I posted a Photo Album

On the right hand side of my blog above the "counter" I have posted a 2008 Vacation link to a ton of our vacation pictures. Just thought you would like to see more. :)

Here is the direct link, too.
http://web.me.com/stampinbuds/MyEventPhotos/London.html

I will be updating photos on this as much as I can daily. So be sure to keep checking back. Also, the page will load slowly because there are so many pictures to share. :)

~*Stampily yours*~ Shannon! :)

And off to Lille, France

Today was quite the day! LOL

We started off by needing to be down in the lobby of our hotel by 8:15am to catch our taxi to the train station. Well, our alarm never went off so Kent and Tina called us to see where we were...EEK! It litterally took us only 10 minutes flat to roll out of bed, brush our teeth, toss everything into our suitcases and get down to the lobby. LOL Wow! I don't think I've ever moved so fast in my life! So, needless to say, I didn't really get to enjoy the sites of London on our way out of town because I was too busy trying to put my make-up on in the taxi. *Such a girl thing to do!* ;)

We made it to the train station on time but because there was a fire in the tunnel under the English Channel within the last couple of weeks the trains were running on different schedules...so basically if we would've gotten there any later we could've missed our train...eek! *See how this day is playing out so far? LOL*

Once in town we had to schlep our way to our hotel with all of our luggage...not bad but we had no idea where we were headed. We made it, though, and our hotel is really quaint. We dropped everything off and headed out to explore Lille, France.

It's a beautiful place with very narrow streets, adorable little shops, and tons of little bakeries that all look so yummy and fattening! Holy Cow! Hardly anyone speaks any English so we are trying to stumble our way through their language...its kinda funny actually!

We ended up in a little bakery that serves quiche - except they all call them tartletts here for whatever reason...is there a difference? ...oh who cares, they were to die for! YUM! LOL! We made sure to take lots of pictures for the memories, too. Luckily the shop waitress in one of the shops spoke a tad bit of English - that was very beneficial for us...*whew*. ;)

After that we explored lots more shops and the city streets. One of the most disturbing things in this place to me was all the smoking that was being done by kids that had to have been only 14 years old. Ack! That is so not cool and I'm not sure why they all think it is. :(

It's been raining all day (which is fine, much like Oregon) but we never expected to have to schlep ourselves through moonsoon like weather! LOL (My poor hair...eek!) So, needless to say, we're cold, soggy, but still up in spirit and having a great time. We're hoping to get back out tonight to explore the nightlife again...there are all kinds of lights hung across the streets to give everything a sparkly fun feel. Could be fun!

Update: We did go out and they didn't light up the lights. What kind of romantic, fun town is this suppose to be if they don't even think about setting the mood? LOL

In the morning we are hopping a train to Paris - can't wait to see the Eiffel Tower...that'll be neat and I can't wait to share all our pictures with you! :)

~*Stampily Yours*~ Shannon! :)

Day 2 in London

Another great day in London! We started out in the executive lounge of our hotel with a quick breakfast and then quickly moved onto Starbucks. *Always well worth it in my opinion...LOL!*

We decided to take a "Big Bus" city tour today where you basically pay for one pass and you can hop on and off the buses all day, anywhere, in the city whenever you want. We got to see a lot this way...lots of shops, pubs, buildings, and such. Pretty nifty...and cold since I didn't bring a jacket. LOL oh well!

Have to tell you something funny that happened today, though...and I think that THIS is going to be MY one big story for this trip...ha!

We were getting fairly close to Westminster Abbey and this motorcade came by - Tina swears that the Royal Family were being escorted somewhere...could be! Cool! Well, after seeing this we went up around the bend where the actual building was and as I was getting ready to cross the street I went to step off the curb and I had to stop and wait for a motorcade of motorcycle cops to pass. Very cool again! The cops took the curb really slow - maybe 5mph - and just as the 3rd row of 2 cops were turning the corner I happened to look into the helmet of one of the cops (not sure why this is significant but it's what I remember doing in that split second) ...this is when the cop nearest to me lost control of his bike, ran it up the curb and tipped it over right at my feet. Ha! All Tina and I could do was sit there and start giggling until Tina finally asked the cop if he was ok. (at least she was thinking! - all I could think about was whether I should take a picture or not! LOL). The cop mumbled that he was ok as he started picking up his bike. Next thing I remember Tina turns to me and says something to the tune of, "You sure know how to stop traffic in London!" LOL!! Poor Guy, though! So now Tina is going around saying that I'm a Traffic Stopper! LOL Too funny! ;)~

Well, it's getting late and we need to get up and catch the Eurostar to Lille, France in the morning! Can't wait to see what the next day will bring. :)

~*Stampily Yours*~ Shannon! :)

P.S. Here are some pictures of our day. :)

More fun Sunday Pictures!

Here are some more fun pictures from our day. I can't wait to get some uploaded from Tina's camera too! We went to Notting Hill instead of Camden Market, Picadilly Circus, and even went and saw Big Ben! Everything is amazing and fun here AND after second thought I am LOVING the Tube system! Wow!














~*Stampily Yours*~ Shannon

We're in London BABY!

After 7.5 hours of flying we (*singing in my best Kanye West and Estelle Voice*) ~ Just touched down in London-town ~ Our flight was suppose to be longer but we caught some really good tail wind. Right on! And talk about a big plane...the depth of it went on for what seemed like MILES!

The flight was really good, actually...pretty smooth most of the way and because it was so dark outside I didn't even worry too much about what all was going on outside - like the ocean below and all the creatures of the deep. (Don't you just love my silly quirks? LOL)

The airline gave us little masky things for our eyes so that we could shut out all the lights around us. Pretty cool! Can't say we were looking too chipper sportin' them, though - but the picture is growing on me more and more! Kent and Tina looked pretty good, I thought. :)

It took us 2 hours to find our hotel. We took the Tube (it sounds cooler than it really is!) and had to connect in 3 different stations. It was like being on the Amazing Race only we haven't really seen anything AMAZING yet. LOL Lots of people talkin' with their accents, though, so that was pretty cool to listen to. :)

Our hotel room is nice, smallish, BUT there is a Starbucks right outside...YIPPEE!! :)~ Guess where I'm headed for a yummy pick-me-up and a familiar smile? ;)~ (even got the picture to prove it! lol)
Well, we are off to meet Kent and Tina in the lobby so that we can start our first bit of exploration. YAY!! That'll be so cool! I think we're planning on hitting Camden Market and also heading over to Paddington to get a picture with Paddington Bear (Tina is just DYING to do this!). LOL Silly but fun!

So, until next time... *smile*

~*Stampily Yours*~ Shannon! ;)

Atlanta Airport

Well we made it to Atlanta! Woohoo! The flight was pretty good but yet I will always complain about turbulance...lol! The shift of the turbulance was weird in my opinion but I've been assured that it was normal...whatever normal means!

Anyways, we met up with our travel buddies, Tina and Kent! How fun! Having someone else to talk to is very entertaining...Aaron and Kent are pouring over maps and things while Tina and I are updating our blogs...priorities you know! ;)

We will be boarding our next flight here in about 30 minutes with our next stop being LONDON BABY! Woohoo! Chat with you on the next leg! Now, lets just hope I can get some sleep. ;)

~*Stampily Yours*~ Shannon! :)

Why wait for Atlanta?

We made it to the airport - check-in, and security were a breeze so we headed to Starbucks (I'm such a Starbucks Girl!) and then took this picture to start off our journey! If you look closely enough you can see the Delta gate behind us.

Anyways, we're getting ready to board...chat with you more in Atlanta!

~*Stampily Yours*~ Shannon! :)

We're on our way!

The day is here and surprisingly I was able to get a good nights worth of sleep and I'm feeling excited...FINALLY! Still a little nervous but knowing all the fun that's ahead of me. YIPPEE!!

I'm hoping to get to Atlanta later this afternoon and do my first official post from the airport once I meet up with Tina. *fingers are crossed* Won't that be fun! So stay tuned...lots of fun and pics are HOPEFULLY coming your way over the next 2 weeks. ;)~

~ *Stampily Yours* ~ Shannon!

We're under 24 hours now!

Holy cow! In less than 24 hours we'll be on a plane to London. (*grabs a paper sack*) - LOL!

It's so funny that I don't think that I'm too nervous about the flight from here to Georgia...but the one from Georgia to London has me feeling sick, sick, sick! I can barely eat, I can barely function normally. I think once I'm there I'll be fine, though. I just can't imagine how a plane can stay up in the air for so long without having to fill up or pull over. And I sure hope it doesn't have to do EITHER! LOL Also, flying over the ocean for so long...that can't be comforting either. When the plane finally touches down safely I won't be surprised if I burst into tears and kiss the ground. LOL If I do I'll try to AT LEAST post a picture of me kissing the ground...(*but don't hold your breath for it!*).

Stay tuned for more pictures of my adventures to come! :)

~ *Stampily Yours* ~ Shannon! :)

My play area!

Oooh, to have my play area lookin' this clean again! LOL

With only 3 days left until I leave for the Mediterranean I bet you can only imagine what my play area looks like right now. *sigh* I just finished with a couple of very huge projects that were weighing me down and I am happy to say that they are out the door first thing in the morning. YAY!

I would love to start taking applications for anyone that wants to come clean my play area while I'm away, though. LOL It desparately needs it! ;)

~ *Stampily Yours* ~ Shannon! ;)

Demo Board Artwork

Happy Monday Morning!

As excited as I am to leave at the end of the week for vacation, I'm also chomping at the bit to return home rejuvenated so that I can start turning my blog into something more "artistically savvy" - I'm sure it's much anticipated and everyone wants to see more artwork from me, right? ;)

Anyways...I wanted to be sure to drag these photos of the Demo Board swap I was in over from Typepad before I end up deleting that account. Sorry for those of you who are seeing this for the 2nd time around. I hope you understand. :)

This first picture is of my contribution to the swap. I used the CTMH Evensong L2 Paper Packet.

This next picture uses the Notebook L2 Packet and is done by my good friend Jody P. I LOVE her artwork. She always does such great work. I want to be like Jody when I grow up!! LOL
This next picture uses the Perfect Day L2 Packet and is done by my friend Anne H. I really love her use of embellishments here. She always does such a great job with that and I am always excited to see what she comes up with. Great job Anne!

This next picture uses the Magic Moments L2 Packet and is done by my good friend Amy McG. I especially like the card with the "S" on it. How cute is that! She used the new CTMH embroidery floss to make some adorable little french knots in each paisley. How clever! Loved her little 3" x 3" card, too. Absolutely adorable!

Lastly, this artwork is done with the Aspen L2 Packet by Kelly Eng-T. It was kind of neat, actually, that Kelly went ahead and put a picture of her kids catching snowflakes on her 12" x 12" page. I always think that artwork looks so complete when there are photos and personality...however, I rarely put photos on my layouts prior to photographing because I'm just too eager to get the artwork posted for you all to see...lol! Shame on me! I'll try to get better at containing my excitement so that there is enough time to add the pictures. ;)

I hope your inspiration is bursting at the seams after seeing all of this beautiful artwork by these VERY TALENTED ladies! :)

~ *Stampily Yours* ~ Shannon! ;)

Paying it Forward

Shopping! Shopping! Shopping! It's been so long since I have enjoyed shopping this much! Woohoo!! I'm plannin' on lookin' smokin' hot on the cruise this year with all my new cute clothes...YIPPEE! (Can you tell I'm a bit giddy?) LOL ;)

So, I have to tell you what happened today that left my heart so blessed. We went to Old Navy to pick up some cheap t-shirts for our upcoming cruise. I was in the the checkout line and I had just swiped my debit card and paid for my clothes when the lady behind me asked me if I had used the "friend" coupon that would give me an extra 20% off my entire order. I, of course, said, "No." (What a bummer to have to pay full price...which is exactly what I was doing!) :(

Well, what happened next absolutely floored me! The lady behind me turns to the clerk and says to him, "This is my friend and I want her to be able to use this coupon." Wow! How awesome is that?! I graciously accepted and just stood their in awe over what had just happened. What a wonderfully sweet thing that this complete stranger did for me. :) I went on to tell her how I was shopping for vacation and that any little bit that I could save right now would help out soooo much!! I was just so excited!!

...and then of course it got me thinking of how and when I will be able to Pay it Forward to a complete stranger like this kind woman did for me. I can't wait to share the generosity and bless someone elses heart by simply sharing a random act of kindness. It just makes me so excited and happy when I can share a blessing and a smile with someone else. :)

OH MY FRICKIN' HECK!

I have to tell you about what just happened to me! But before I get into it I feel its best to back track a little bit to give you a better glimpse into this story I'm about to share. :)

Many of you know that shortly after convention I ended up with a pinched nerve in my neck/back that the doctor says was stressed induced. I was in so much pain that I could barely stand it...and the doctor never really gave me anything for it either so all I could do was lay in bed for over a week, toss and turn (as much as I could) at night, and sometimes just go out to the couch and sob because it just hurt so bad. Well...this put me down in the dumps, so to speak, even though I never really would go as far as to tell anyone that.

My diet that I've been working so long and hard on took a hit. I didn't gain much (thank goodness!) but I gained enough to know that I had some extra poundage that I would need to work off FIRST before I could even begin to get back on track. :(

Well...good news! I'm back on track and going strong! I light-heartily told Aaron 2 weeks ago that its my goal to lose 10 lbs before the cruise and while my intentions are in the right place I can't say that I 100% got behind my goal. (Typical. LOL!) But wait, it gets better...

So I haven't been to WW in over a month. (oopsie! - *hehehe*) So I definitely made it a priority to go this morning. I've lost 6.8 lbs since I weighed in over a month ago (YIPPEE!!) and this has put me at a 71 lb weight loss!! Can you believe it?! Woohoo!! I'm still in shock!

But lets not stop there! Are you ready for the best part? Well, after I weighed in this morning I went over and talked to my Mom for a minute and this lady about 7 seats down says, "Excuse me Ma'am?" (which I hate being called Ma'am because it makes me feel so frickin' old! LOL!) Then she went on to say, "I don't mean to be nosy or anything but I just wanted to say that you are looking fantastic! Do you mind me asking you how much weight you have lost? You look incredible!" I was floored! Absolutely FLOORED! Especially when a bunch of other ladies started chiming in too! And so, of course, now I'm grinning from ear to ear which I don't think I've ever been known to do that when the attention is 100% on me. ROFL!! I could tell that everyone sitting within ear shot was waiting on pins and needles for me to speak, though! Wow! Can you tell I'm in utter shock? LOL

The kicker to this story, though, is that today's weigh in puts me at exactly 8.8 lbs away from my goal weight!! Woohoo!! I'm so frickin' excited!! YAY!! I'm sure I'll be on cloud 9 with a stupid little grin on my face for the rest of the weekend. LOL

Have a great day everyone!!

~ *Stampily Yours (with a wickedly huge GRIN!)* ~ Shannon! :)

Only 1 more week...eek!

So, do you think its too early for me to start hyperventilating yet? I'm feeling this major urge to head to the store right now to buy a whole bunch of brown bags...LOL! Only 7 days to go before Aaron and I officially leave on a plane for 2 weeks to explore Europe and the Mediterranean...holy cow!!

I'm SOOOO excited to get there and see all the sights that I have never-ever dreamed I would see - London, Paris, Barcelona, Rome, Monte Carlo - all courtesy of the trip I EARNED with CTMH - Woohoo! But I'm sure as heck nervous about all this flying that needs to take place in order to get me to and from these magnificent places SAFELY! You would think that with all of the flying that I've done over the past 8 years because of different CTMH events that I've attended that I would be a seasoned pro at this by now, right? I can't say that I am, though - Ugh! :( (Don't worry though Tina! I have a prescription for that! Maybe I should consider having it filled TODAY? Is it too soon to start poppin' those babies? LOL)

The other thing that I'm REALLY excited about is that if everything goes as planned I should be able to give blog updates almost daily depending on the type of service I can tap into while I'm over there. YAY!! We're planning on taking a ZILLION pictures this time around - and especially since I'm not as camera shy as I once was (losing 65+ pounds can do that for a girl! *teehee*) - hopefully I can get some pictures posted and keep all my readers in the know as we trek across Europe on this amazing once-in-a-lifetime adventure! Won't that be fun?! :) Maybe this will even be the very first scrapbook album I actually complete! LOL

So with that, I had better get my rear up and movin' this morning. I have SOOO much to do to get ready for this...finish Team Club, finish my cruise swap, PACK all of my cute new clothes...you know, the fun stuff! ;)

~ *Stampily Yours* ~ Shannon! :)

You can call me Sleepless in Seattle...

Only I guess that name doesn't really, truly apply to me since I live 3 hours south! LOL - Oh well! How about a very early morning HELLO~ to all my bloggin' buddies out there, instead! :)

So, yeah, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to discover that my sleeping pattern is a little outta sorts this morning. No biggie though! I decided not to fight it any longer and just got up and started surfin' the long list of blogs I've been meaning to check out lately - secretly hoping that it would tire me out so I could go back to bed for a few hours...lol! I guess it's maybe not the best use of my time considering everything I need to get done this week but I just think that every now and then a nice subtle breath of fresh air is all it takes to re-energize your spirits and get you back in great working order. (sure hope I'm right on that theory! LOL)

While I was surfing around this morning I made a quick stop at http://jennifercox.typepad.com/the_sandy_hearts_blog/ to see what my friend Jennifer has been up to. Well, lo and behold, she's moving her blog too! LOL And yes, curiosity got the best of me so I went to her referring link at http://sandyhearts.blogspot.com/ and once again found the sweetest little msg from her talking about how I've inspired her, yet again! (Jennifer, you're just too good to me! *hehehe* If you keep this up my head will be the size of Texas by Friday - not a very becoming look, I'm afraid, but I like it! LOL)

Have a great day everyone! I'm off to fiddle some more with this blog with the high hopes of deckin' it out all cute and stuff before I really need to bust my buns and get my day started. :)

~ *Stampily Yours* ~ Shannon! ;)

Which Celebrity do you look like?

I had seen this once before but never got around to putting it up on my blog...until now. ;) Great for a good laugh...don't you think? ;) Of course, I'm ALMOST embarrassed to admit that when I'm toodlin' around town I have NEVER been mistaken for any of these ladies...I wonder why...hmm! So is it wrong of me to go out on a limb here to say that the accuracy of this bad-boy seems to be a little bit screwy? Maybe I'm just being a poor sport about it all? Besides...why aren't Meg Ryan or Cate Blanchett on my list of look-alikes? ;) LOL



~ *Stampily Yours* ~ Shannon! ;)