Today is my son, Jeremy's birthday & I've got a gift for you.

On this day 41 years aggo I received the best early Christmas gift - my son, Jeremy Ryan. He was actually due on Pearl Harbour day and, oddly enough, a baby girl was born on that day eight years later. The little girl, named Berkeley Rushka (I might be spelling it wrong - it's Russian for Rose and her paternal grandmother's name) would grow up to marry my son. It never fails, each December 13th I wake up near midnight. My son was born minutes into the 14th. He became my Christmas in many ways and when he isn't here with me on Christmas, it just feels so wrong. But he and his wife will be working on the holiday and then going home to celebrate their first Christmas in their new home. It's a long trip from Mechanicsburg PA to Virginia and when they do make it they have to hit all the stops: her Dad in Fredericksburg, her sisteer and their friends in Richmond, Jeremy's Dad and his new wife in Zion Crossroads (near Charlottesville), then here in Norfolk. Getting to be too much.

Anyway, since I am procrastinating getting work done and waiting on return call from my Baby J, I thought I'd give you a little gift.

These had been made for my CU line so you may use as commerical.
Link: https://www.dropbox.com/s/fhe3xeuwfzi6fz4/ss4cu_Christmas_Frames_set_1.zip?dl=0

Hope your holiday preparations are coming along nicely.

It's Dec 9 already? (There is a freebie at bottom of post)

Thought I'd just check in. Seeing lots of snow in North Carolina and western Virgina but here in Norfolk, it's 40 degrees (feels colder) and raining. Not complaining, mind you, as I don't have to go anywhere today. Friday was DIL's birthday. Had sent a gift by Amazon that I know arrived but card with gift certificate was probably late due to Post Office taking off in honor of former President George H. W. Bush. Tried to call her but her cell just rang, didn't go into voice mail. Could have been working. Yesterday we had Larkin (8 yr-old granddaughter) all day. Took her with us to husband's former employer's retiree holiday luncheon. Afterwards we took her to see the new Grinch movie and later to dinner at Pollard's. Pollard's is a chicken restaurent that has been around in local area for ages. Since she likes beef liver and onions that hubby cooks, he thought we should introduce her to fried chicken livers (not for me - ever!). They had fried chicken livers and mac ' cheese (which she loves). Larkin said the livers were okay but she likes her Papa's liver and onions better. I didn't want any more poultry as I'd had some turkey at the luncheon. Just got mixed greens (like homemade) and sweet potato fries. By the time we got Lil' Princess, as my husband calls Larkin, home, we were ready to just chill out for the rest of the evening.

I'm supposed to be doing lots today but can't get it together. The last few days we have been fighting ants. Terminix did exterior pest control the last of November so we were surprised when we found these ants in the computer room. Talk about annoying. Put down ant traps which they showed no interest in visiting. Remembering that they aren't supposed to like strong smells, I saturated cotton balls with tea tree oil and placed them around the countertop that runs the length of one long wall. Its where both our desktop computers plus printer etc are located. How icky to be sitting here typing or scrolling and find an ant happily crawling across your hand. It makes me feel itchy all over! Next wiped countertop with vinegar, again using strong scent idea but this time I used a non-flamable spray along baseboard and other areas. Still see one or two but hoping they are dying off. We had a few coming in around seam at kitchen window earlier but I'd squashed that problem and haven't seen any more since last week. Then today I go into dining room and found a few on the table! I am not happy. More vinegar wipedowns, more spraying. It seems to be happening to lots of people in the neighborhood too because last time I was in the grocery store I heard a couple older women trying to figure out which was best spray and traps to buy. Crossed fingers I cure this problem soon.

Running some laundry now while hubby naps in the recliner. Can't do anything in living room while he's there so another day slipping past before I can get into window seat of bay window to get decorations out. Don't even have a wreath on the door yet because it's in the window seat too. I did get my crocheted water bottle carriers finished and will be packing those up tonight. Made 8 for the girls in my lunch group as Christmas gifts and we are having our Christmas lunch Tuesday. Since we like to go on little excursions & like to take water along, I thought this would be a practical gift. Made them with long straps to go crossbody so you can take your water along but have hands free.

Yes, that is one male silhouette. One of our group has Parkinson's and her husband usually accompanies her since she might have a seizure. The goodie bags will also have a small assortment of candy.

Some time ago I had made some Christmas overlays under my CU brand of Sher Scraps 4 CU. Maybe you can do something with these.

Link: https://www.dropbox.com/s/w4rjtc0dyv0xxon/ss4cu_Colored_Christmas_overlays_CU.zip?dl=0

IT's Wednesday alreadY? A freebie before bedtime

Today - that is yesterday really - was a busy one. We have a dear friend who is dying of pancreatic cancer and we went for a visit. Such a sweet woman, she will be missed. Next up, I got a call from the nursing home we are going to move Dad to. They have everything they need now and were calling to arrange a date of admission. A private room has just opened up so I didn't have to settle for semi private. This should make it easier to visit with him. Since he has a dental appointment today (yes, Wednesday), we agreed we would move him in on Thursday. I went over and paid for the rest of this month and signed a bed holder agreement. This way we are guaranteed the private room. Next I went over to see Dad. I arrived about 5:15 and did not find him in the dining room so went to his room. He was lying asleep on top of his covers. I tried to wake him so I could take him down to dinner. He opened one eye, then promptly closed it again. I tried to rouse him, mentioning it was dinner time. No luck. Figured one of the staff would be coming by to wake him up and take him downstairs. Not one staff member on the floor and after 20 minutes no one had come for him. Tried again to get Dad up so I could take him to dinner. He was determined to go back to sleep. Pulled the bell for help and after about 15 minutes the aide came in. She had been downstairs with the other people from Dad's floor and she was the only one available. She told me dad has been refusing the entree at dinnertime and having them bring him up sandwiches. Back to his old habits. I explained about coming in Friday and seeing him with grilled cheese sandwich and potato chips and how he was supposed to be watching sodium intake. Learned he had ordered another grilled cheese to be brought. Told her no, to bring him a turkey sandwich so he'd be getting some protein and less salt. She asked about the orange juice he had ordered and I had to tell her occasionally that is alright but if he consumes too much citrus or strawberry his mouth and throat break out in ulcers. More bad decisions on his part. Around 6:30 a staff member came up with sandwich, fruit bowl, and milk. A little after seven I gave up on waking Dad. He was breathing fine but sleeping soundly. He's been complaining of not sleeping at night. Apparently sleeping during day. I gave up and came home with headache and nausea.

Better now and heading in to get some Zzz's but do have a little something for you:

6 black papers and 11 elements.
Link: https://www.dropbox.com/s/cxooy7dk9sx2o6h/ws_TouchOfBlack_2.zip?dl=0
With recent dropbox changes, hope this link will work.

CU freebie

It's been quite a while since I posted a CU freebie and since January is going to be a mix of freebies, thought this one ought to be CU. I collect vintage buttons and find I like to use digital buttons in my scrapbook layouts too. This batch is black (I especially love mother-of-pearl and jet buttons).

These buttons were left large - some as much as 3" - deliberately so they are easy to manipulate and re-size as needed. I have also included a button border which shows up in web size below.

Link: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/57614067/2016%20freebies/ss4cu_BlackButtons.zip

The color is Ivory - new products, freebie, and a possible fix

Did a little more research on that Kindle Fire problem and learned that this first generation Kindle Fire has a frequent problem with not re-charging. It seems that whoever built these for Amazon didn't do such a hot job and the little port at the bottom where you recharge was shoddily soldiered to the board it sits on. As a result, over time, the port starts to break away and lose connection. Often that is the real reason for "low battery" and recharge problems, rather than the battery itself. Tech savy people have figured out how to open the Kindle, find and fix the port problem and, yes, replace battery if needed. Now my BIL is something of a tech magician and after hubby had viewed a video of a guy explaining the problem and showing how to fix it, he called BIL and told him about my problem and the talk I'd had with Amazon. BIL came by today to pick up the Kindle and is going to see if fixing the port takes care of the problem. He also agreed to order and replace battery if needed. What a great guy!

Today hubby turned 64! I took him and niece to Red Lobster for the all-you-can-eat shrimp fest. I'd made him a cheesecake (his favorite) earlier in day for dessert tonight but we're all too full lol so it will be well chilled by tomorrow night. Before we went out, I finally managed to finish up the Ivory Color Stash products I've been working on. I'd meant them to be general as the others have been but there were a couple items I wanted to use that were wedding themed. One thing led to another and I decided to devote one of the element packs to vintage ivory bridal. These will be going in the store tonight.

I know I've been bad about not posting freebies lately but I haven't forgotten you tonight. Here is an ivory freebie: 1 full size CU4CU paper and 3 vintage bride elements. 2 of the brides are rather small but would be great on tags or in clusters.

Hope you can use it. Pick it up here: http://www.4shared.com/zip/b4pXp-vyce/ss4cu_CS_Ivory_freebie.html? Hugs!

New products, family news, and freebie

Hope everyone had a nice July 4 holiday? I know some had big plans with family and friends. Our grandson, Tyler, and his family went to TN on vacation. My LV friend, Stacey, was preparing for a big family get together. My husband was beginning a vacation that was not so relaxing for him.

(thanks to cheyOkota fro lovely divider here) We've had some pretty bad thunderstorms of late with heavy downpours, lightening strikes and hail. I wasn't able to get much done on computer but at least we didn't lose power like some people did. We even had small tornadoes touch down in Virginia Beach with lots of damage and some serious injuries. And here in Norfolk, one touched down at the cemetery where my mother is buried. It toppled and broke headstones, tore down some trees and did other damage. Fortunately, my parent's marker is a flat one of polished granite that is level to ground. However, it has a bronze vase for flowers and when Dad went to check for damage, he found the vase had been pulled up and was a few feet away - with flowers still in it!

During John's "vacation" he did some painting of house trim and arranged for BIL to come over and repair the damaged wood around garage door frame. He also got his Chrysler ready to turn over to Tyler. We had it waiting for him at his house when they got back today. It's in good shape for an older car and should serve Tyler well for some years. He also cooked two nice meals to which he invited my father and Miss June. Dad is a very picky eater so usually won't agree to come for a meal. He'd rather go to a fast food place and get a hamburger or BLT! So I made him and I BLTs the night John made chicken cacciatre. I don't like it because of the texture of the chicken in the sauce but John was pleased to have June enjoy it with him. Tonight it was homemade barbeque with purchased coleslaw, rolls, and potato salad. We did have homemade deviled eggs though and Dad surprised us by eating well. Sent them home with a bag of leftovers so they won't have to eat out a night or two.

One more bit of family news. We are getting a new addition to our household. Our niece, Rachel, will be taking us up on the offer to live here while she goes to college at Old Dominion University. It will be easier on her than driving back and forth to Suffolk every day. Raci is a delight and I'm looking forward to having her here. She's coming by in the morning so we can start working on making my spare room livable. Right now both closets are stuffed with various craft supplies and things we didn't have any other place to store. I will finally be forced to deal with sorting, organizing and deciding what to give away or throw away to make room for her clothes and whatever else she is bringing. I expect to be quite tired over next couple weeks lol.

I did finish up a few items for my Color Stash collection.

These were added to store tonight. You can find them here: http://digistyledesigns.com/shop/index.php?main_page=index&manufacturers_id=85 While I was in purple mode, I made a free CU paper for you:

You will find it here: http://www.4shared.com/zip/GsL3bN3Mba/ss4cu_CS_Purple_freepaper.html? Expecting more severe thunderstorms over next few days so if you don't see me on line, that will be why. Hugs!

New Products from Sher Scraps & freebie

Don't know why Blogger was so uncooperative last night but seems to be okay now. We were lucky and pine tree out back is still standing and house is intact. Only got some heavy rain from Hurricane Arthur. Turned out too that this was not the week my son was going to Outer Banks - thank heaven. Have been busy cleaning out fridge and haven't watched news so don't know how bad damage was elsewhere. Surely hope it wasn't too bad. I manged to get 2 new CU products in store and can finally post previews.

I also have a little cobalt freebie for you:

Just right click and save. You may use this for Cu if you like as it is from a vintage image. Hope you have a wonderful 4th of July if you are celebrating it today and a great weekend.