The very BEST competition I ever lost-Camp Croppin' 2011

I can't believe I haven't blogged about Camp Croppin' yet!!! Many things have been going on...you know how it is. Whenever I sat down to blog it, something else came up. Election. Layouts. Whatev. So here it is! We had an AMAZING time!!! As always. Camp Croppin' really is what you make it. And every year it just gets better and better for our crazy group! This year Flat Amanda was retired to make way for ACTUAL AMANDA! Truth be told...she is WAAAY more fun! But don't tell Flat Amanda that, it might hurt her feelings. I think you can check out her antics HERE.

Photo by Barb Riley's camera (who took this one?)

The classes were outstanding as usual and I got to be a Tent Mum for the wonderful people of Prima and Stampendous! What a great day that was! A highlight for me was meeting Matt from Bo Bunny. At first I was SO disappointed that the ladies would not be there in their matching sweaters with their songs and laughs. And then the product was changed from Timepiece to Gabrielle. I know. They sent a boy and I wasn't getting to work with the product I had been drooling over!!! Shut the province down. But Matt was a RIOT. He truly loves his company and it really shows. He even modelled the coveted Bo Bunny purse for us. I don't think I have ever wanted to win a draw so badly! But it went to our own Lori Colton so at least it is in our little scrap family!

Photo by Barb Riley

Another highlight for me was the keynote speaker. When talented, strong, inspirational women speak...you should listen up. So I was super happy when I found out it was Katharina Doyle from Canadian Scrapbooker Magazine. I hold both her and Jackie Ludlage in high regard. They wanted something and they ran after it. Admirable. Photo by Allison Orthner Photo by Allison Orthner
Who had the camera we were actually looking at? Anyone? Anyone? Buhler?

On to the prizes!!! The competition is always one of my fave parts because every single dollar from the entry fees goes to the children's hospital. And that just makes me feel so good! Our friends from last year Leonka and Marilyn were in attendance again! These girls are definitely honourary Saskies. They are such a hoot. Leonka rocked the journalling prize and then read it to the group. It was epic. Standing ovation afterward. It was an honour to be in that room.

Photo by Barb Riley

After we all had a good cry when Leonka was done at the podium we were cheering for the photo prize and eagerly anticipating the rest of the prizes (they SO ROCKED) when the third prize was called and Amanda and I whooped it up big time and had to poke her several times to get her attention...it was Corinne!!! Can I get a WOO HOO?! She was so engrossed in making her cards she didn't even realize it was her! So the 2 green tables went wild yet again!

Photo by Barb Riley

Second prize was announced and then the biggie...Top winner! We were really rooting for Amanda...her layout was the ugliest cry we have all had in a very long time and I can't wait for you all to see it in an upcoming edition of Canadian Scrapbooker Magazine. Epic isn't the word. On pins and needles we waited for the announcement we hoped...nay...KNEW would come...

Photo by Barb Riley

Cue Team Green to go WILD again!!! Seriously, we needed a whole lot of tissue!!! It was so amazing!

Photo by me with Barb Riley's camera
Photo by Barb Riley
Photo by Barb Riley
Where on earth would we be without each other? Having supportive friends who will cheer for you is so important. I felt honoured to be part of the loudest, rowdiest team at Camp Croppin'! You don't mind...do you Megan? We love your event and just can't be anyone but ourselves when we stampede through your doors!

Even though I do love the competition part and now have several layouts in my albums that I adore, I was the proudest of my own little fundraiser for the hospital. I made 250 cupcakes and toted them all the way to Calgary. The ladies were more than generous with their donations and I am so thankful for that.


Photo by Allison Orthner
I love this event for the people, the laughs, the cries, the FUN! {And maybe the late night snacking too!} It is wonderful to attend something with all my scrap friends and just be laid back and comfortable. Busy...in a good way. And just soak in the great atmosphere. I know they say third time is the charm but I am headed toward my 4th year.

Camp Croppin' 2012. Who is in?!

{I did not break out my camera even once. So if I have messed up any of the photo credits I apologize!}

Yes, I wore an orange sweater

With the passing of another Mother's Day I find myself missing my Gram more and more. We spent a lot of time with her...from the day I was born until I was 10 years, 4 months and 19 days old. And in that short amount of time she made such a deep impression on me. Of what is right and what is important. How to love a family. Craftiness and how natural it is to work with your hands. I think even though the time was short...she had a big hand in shaping the woman I am today. The woman was a whiz with knitting needles. She could do anything. She was especially good at cables and could add them in without a pattern. She taught me to knit when I was 7 and I will never, ever be as good as she was but it makes me feel closer to her when I work with wool. Almost all the women in my family can work with wool in one form or another. It's a special thing we share. And Grandma was a firm believer in keeping a child's head covered as well. So when we were about 4, 3 and 2 (yes we are that close together) she knitted all 3 of us matching orange sweaters with hoods. The yarn went on sale at Woolworths (where she used to work) and so...orange it was! LOL Not the most fashionable by today's standards but we wore them everywhere.
This layout didn't come together like the vision in my head but it is mostly about the journalling anyway. So I will call it done for today and maybe come across some more photos of us in the orange sweaters and do another layout in the future.

Thanks for the love Gram. xox

What would YOU die for?

We use the term really lightly..."Oh my gosh I would just DIE!" But what would you really die for? I would die for my Hubs. My kids. Both standard answers. Would you die for your Faith? Would you die for your freedom? Would you die for the right to VOTE?

Take yourself back to any power struggle in our history. What would have happened if a person like Hitler was able to take power? A dictatorship. {Many words in this post are linked. Click for definitions and more information}. Is that what we want for our society? Maybe it would just be easier. Then we wouldn't have to make the effort to drive down to the civic centre 4 times in 7 years. Ugh. Such an inconvenience. I bet it was inconvenient for a mother to receive 4 separate letters from the government telling her that all of her boys had perished. It was inconvenient for the more than 44,000 Canadians who died in WWII alone. Who lay shot to pieces in trenches. Or were gunned out of the sky as they parachuted in to some unknown part of the world. A part of the world they had never been to but were willing to go for the freedom of their country. And it was probably very inconvenient for the women and children of the countries where the wars were fought. Losing their homes and land. Having loved ones lost. Never knowing what became of them. I would guess it would be pretty inconvenient for someone like Elie Wiesel to witness babies being torn from their mothers and thrown away like garbage. Have you read Night? You should. It might influence you to feel blessed to live in a country where we are free to express our faith, politics and opinions.

This all might seem over dramatic...but aren't politics dramatic? We should be vehemently passionate about our country and who leads it. And taking the time to vote is a very small, infinitesimal way to show that we DO care. The excuses of "No time" or "Don't know who to vote for" just don't cut it. {Want info? Go check out the Vote Compass} It's like a slap in the face to every person who ever put their life on the line for Canada. No matter the year. No matter the war. Or saying you will spoil your ballot as a form of protest. What protest? The protest of wasting your right to vote when there are people all over the world who would die for that right? Why don't you protest by educating yourself on which party you agree with the most and vote for them? Don't like the parties? Start your own. If you don't like what is happening politically...I have news for you. YOU have the power to raise your voice and change it. Any Canadian can vote and any Canadian can join/lead a political party. Nobody will gun you down. Or steal you from your bed in the night. Support your party! VOTE! And if someone disagrees with you...take a deep breath, gather all that party knowledge you have been ingesting and have an honest-to-goodness debate with that person. An intelligent exchange of ideas and opinions. Both sides trying to change the others mind. It's exhilarating. It's our right. It's Canadian.

Monday May 2nd, 2011. Be a role model. VOTE.