacturer that ended up not being able to fulfil a lot of their promises.  That basically put KV on hold for that period of time because we weren’t doing anything but working with this company… but since we have moved on, I have been more focused on promoting and marketing of KV  - like finally changing the website design and adding a little portfolio section, doing some newsletters, sending out a lot of follow-up e-mails, writing and revising contracts and even pushing a bit to setup phone meetings - which is somewhat out of my comfort zone but I’m getting much better with that.  Our CHA designer mentor and friend, Vicki Schreiner (she is also the chair of the CHA designer section) keeps telling me that it will get easier, we just have to take that leap of faith the first few times… Incidentally, Vicki has been a really AWESOME mentor and she is a fabulous designer… her Bazooples line is getting big in both the mass market and the independent market which usually is not the case.  She has new product out at Cracker Barrel and her fabric lines run through Walmart and the independents… very cool!

We have signed a few interesting contracts in the past week since CHA and I have two more calls next week scheduled.  I’m really happy with where we are even if it’s been a bit slow (it really hasn’t in the overall timeframe of this industry but it still feels like it’s been slow).  We’re thinking about going to Quilt Market in October (been told we should do that for a long time now)…  And we’re also thinking of exhibiting in January at the Atlanta Gift Show.. they have a new licensing section this year that appears to be cheaper than Surtex.  Not sure we can afford it though and exhibit at Winter CHA and Surtex.  Very expensive to travel and exhibit.  It seems like every 3 months or so we are at a show.  It’s fun to travel and get away though… just hate the costs.

On Saturday, we were able to get together and have lunch Melinda, Robin, Oriana and Connie.  It was so great meeting you all in person!!

Jeanine and I with Connie!  Connie is such a sweetheart!!  Thank you again for lunch!

And last… here is our little helper Dan.  He wanted to cut too while we were putting our display together.  Isn’t he cute?

And lastly, here I am next to our two new products released by CR Gibson.  Woo hoo!

Last night I happened to glance out the front window and there he was.  Right in the center of my front yard - when it was still light outside!  So I grabbed the camera to show Jeanine our friend had returned.  I took about 10 photos but they were all from behind the glass (I was so not opening the door! lol!) These are the clearest I got.. but you can still see him.  UGH!

Anyone know of anything that can make our yard not so interesting to be in for this guy?  Is there even such a thing as a de-skunker or “skunk be gone”?… lol!

Not many people know about this bill and unfortunately it is something that affects EVERYONE even down to all the “moms” out there who share photos and videos on the Internet with their family. Getting the word out about what this bill is and the ramifications it will cause is incredibly important.  Tell everyone you know about it.  You can get more info about this at http://www.owoh.org.

Several people Jeanine and I have come across knew nothing about this bill and were shocked to find out how broad the implications will be if this passes in its current version.  There are others (are you one of them?) who are having a hard time even believing this could possibly be happening.  Could the US really change the copyright laws like this?

When this bill passes (in the state that it is written), the current copyright law we enjoy - which is passive rights - will turn into active rights.  Right now when you design something or take a photo of your children you automatically own the copyright to that image - you don’t have to do anything to be entitled to that right.  If this bill passes, all images will need to be registered in order to be protected under the copyright law turning copyright into something you will have to actively secure.

And worse yet, if someone wants to use an image and does a “diligent” search and turns up nothing regarding the author, they would be entitled to use the image for their own commercial purposes without permission from the author.  That is truly scary.

From what I understand, the bill WILL pass.  We can’t stop it now.  What the opposition team is trying to do is slow the passing down long enough to be invited out to talk and educate congress regarding what will happen if the bill is passed in its current state.  We are hoping to get several key points of verbiage changed.

There are more issues surrounding the bill.  But in general terms that’s what is being proposed and how it will affect the average joe citizen.   Please take a moment to watch the video to get a better understanding of the importance of joining us in this fight to oppose this bill.

If you want to post this video on your blog, the WhenCreativityKnocks website has posted code you can use.   I was unable to get their code to work in my word press blog.  So instead I installed this Word Press video plugin and used a direct video URL.  The direct video URL is

http://www.whencreativityknocks.com/seyretfiles/uploads/videos/user_63/user_63_vhdw3pa1709rgk.flv

Please help us in this fight.  On the Orphan Works website there is a page of different things you can do to help us - from sending e-mails, calling to signing an online petition.   Check it out and join us!

I finally got the bills paid this morning… only took DAYS… Now I should go work on Jess’s room a little since Jeanine will be camping out in Jess’s room while she’s here.  Her flight doesn’t get into until 9pm tonight so I have a little time… lol!  Hopefully…

The girls stood up in the wedding as jr. bridesmaids. I’m just taking a little break between the wedding and the reception to post some quick photos. We have 2 hours in between…

We didn’t take Dan to the church though…I could just hear him say right in the middle of the ceremony “Who’s that guy up there?” “What are those people doing up there?” lol! I didn’t think we needed his commentary during the wedding so he stayed with Rick’s mom.

Here are some photos I got…

They really are not identical twins. But sometimes they really look like each other - well most times but some times more than others. Since they were born they have been the same height and weight. Just the other day they stepped on the scale and both were exactly 66 lbs. Amazing…

My uncle knew he was going to be a basket case… and he was… he had Mallory crying too as they walked down the aisle.

And this was when he was giving her away - she was crying too. Took her a few kleenex swaps with her maid of honor to recover.

Mallory is just so pretty I can’t stand it.  lol!

On this site mindmeister.com, you can sign up for a free basic account and create various “maps”… You just click and type and it automatically builds the “tree” out as you go. Mindmeister allows you to share your maps publicly if you want or keep them private. If you share them publicly you can choose to add a password to them so that your maps won’t appear on mindmeister’s public list but just appear places you want - like me posting this to my blog. You can also collaboratively work on the maps like you can with google docs (oh Jeanine….).  It’s an interesting and quick way to make a list or just brainstorm. Remember those brainstorming sessions you did back in school?

Anyway, I just thought this was a cool site. 

In my attempt to be a better blogger (definitely not housekeeper), I’m going to share the nightmare that is my office.  I took these photos just yesterday (and yes not much has changed) to show Jeanine the pit that is my front room.

Awhile back Brenda Pinnick did a messy office contest from her blog and I sent photos for that too.  Ironically those photos weren’t nearly as bad as what I have here….

We do not have a basement in this house.  I used to use Dan’s room as my office - and that worked well because I could close the door and leave the disaster in there to be dealt with when I was ready.

But now the kids have their own rooms so even though we have 4 bedrooms, Dan has taken over what used to be my office and we got rid of the playroom when the girls got their own rooms.  So this has brought my office out to the front room as well as all the toys.  Yes… this is why I don’t have people over to my house.  LOL!

Ironically the rest of the house isn’t bad.  I spent a good chunk of a Friday two weeks ago reorganizing my bedroom.  Decided my pile of clothes that I usually stack on my dresser or on the dogs cage had to go.  So I reorganized the way my bedroom works and it has been a very good thing.  The next day I spent the entire Saturday cleaning the kitchen like a crazy person.  I even moved the stove and cleaned the floor under it - wow what a nightmare that was…  I was a mad cleaning whore… that doesn’t happen very often so I ride the wave when it does.

But I am afraid that the wave is ending with the cleaning and what I have above will stay.  Jeanine is coming next Monday to stay with me for a week for CHA.  While we don’t clean for each other when we visit - we don’t mind that we are pigs - this front room is so bad that I will have to do something about it.

I use the Gevalia “Gevalia Coffee for Two“ since I am the only one in this house that drinks coffee.  (Got it for free when I joined their club - actually this is my 2nd one been using this coffee pot for about 2-3 years now).  It’s easy because I don’t have to make a whole pot of coffee.  I can make one of these jumbo cups just for myself.  The coffee maker also takes regular coffee (not those pad things) so I can use whatever coffee I want.   I tried those single cup makers that came with the pads awhile back but hated that I couldn’t use my own coffee.

I have never actually used the right side of this coffee maker.  lol!  I only make myself a large cup.   I see they have a personal maker similar to this.  Not sure you can get that one for free though.