GOOD MORNING ALL YOU GANZA GO-ERS!!!

I SENT OUT A NEWSLETTER A LITTLE WHILE AGO - IF YOU DIDN'T READ IT - CLICK HERE!!!

WE ARE READY FOR YA!! CAN'T WAIT TO SEE ALL OF YOU!!!

(: HELLO EVERYONE!!! :)

How is your THURSDAY - ONE day before Crop*A*Ganza goin!?!??!

CRAZY here!!!

As always - you THINK things are going great - and then BUMP BUMP in the road!!!

Things are loaded and ready to go - waiting on the last minute forget(S) and then we're headed out with the guys to prep the room for all of YOU!!! :)

As we were getting things ready for our raffle and give aways - mom says......"girls did you realize that the date you picked for the next ganza is TWO WEEKS away from CROP CAMPS date"!?!?!?! WTH!?!? What were WE THINKING!?!?!

Sooooooooooooooooooooooooo, we're now CORRECTING our 150 programs and changing the date!!! :)

The FALL Crop*A*Ganza will be September 12th, 13th and 14th!!!!!!

Registration will still be on the 19th of July!!!

Talked with Christie with Two Chicks today - (after i picked up our goodie bags!) and she said she's closing out her scrapbooking supplies - so get to her booth QUICK cuz her stuff will go FAST!! I PROMISE you that!!!

Don't forget your page challenges for Mikey.....you can drop them off at our booth - or at Liz Shaughnessy's booth - Angel Company!!!

Brynn brought in her cute little menus for her "mini spa"!! They are going to be taking appointments for massages until 1:00 AM!!! And she's also doing Pedicures as well - so treat yourself!! She has the CUTEST little Flamingos for your toes!! She was sporting one of them today and they are really cute!!! :)

Don't forget your albums to be monogrammed....you won't regret THAT purchase!!!

OH!! And I am SUCH a GOOBER!! i meant to include this in the newsletter and forgot!! (sorry DIVAS!) Vicki and J.J. with Diva Designs are excited to be coming to Crop A Ganza! Their specialty is altered items. They have lots of unique and fun projects that anyone can do. Their samples and kits will inspire you to jump into the altering game! They will show you how to do it and have just about everything you need right there to get started. They will also have a quick and easy make and take project to show you how easy and fun altering items can be! Be sure and stop by their booth and say Hi and check out what they have to offer!

Here's what I look like RIGHT now as I finish this blog post!! ahhhhh, it's the SIMPLE things in life...ya know!

GANZA here we COME!!!

it's CRUNCH time around here!!! The phones ringing off the hook and last minute shoppers are here getting those last minute page kit items!!! Are you ready!??! Did you get our newsletter yesterday? If you DID NOT ......... click here and print that baby off!! Get your pens ready to CHECK THINGS OFF YOUR LIST!!!

The shirts have arrived - and i must say - they are FAB!!! I agree - these just might be our best shirts EVA!! (big ol' thanks to Heather Carrier for that!)

The "special" goodie bags are ALMOST complete - i'll try and post a sneak of those - (probably won't - but i'll try!)

With the Stearman Fly-In behind us - (we had a HUGE SUCCESSFUL BASH!) we are ready for GANZA!! MAN - was this hard doing both of these back to back!!! Smyers really has outdone herself these last few weeks!!! :)

So - between the fly-in....ganza and the 4th approaching - i've also had family in from New Mexico this week - so we visited Exploration Place - saw "the body's!!" It was AWESOME!!! Annnddddd.....i'd like to introduce you to the newest addition to OUR family!!!

Oliver P. Thompson!!!

He will be our "attic" dog!!!

He's Shih Tzu ..... 4 months old!!! And SUCH a good puppy!!!! You'll have to come and see him!!

We have received some new stuff in - throughout all this chaos!!!

New Military Paper

New Sports Paper

New Doodlebug Ribbon

We have new kits made for you and we'll be bringing some with us to ganza!!!

As i'm typing krusty is frantically running around the store packing for ganza!! She's in SUPER CRAZY MODE!!! it's HILARIOUS!! She does such a good job of packing everything AND the kitchen sink!!! HOWEVER - if we forget something - you know the drill - we'll be making a run or two back to the store - so just ask her to make a list of things you'd like for us to bring back for you!!!

Make sure and listen carefully to all the announcements in the beginning on Friday evening - we'll try and cover everything early on and that way we're not repeating ourselves - and disturbing your CROPPIN' time!!! KATE will be our WONDERFUL "MC" once again!!! No one compares to Krazy Katie the ScRaPbOoK lady!!! :)

And - last but not least!!!! A BIG BIRTHDAY SHOUT OUT TO MY RENEE!!!!

She's TWENTY FIVE ..... on the 25th of JUNE!!!!

We hope you have a fabulous day dear - we'll be celebrating your special day soon!! I promise!!

Well - here i am again - THINKING that i'd updated this several more times last week - but apparently those were INNER DIALOGUE discussions AGAIN and no action was taken!! :)

This post COULD be a long one - as well as RANDOM so hang on!!!

OKay - i couldn't keep this on the "dl"...for those of you attending crop*a*ganza...look at what we got in the mail today - from our friends in Topeka at Scrapbooks, etc.!?!?!!!!

She made us these GORGEOUS flamingos!!! There are a limited number of these, so get them while you can!! They will be for SALE at Crop*A*Ganza, in our booth - we're not including them in your goodie bags this time, as we have seen soooo many of them go to waste - so you can purchase them at our booth for your PAGES!!! Renee is going to be making the CUTEST flamingo page you've EVA seen with the large flamingo!!! cANt WaiT!!!!

YES - there will be opening shopping for those of you that aren't able to attend ganza - come at any time - we don't have designated times set up - so come on out!!! We are excited to have some new vendors this time as well - so come check them out!!!

I am working on sending out a Crop*A*Ganza email for those of you that are attending - so be looking for that!! This is THE week to get your pictures ordered if you order them from an online distributor......and need to have them mailed to you - so that you don't pay out the @#)@(#* for shipping!!!!

We had a wonderful Anniversary week!! Thank you so much to all of you that sent the sweetest cards, emails and wishes!!! We were surprised with this HUGE HUMAN Balloon from our good friends Keri and Jennifer!! Thank you ladies!!!

Lauren and Renee came by to join us for the festivities on Wednesday.....Lauren decided to make "CAKE"!!! HA!! I love it!! Renee even ended up "sorting" on her day OFF!!
Jennifer's friends (us included!) held a surprise birthday party for her here on Saturday night....it was a Sock Monkey theme!! This was the SUPER YUMMY cake that Jodi made!! They were DELICIOUS!!! :)

Okay - serious business here.....our friend Tracy Shaffer has a friend that she is needing our prayers and help with....please read on for more information as well as click on the link to HER blog for updates on this little guy!!!

Mikey before:

During one of his treatments:

Michael Yell, age 9, going into 4th grade. Has Hodgkin's Disease.
Jennifer is his mom, she's a single mom, who had to quit her job to take care of him.
He has one sister named Katie.


We are going to have a 12x12 album. We need pages for general pictures, doctors visits, donations received, benefit dinner given, baseball, etc....

For everyone that donates 1 - 12x12 layout I will give them a "ticket" and if their number is drawn on Sunday they will win a prize for helping me out. If figured it was easier to do it this way then try to do a judging of all the pages. And, they get 1 ticket for each 12x12 page they do.

I will post the details on my blog too along with the pictures and people can email me and I can send them a picture too. And, they don't have to have a picture on the page to participate they can just leave it blank and we can add photos later.

((i really think this is a brave little guy and his mom too - we can all find the time to make ONE 12x12 layout for them to display all of his pictures in, can't we?!?!...for more questions - you can email Tracy!!.....if you're NOT attending Ganza and would like to participate - you can drop your layouts off at the store next time you're in!))

email address: http://webmail.central.cox.net/do/mail/message/mailto?to=mom2cms%40sbcglobal.net

blog address: http://mom2cms.blogspot.com/

Need something to do this weekend?!?! Well, as you may or may not know - our family is also "co"-owners in the Benton Airport - now called "Stearman Field"....well, they are building houses out there now and are having a HUGE shindig ALL day on Saturday!!! Come out and join us!!! There will be MOONWALKS for the kids in the afternoon - breakfast - dinner - live band - lots and lots of airplanes, fireworks, and even skydivers!!!! You can find out some more information here!! http://stearmanfield.com/

Oh - we got an email from our friend Lori Pauls - she and some friends of hers are heading up to McPherson for a few days at Maple Memories and wanted to know if we'd like to join in!! She has some openings, here's the information!! If you're interested - you can give her an email and ask more questions or rsvp!!!

Name: Lori Pauls Email Address: http://webmail.central.cox.net/do/mail/message/mailto?to=huckiep%40cox.net Comments: We have reserved Maple Memories on Wed-Friday, June 25,26 and 27. We still have openings if anyone is interested. You can come for one night or two. Check in is at 4p on Wednesday and checkout is noon on Friday. If you would spread the word we would appreciate it. The cost will depend on the number we have sign up.

I'm FOR sure that there's something else that i'm forgetting to mention - but my head is spinning right now and i can't concentrate....so for now - i'm closing but if something else comes to me - i'll be back!! :) have a great week!!

HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO US!!!

WE ARE 2 YEARS OLD TODAY!!! (some days it feels like we should be 22 years old - then others it feels like it was just yesterday we opened our doors!)

I was reminiscing this morning while getting ready for work....the feeling of excitement and anticipation of that FIRST morning we opened!! It was raining and I was running LATE!! Of all mornings!! The kids wouldn't cooperate - so I dropped them off at the sitter CRYING with NO breakfast!! Thank God for Kelli (the BEST babysitter EvA!!)........as I drove pass the store I saw there were people SITTING OUTSIDE IN THEIR LAWN CHAIRS!!! They were drinking their coffee IN THE RAIN and waiting on US!!! I was OVERJOYED!!! (thank you so much to those CRAZY wild women.....Bonnie, Amy, Jackie, LouAnn, and your "clan" - you really made our morning spectacular!)...oh - i just had the memory of you girls ROLLLLLING on the floor on the paper!! :) I WISH i still had those photos - my hard drive lost them all!! :(

And to all of those women that crowded the store the WHOLE day!! It was AWESOME!!!! I remember Krusty was here with Liz - she bought the PINK rolling tote......all the while looking out the window - afraid her scrubby would drive by and see her van parked outside!!! ....."he works right down the street"...she said - i hope that he doesn't see me here ALL THE TIME!! ..... little did we ALL know that she'd be here ALL THE TIME!! :)

I can remember when Renee would come in with Lauren (her daughter).....she would walk in - NO SMILE on her face......go straight to where she was wanting to go - as fast as her little legs would take her......"do you need any help" - we would say.....NO - i know what i need!! AND BOY DID SHE!! She was a no nonsense cropper and shopper - in and out - there was NO time for chit chat with that girl!! Ahhhhhh, little did we know she COULD chit chat!!! 2 years later we now have a friendship with these girls that will last a lifetime!

Ohhhh, the friends and the friendships that have began from opening this DREAM of ours- is remarkable!!! I have sooooo many things to be thankful for..........through all the tough times and the great times - i am .... WE are so happy and thankful and blessed to be a part of YOUR lives and to have YOU as a part of OURS!! Thank you soooo much for your support and encouragement - we are FOREVER grateful to you!!!!

This morning we were SURPRISED with this GORGEOUS bouquet of flowers from our great friends in Larned!! They have a wonderful scrapbook/coffee shop/cafe there and we are SOOOOO thankful to them for their friendship!! Thank you Thank you Tayleene and Mark, for remembering us!! :)

I also made FOUR dozen of my fabulous Chocolate Chip HOMEMADE cookies for everyone today too!!! So, come out and get them while you can - they're DELICIOUS if I do say so myself!!!

So - in honor of our birthday.....we're having a HUGE sale through SUNDAY!!! Come on out and join us and stock up on supplies for yourself AND for your CROP*A*GANZA weekend! :)

**ALL BAZZILL - buy TEN sheets - get FIVE free!!

**ALL CUTTLEBUG dies - buy ONE get ONE FREE!!

**ALL STRAPHINGE Refill pages - buy ONE get ONE free!!

**ALL Ribbon - buy TWO yards - get ONE free!!

**ALL (in stock) Cricut Cartridges - $10.00 off!!!

**ALL BAZZILL BRADS (any size) - buy TWO get ONE free!!

**Take an ADDITIONAL 10% off ALL CLEARANCE merchandise!

**ALL Ribbon Pull Purses - 10% off!!

**ALL magazines and Idea Books - 10% off!!

**ALL Albums - 10% off!!**ALL Heidi Swapp Products (our favorite!) - 10% off!!

**ALL Alphabets - buy ONE get ONE 1/2 off!!!

**ALL adhesive - 10% off!!

**Glimmer mist, Cats Eye, Paint Dabbers and Stickles - Buy THREE get ONE FREE!!

****all buy one get one items - equal or lesser value!

Sales valid from Thursday June 12th - Sunday June 15th ONLY!!

Now - back to the STORE stuff!! We've got a few new items in this week!!!

FINALLY the much anticipated ELSIE Recipe Cards are FINALLY here!! We've got one open in the store if you'd like to see what all the "talk" is about!!!

The crushed Velvet cardstock from doodlebug has arrived!! these pictures don't do ANY justice!! you HAVE to see it and feel it to appreciate it!!!

The new KI laced Cardstock is here....gorgeous!!!

The new KI "In Bloom" paper is here!!!

Donna.....we have the Paper Gator "blades" that change out now too!!!

MOM and KRISTY were BUSY with KITS again yesterday!! Thought I'd give you a sneak!!!




And shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, this is a sneekie peekie if renee's july lotm.....it's a work in progress but i snuck a picture JUST FOR YOU!!!

okay - that's all for now!!! we have TWO weeks till ganza!! holy moly!!! i'm a little nervous......but that's nothin new!!! Have a great day everyone and thanks for checkin in with us! :)

HAPPY HAPPY SUNDAY!!!



Tomorrow is MONDAY - which means, in the SCRAPBOOKING world - there are only 18 more days left until CROP*A*GANZA!!! You are all saying HOORRAYYY!! We, on the other hand, are saying HOLY *@)#!!!! :)



So, I thought i'd give ya'll - our loyal blog stalkers a sneak peak at the BACK OF THE SHIRT!!! This shirt, as well as the last one, was designed by the one and only Heather Carrier!!! She's extremely talented and I am SOOO pleased with it - i think you will be as well!!! The front is WHITE with the small flamingo on the right breast "pocket" area.....the sleeve says "in loving memory of our dear friend Mike" and THIS is the back!! LOVE IT!!! whatdoya think!?!?





Also - mom and the GIRLS (renee and kristy) have been BUSY this weekend, bustin' out some FUN kits!! I am SOOOOO excited!!! These kits are adorable!!!



Kelli's LOTM for June has FLOWN off the shelves! She should be SO happy, as this will be her LAST monthly LOTM....:(

I just sent out the newsletter - be looking for that - if you did NOT receive it - click here to view it!! GREAT sales in there for our TWO YEAR ANNIVERSARY!!!

How was your weekend? Hope you all had a great one!! We're busy this week with ganza prep stuff and baseball games, pool time and just staying COOL and SAFE from the nasty weather!!! I'm expecting a couple of orders with a sprinkling of some new stuff - so i'll update ya when that arrives!!! Have a great week!!! :)

2 posts in ONE WEEK?!?!?

I KNOW - two posts in ONE week - wth?!?! Dunno - weird!!

Wanted to "pump up" renee's WHAT MATTERS MOST class!!! You can check out her blog for more information as her class progresses - so you can check that out as well!!! (it's the link on the right labeled "drama llama"!)

These are sneaks of whats to come THIS month and a little bit for next month!!! I am SO excited for her AND for this class!! I think Renee has a "thing" about her that is very TRENDY - yet not TOOOOO TRENDY!! kwim!??! She is UP TO DATE with the latest trends - but has contemporary style as well!!! And i love the simplicity of her layouts as well!!! Before you think to yourself - that title of the layout doesn't work for me - or those pictures aren't anything that i'd scrapbook......STOP!! This is what is so fabulous about this class!!! I love that the "TITLE" and "IDEA" of these layouts can be used for SO many different things!! For example....these two layouts are titled "It was a Mistake" and "Gifts and Talents"......we've had SO many people comment on what their "it was a mistake" layout would be.....renee used quitting college as hers...but yours might be a wrong turn on a vacation......that led you to the BEST vacation ever?!?! Or it could be an unplanned pregnancy that turned out to be the ANGEL of a child that you will forever be grateful for!! (that would be mine!) Kristy thought she might put all of her ANIMALS on her layout!! tee hee!!! There are sooo many things you could use - humorous, meaningful, deep or comical - think OUTSIDE the traditional BOX!!!

For gifts and talents - this doesn't have to be about you - it can be a layout for your child, parent, sibling or someone else!!! don't confine yourself to thinking that this class is similar to an "all about me" class!!! The other titles of the two layouts that you will complete on your own are "Perfect Adventure" - this could be a vacation - life - or every day living for you!?!? "Best is Good Enough" .... this could be something related to YOU or someone else - your kiddos , etc......try not to limit yourself TOO much on these layouts - don't go TOO deep in thought with these - I am using this class for my family scrapbook, with the same titles!! I'm trying to incorporate them into every day scrappin' with TITLES!! (i don't know about you but i have a TERRIBLE time with titles!!!) and i am one of those croppers that HAS to have a title on all my layouts - are you that same way!??! IT'S SO HARD SOMETIMES!!!

So - that's it - in a nut shell - come in and give her class a try!!!

Kristy is working on some Christmas in July ideas - some great GIFTS for XMAS for you to start working on EARLY!! So, be looking for that as well!!!

I don't know if I told ya'll this a few posts ago or not - but we have the NEW Paper Gator from Around the Block in!! I'm anxious to hear how much Donna loves hers!??!

AND!!! We just got word today that the NEW KI "in bloom" has shipped to us as well as the NEW Scenic Route "LIBERTY" paper has shipped!! OHHHH and the NEW KI LACED CARDSTOCK!!! I can't WAIT to see all that!!

OH!! and the JUNE LOTM is complete!! Kelli had the honors this month!! BE SILLY!! Those will be available on SATURDAY morning!!!

Renee is working on the JULY LOTM and will HOPEFULLY have it ready to show you in a week or so!!! It's 4th of july themed!!! :) ( i love that holiday! )

Ganza.....whew - we've filled a few more spots - so we're down to about 15 spots available!! If you're THINKING you'd like to attend - better HURRY IT UP!!! :)

ps - i'm working on a newsletter - so be looking for that soon!!!

Urban Arts and Crafts!

Ahhhh!! What a great weekend I had!!! How was yours?!?

Friday, here at the store, we had our mini weekend NO FRILLS crop!!! I 'attempted' to do some cropping - NOT!!! i spent more time runnin' my mouth!! But that was great - cuz it was SO nice to catch up with some old friends that i hadn't seen in FOREVA!!!

Saturday was FAHHHBULOUS!!!!

I had the honor of traveling to Kansas City with two wonderful women!! Renee and Jana!!! Jana had found a jewelry soldering class being held at ONE of her FAVORITE stores - urban arts and crafts - and was interested in taking it!! We were tickled to join her!!! So, we all headed up there around 8:00ish - with bux in hand!!! We arrived in KC around 11:00ish - and this store is located in the CUTEST little strip mall!! Think Bradley fair - only smaller and a LOT MORE UPSCALE!!! (almost UNAFFORDABLE upscale - but soooo nice!) We ate lunch at a wonderful place called "The Cafe"!!! It was YUMMY!!! Then we hit the shops!!! I think we purchased a total of NINE pairs of flip flops between the three of us!!! (we had to do a little shopping for Krusty, since she was nice enough to hang out back here and run the store!) With our LATTE's in hand from "LATTE LAND"!! (love that name!) we were ready to hit Urban Arts and Crafts for our class!! It was SOOOO nice to take a class where NO ONE KNEW YOU!! We were able to sit back and LEARN and just BE in the class!! BLISS!! (although renee was being asked by random customers where certain items were in the store!! tee hee!!) This store is SOOOOO cute!! It's a cross between a trendy fabric store (with the latest fabric from Amy Butler).....a small scrapbooking section and jewelry making section and some yarn for knitting and crocheting!! It's so NICE with a boutique-y feel to it!! And the staff was SUPER sweet as well!! (that always helps!) Soooo we spent three hours learning how to make some ADORABLE charm (5 to be exact!) i am addicted!! So - you'll start to see more of that "stuff" here at the attic as well....anddddd, don't be surprised if you see a class coming up on this stuff too!!!!! :)

this was a picture of the KC skyline!!
so - after Urban Arts and Crafts - we headed up to the plaza to hit our FAVORITE SHOPS!!! We did some shopping, laughing, eating and drinking and had an absolute BLAST!!!! We ate at the Cheesecake Factory - and OMG i am IN LOVE with their CHEESECAKE!! DELISH!!! (I also tried my very first REAL TRUFFLE!!

YUMMY!!)
Renee POOPED out on us on the WAY home!!!

Besides that - we've restocked the store with some neat new things!! Glue Dots - now come in a dispenser!!! :) YEAH to that!!!

The New CHATTERBOX paper is here - LOVE IT!! You HAVE to see it AND feel it to love it!! :)

Some NEW cuttlebug embossing folders.......new magazines........SOME of the new Scenic Route Liberty line - not all of it's here yet - BUT it's on the way!!! :)

I'm sure some of you have already heard the sad news.....Kelly Truby taught her last class this month :( As with so many of us this time of year, she has a LOT of balls in the air!! So - something has to give!! We will miss her, and wish her the best!!! Thank you for sharing your talent and friendship with us for this short time!!!

FLAG (fight like a girl) shirts are BACK IN STOCK!!!

Renee's "What Matters Most" class is quickly approaching!! FINALLY - here are some photos of her class!! I am REALLY excited for this class - it's going to be SO unique TO EACH individual that takes it!!! I can't wait to see what each student pulls together for this class!!

KITS!!! WOW - mom, kristy and renee have been busting out the kits for you!! Our kit wall, in the crop shop has been ON FIRE!!! They have been coming up with seasonal two page layouts for you to use in your scrapbooks - no brainers - just put them together and adhere your photos!! Thank you ladies SO much!! You're doing a fabulous job!!! :)

Look who came to visit us last week!?!?! Andrew Welch!!! such a CUTIE PIE!

YES - there are only TWENTY FOUR days remaining until CROP*A*GANZA!! HOLY MOLY!!!! Shirts are ordered and your special "goodies" have been ordered!!! Sarah picked up some of the decor today, it's beginning to come together!!! We STILL have TWENTY TWO spots available!!!