That's What Friends Are For collab and a Freebie

The wonderful thing about being a part of the digi-scrap community is the way we come together from all over the world to raise money for a cause, a catastrophe or a friend in need.

This time we come together for one of our own.

Melissa Melanson-Dawes (aka LissyKay Designs) just underwent her 14th spine operation and now has to face yet another operation.  She has had to take her 3rd leave of absence from work and will have to stay on bed rest following this next operation through the end of the year.  With all the medical bills and cost of living, the family is not in a financial position to do this, but has no choice as Melissa's spine damage has worsened to the point that she was losing the ability to walk.

Still recovering from the last round of surgeries, the family now finds themselves in an even worse position than before.  Melissa still needs more treatment and the family is facing losing their small condo due to their finances being drained.  We hope that you will join in and help the Dawes family during their time of need so that Melissa can continue to receive the life-saving care she requires.  They have kept the drastic nature of their situation quite private, but it is at a point they stand to lose what little they have and this will impact the further care Melissa needs.

Many know Melissa has struggled for years, but most don't know this all started when she was in a car accident as a teenager.  Her husband, Alan, works 2 jobs but this barely touches the debt they have had to take on for Melissa's medical treatment.  Doctors believe they finally have a solution to prolong Melissa's physical abilities and with all things going right, she will be able to work for a few more years.  The doctor does not expect her to have many years left of employment and she will have to take a permanent disability. 

Many thanks to the 22 amazing designers have come together to help raise money for this wonderful family:

2 Curly Headed Monsters, A Fish Designs, A Little Giggles Designs, Angel Wing Scraps, Anne-Marie Designs, Arizona Girl, Cajun Diva Scraps, Christine Martin, Created by Jill Scraps, Dana's Footprints, Dream4Ever Designs, Ginger's Scraps N Pixels, Jilbert's Bits of Bytes, LouCee Creations, Manu Scraps, NBK Designs, Patty B Scraps, Studio Wendy, The Urban Fairy, Studio4 Designworks, Dagi's Temp-tations & Zesty Designs and their super talented Creative Teams who have created such wonderful layouts for your inspiration!

Because.....

Available for for a limited time for just $15 at:

GingerScraps & GDS

Take a look at this AMAZING Collaboration! 

All proceeds (less Paypal fees) from the sale will be donated to the Dawes family.

If you care to donate privately, please visit their family page HERE

Here's a peek at just a few of the wonderful layouts created with this amazing kit!

While you're grabbing up this wonderful collab at
GingerScraps or GDS, make sure to visit Melissa's stores while you are there:
 GDS | GingerScraps
(she has some incredible templates!)

Many thanks from us to you!
                                                                                                                                                                     Here are some more layouts from our beautiful CT:                                                                                

 And now for your freebie from this wonderful kit.                                                                              
                                                                                  

Click preview to be taken to download. :)

 Don't forget to check the other blogs for Ginger's CT members to find more wonderful freebies from this beautiful kit:                                                                                                                                      
Ginger- Ginger's Scrap N Pixels
Lisa- The Cherry on Top
Chandra- Mom 2 A Princess

 Please do go pick up this wonderful kit that these designers have created for this worthwhile cause & by all means... Stay Scrappy! :)                                                                                                                

Turning Over A New Leaf

 I have been so behind on everything but I am determined to turn over a new leaf from today on. I am making a daily schedule for myself & making time in my day to post on here. I can't promise that it will be everyday but I promise to make it a couple of times a week at least. School has started here for Bubba, a month ago actually, & I have to get up in the morning to make sure he is up & out to the bus, so that gives me more time in my day since I am not sleeping in so late now. PDC & I really have needed to get on a schedule, along with needing to get her started on doing chores, hahaha. We have way too lazy for awhile now.

 So we are changing how we do stuff in Ginger's CT so that is a spur to get me to change things on here as well. So from today on we are on the other side of that leaf, let's just hope we don't fall off of it now! LOL :)

Spring I FINALLY Here! :)

 I am so sorry that I have been so neglectful of you & the blog. This winter here in Montana was a rough one for me. I was starting to wonder if I needed to see the Doctor about medication or what. :( I was at a place where I just didn't care about anything. I didn't care about scrapping, didn't care if the house was clean, & some days I didn't even care if I fed my poor family. Our weather would go from downright frigid one day with 2 feet of snow to 40-50 degrees two days later. We would get 18-24 inches of snow then it would melt off only to get dumped on almost as soon as it melted again. Here are some pictures that a friend of mine took that were only about 4 or 5 days apart. Thankfully it seems like once Mother Nature got back on her meds I felt soooo much better. lol :)

 I have also decided to expend the focus of this blog. I am going to continue with the scrapping (just in case you are reading this Ginger, Marcie or Chere, I promise, lol). I am also going to share frugal tips that I come up with around my house & yard. I know I have mentioned it in here before but I am a stay at home mom to 3 1/2 kids (3 live with us full time, one of them is part time between here & his mothers) that are 20, 15, 15, & 4 years old. That makes for 3 1/2 males & 2 females in this house, & those males can eat us females under the table. my husband recently went to the doctor & found out that he has high blood pressure & cholesterol . He has to be on meds for the blood pressure but for the moment we are trying to deal with the rest with diet & exercise. Then again all of us with the exception of the 4 year old, Princess Demon Child, need to lose some weight & be more active.

 So due to all of this & just generally trying to keep the budget down I am going to start sharing the ideas that I come up with to save us & hopefully all of you a little money. It is all a part of my effort to escape the craziness of my daily life, after all.

Been remiss in posting on here...

 I am sorry that it has been so long since I last posted, things have been a little out of control here. My father recently passed away, & although we were not on good terms, it still hit me pretty hard. I have also been having issues with my two sisters that stem from his death & the fact that in March my mother filed for divorce from him, that situation is far from settled! No need to go into that any further than that, pretty dull for anyone else not going thru it.

 I have made a New Years Resolution of sorts to post on here more often, not sure I want to call it a resolution since we all know how well most of those are kept. lol I have decided to help achieve that goal by trying to post a Friday Freebie on here every week. I am not a full designer by any definition of the word but I am trying to start by making paper packs & maybe working my way up from there. I don't know yet from week to week what the freebie might be, it could be a paper pack or a cluster from one of my designers kits, you won't know until I post them what this weeks freebie will be, so make sure you come back every week to see what surprise I will have for you.

 For now I am off to download the freebies that everyone has for the blog trains from today. These are the ones I am following right now so you can join me in getting all of the goodies too, if you would like. Pixel Scrapper's & Digi Scrap Addict's.

 Have a very Happy New Year & stay scrappy!

 

I think I need a new siggy, don't you? lol

Thoughts from Koni Dole

 This young man is still amazing to me. I don't know of anyone who could be more inspiring to a young person!

Koni Dole

9 a.m. tomorrow morning is the time I had my leg amputated last year. Tomorrow will be one year since having my life turned around in a matter of a week. Looking back now I don't regret the decision I made because of all the new doors it has opened for me. I was just talking to my strength coach the other day about how I was thinking back to all the work we had put in and it just shows.When I got out of the hospital, the only thing I had in mind was how in the hell am I going to do this. I came to the conclusion that what's done is done and that I wasnt going to let that be the end but only the begginning. Nothing worth having in life comes easy. Thank you to everyone who supported my family and I!

  

Designs by Marcie $2 Tuesday

 This week has been a busy week around our little house. The hubby finished installing out wood burning stove this weekend. Trust me that is going to be a real life saver this winter. Since we live out in the country we have two choices for heating, either propane or electric, we choose electric. When we did the rates were low enough we could handle it, but we all know what has happened to the rates lately. It now costs way more to heat our house, hence the wood stove. I am ready for the challenge, lol. I will keep you up to date on how this new adventure goes, even if I am bundled up in a parka like an Alaskan Eskimo. :)

 This week Marcie has a new Kit on the $2 Tuesday at GoDigitalScrapbooking, Bon Apetite. This kit was fun to make layouts with PDC's first eating solids pictures. She was a real demon when she first started eating solids. I think more of the food end up on her face & in her hair, than what ended up IN her, but those sure made for some cute pictures! LOL.

 You can get this kit here. Remember it is on sale for $2 for today only, so hurry.
Here are those layouts I did with PDC.

 I will have new laouts for you soon. I have my monthly challenges at GingerScraps & I am also competing in the GingerScraps Survivor: OZ challenge. Talk about fun! I will bring you up to date on all of this soon!

 Stay scrappy.

Joined a new CT

 So I have had an exciting week. I have joined a new CT, for Designs by Marcie. I have LOVED her kits since last spring when I got two of her kits to make a Mother's Day card for my mom. At that time I was not even scrapping, but was thinking of just making cards. Now I am hooked on scrapping & never seem to find the time to make cards, haha. I have thought many times of messaging Marcie to see if she had a CT or if she didn't see if I could volunteer to do CT work for her. Last week I opened a newsletter from her & found a CT call & jumped at the opportunity to send in my info. Then I got the wonderful news that she wanted me on her CT. I was so EXCITED. Haha.

 Marcie put us to work right away. This week we have a wonderful kit that Marcie has on the $2 Tuesday deal today. I had so much fun working with this kit & the layouts just kind of jumped out at me as soon as I looked at the kit. You can get this wonderful kit here. Here is a look at the kit:

 Here are the two layouts that I did with this kit. The first is PDC playing at the Yellowstone River & the other is of my wonderful nephew playing in a puddle. Boys will be boys, haha.

 I also had some other wonderful news this last week. I am now the head CT for Ginger's Scraps N Pixels. Ginger has been having some medical issues & all of us on her team have been doing whatever we can to help her out & take some of the weight from her so that she can take the time to get better. I was a little apprehensive when she offered the position to me at first, worrying that the other girls would be upset. Thankfully they have all been so supportive, & we all care so much for Ginger that we will do anything we can to help her so that she can get better. So please join me in wishing Ginger a speedy recovery.

That is all of my news for now so I will see you all soon. Stay scrappy! :)