Lauren Ferguson | There are no mistakes in art, just opportunites to embellish. (tm)

The Original YODA is in the NASHVILLE RAGE!!!

Y'all,  I am so excited to announce that the one and only original YODA is in the newspaper.

MELANIE BRUNER from Knoxville, TN.  She is the reason that I am on the Ranger DT.

She called me while Amy, Renee and I were at CKC Charlotte.  I was running around looking for Scenic Route Paper and something else, I can't remember now.  She sends me a series text messages.

Let me digress...
Mel hastes talking on the phone.  The only time I can seem to speak with her on the phone is when I am heading to Costco.  Yes, really, she is home and I am on my way to the warehouse to buy food for the kids.  So if we want to really "speak" to her, we have realized that texting is the only way.  Hell, I will text from my Yahoo! acct so that I do not have to mess with all the buttons.

first text message reads: "Put down the Scenic Route Paper"
second message reads: "I said put it down"
third message: "PUT IT DOWN NOW!!!"
last message: "Ranger Ink and Tim Holtz are looking for a Design Team I think you should do it!!!"

OK, so here I am in Charlotte NC and wondering what the F**K.  I am not ready for this.  So she calls me on the phone and says "Put on your big girl panties and get to steppin."  I see the list of things to do complete.  I get my friend Kathryn, who always saves me when I am last minute and need a photo, to take pictures of my stuff.  I send them off at the 11th hour and the rest is history.

I made Tim speak to Melanie when I was at DT Ranger U.  I loved it.  She did tell him about the fact that the girls get unleashed after 6pm and if I am not reminded, they might not find there home again during the weekend.  Really she did.  Ask him.

So here is the article and a picture of the Original Yoda...

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Designer Spotlight

By Jennifer Kiilerich

[liPublished]: Thursday, 08/30/07

Anybody who's tried rifling through piles of old photos and compiling them into albums knows that organizing those memories is much harder — and more time-consuming — than it looks. Enter Melanie Bruner, craft and scrapbook extraordinaire.

The youthful, energetic (and busy) mother of two, including an autistic child who keeps her on her toes, began scrapbooking as a therapeutic way to spend time with friends while preserving family memories. On the day of our phone conversation, Bruner's kids have just gone back to school, and she's enjoying a rare moment to herself. "My house is quiet — there's no TV, no cartoons, it's fabulous," she says.

Bruner is a New Jersey native with an interior design degree and was deep into crafts well before her husband's job moved her to Knoxville. Once in Knoxville, she took a part-time job at a scrapbooking store, and as she delved further into the hobby, friends and family members began to take notice. As it turned out, she says, "People will pay ridiculous amounts of money for albums!"

One of her current projects is creating a photo album to commemorate a Memphis weatherman's 30-year job anniversary. In addition to building albums, Bruner teaches scrapbooking classes and has recently begun creating uncommon wedding invitations and place-card holders. Her last wedding was for a bride as far away as Boston. "We did it all via the phone," she says.

"I just love being unique and different," says Bruner of her theme-oriented wedding accessories, which include golf-ball place markers and elaborate money boxes. A creative soul, Bruner also dabbles in jewelry-making and once tried her hand at wood-working. "That didn't work out," she laughs, "but I've got to try."

Bruner says her crafts projects have taken over her living room, kitchen and dining room now, but she shows no signs of slowing down. "Surrounding myself with papers and scissors makes me feel good. It's a friendship thing, and it's also about family," she says of scrapbooking. "It should be up there with all the other addictions!"

Contact Melanie Bruner for your own project: 865-671-4354.

[liPublished]: Thursday, 08/30/07

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until we meet again,

Today was a productive day

Yes, in spite of it all, I was productive today.

I have finished another design team call for Color Wash.  They specifically asked for some books so that was right up my alley.  I finished three covers with different non-glue bindings.

It is really nice to finally finish up a call with some time to spare.  Y'all know I am last minute Annie. 

I love making books.  I have just spent a whole bunch of money on books to learn new stitches.

I think out of these three my favorite is the brown one with the leather.  I just like the way it all seems to work.

I also just bought a whole bunch of acrylic to do some book covers. 

until we meet again,

Drum Roll Please....

OK Ladies,

I have lost another 6 pounds as of today.  WOOOOOO HOOOOOOO

That's right we are now up to a total of 12 pounds. 

Now, I will say this I am encouraged by the whole process.  I was really not expecting any weight loss at all this week. 

I really just have to say that this week was hard with yesterday being my anniversary and Eji still in Africa.  We have never been apart for an any major family event.

But I was encouraged to keep it up.  I am just loving it.  I am physically beat up everyday.  I must have my nap.

Did I tell y'all that I gave up my Vault to lose this weight.  Now I am not giving up my Starbucks, but I have given up all soda.

What did Einstein say,  "Fat is neither created or destroyed just passed on to someone you know."

until we meet again,

My brushes with greatness

I am privileged to know some of the most talented people on the planet!!!

I have been surrounded by the most creative, loving and caring people.  I could not have asked to be in the presence of such wonderfully talented left brain people.

I have gotten two emails from people who are being published in top tier magazines on the public newsstand.

Debbie Kissel is going to be in Take Ten.  And mind you this is not her first time.  She is so talented.  She has mastered the KISS model.  I have not gotten there.  She really has an eye for making stuff that other people can do.  I have found that the most successful people in the business are the ones that can create for the masses and let everyone feel like they too are masters of their own art.  I love her style.  I am truly proud to know her.

Have you ever met someone and could have sworn that you have known them in another life.  Just immediately clicked and just knew that you had made a friend for life.  That is Edie Simons. 

I met her in Ann Arbor.  She was my angel when my boxes did not show up.  She was such a light at the end of the tunnel.

Edie Simons is going to be in Cloth Paper Scissors! 

She has such a fabulous eye for the eclectic.  She puts the altered in ALTERED ARTS. 

I love her stuff.  She is just the bomb! 

I enjoyed meeting her and spending time with her.  Edie took me to the Scrap Box in Ann Arbor where I got all the fabric books.

I just love it!

So she is going to be on page 52.  Run out and get as soon as it hits the newsstand. 

Then what we need to do is send in editorial letters about the wonderful stuff that they do!!

Ladies, it is my privilege and my honor to call you "friend".  You have encouraged me, inspired me, and challenged me in ways that I have never known possible. 

And for that, I want to say...

LOVE YA' LIKE COOKED FOOD!

until we meet again,

The Scrapbook Nook

Was the bomb!!!

First of all it is all of about 1.30 away from my house door to door with a potty/coffee break.

I got there about and hour before class, got all set up and have a nice size class.

Well this was my first time in this store.  And I had a blast!!  I mean the ladies were on the mark.

I loved watching them just do their thing.

I also have to thank the ladies from Ann Arbor for giving me the idea about having pictures for people to follow.  It was perfect.  Those who wanted to move forward did not feel like they were being held back and it was absolutely wonderful. 

Everyone left with a COMPLETELY finished book.

Now, I should probably retract that statement and say that ALMOST everyone left with a completely finished project.

I am going to knock this class out of the box at SSSC.  As you know this class is completely sold out on both days. 

I cannot wait to go back.  If they have me.  I loved it.  OK, next time I will remember to bring my camera so I can get a picture.  I have to get use to having one to carry.

We worked hard y'all and in the end we all came out with any scars. 

I even had enough time to go sit at the Cheesecake Factory and have a nice salad and read the latest Somerset Memories magazine. 

until we meet again,

Tell me to stay away from YouTube

I need to stay away from YouTube...

until we meet again,

Inside Scrapbooking

Ok, I should have read my email earlier today but I was just getting this. 

I have never laughed so hard. I think I may get the other 7 episodes.

I need an assistant...

until we meet again,

Too Legit To Quit...

I have registered the business name and I am official!!!!!!!!!!!!!

EVERYTHINGALTERED is officially a business.  I have my little piece of paper that I am suppose to display so that folks know I am legit. 

I have my own FEIN and I just fired up.  I am now the proud owner of a NEW business.

I figured that if I am going to do any more work with anyone anywhere, I cannot keep doing it as if I have no common sense.  So here it is, almost just under 500.00 bucks later...

I am so sorry for blacking out stuff, but you know how crazy people can be on the net.  I am just fired up that I can share and let y'all know that I am movin' on up!!!

Well, as soon as the basement is done and I can get a phone down there that is not my personal phone, I will feel really accomplished.  I think I am gonna use Vonage.

Well, I have to get ready for class on Saturday.

until we meet again

I should be ready to move into the basement...

You heard me.  I should be ready to move into my basement in a less than three weeks.

The walls will be done by Friday.  Then they come and do the trim and the doors.  Then I am having the people come in and do my flooring throughout the house.

That flooring should take only about a day.

So I will be taking pictures tomorrow after the light comes up.  I am fired up.

So let me get to crafting.  I have three projects that need to get done. 

until we meet again,

I have walls!!!!!!!!!!

I can't believe it.  I have walls!!!

I was online just chatting with a friend from Nashville and she asked me about my basement.

Of course, I was like "Oh hell lets not talk about it."

So I told her that before I left to go to Nashville, they had delivered the drywall to the basement.

She told me just to go and look and see if I had walls up.  Of course, I am like NOT going to happen.  I figured let me just go and appease her.

I go downstairs in the pitch black, reach out and feel walls. 

I ran upstairs got my light and GOLLY GEE I HAVE WALLS!

Now that is exciting.  I have walls.

I will take pictures tomorrow and post them.  I HAVE WALLS!

until we meet again,