All that is EXPO and a tad bit of Mystery!

In the early weeks of November it was my bestfriend's turn at planning our 'Monthly Mystery Trips'...So, at the end of October I received a plain manilla envelope with strict instructions of "don't open this until you get home". I did just that...I waited till arrived at home and tore into the envelope. Where I discovered a chipbroad letter 'F' and smaller chipboard letters of 'u' and 'n'. I looked at it again and realized it spelled out fun! Woohooo! This was going to fun and it turned out to be just that F-U-N! We went to a place called 'Somewhere Fun' in the city of Galt, California. It had video games and basketball shoot out baskets and big inflatables and a very large carousel! And a little snack bar where we got soft baked pretzels with mustard! She had evoked lost childhood memories, lovely childhood memories. It was day of just plain old fashioned fun!



Then from there we went to lunch at Jack in the Box...get it? Carry on with the theme of childhood memories of jack-inthe-boxes...the ones that you wind up and they pop out from the top! I thought it was cute how Adrien was carrying through the theme! And then from there we went to a place called 'Color Me Mine'. I was like a kid in a candy store! Too much fun and right up my alley...crafting of any kind just gets me sqeauling like a pig in a big ol'e mud puddle! Here is a couple shots of what we were painting.

Here is the link for Color Me Mine!



I had a fabulous time as usual with my bestfriend. It was a day of remembered childhood memories and a piece of painted orginal artwork by ME!

Now on to a another fabulous night! One rainy November night there were 12 of us who made our way to the Sacramento Convention Center for SCRAPBOOK EXPO 2007!! WOW! what a night! We cropped from 5-1130pm! We just went to the crop instead of visiting the vendors. So, there we were with us with unbrellas and rolling cropping bags! With scissors in hand and pages to design in our heads we were ready to CROP!


Since we had reserved 3 tables (which by the way it was the biggest reserved table that night) we were allowed to pick up our free goody bag first. We lined up to pick up our hot pink wrist band and goody bag!


I was completely giddy by this time. I was overwhelmed by all the people and rolling cases. I was nervous at the same time! What a fab goody bag it was chuck-full of wonderful items. And we also got to put our name into the raffle. We had come with other ladies from a great store in West Sacramento, called 'Scrapbook Addict'. The owners of the store had decided on coming up with a theme...that all of us would bring RETRO CANDY to share with the other ladies. I brought Mary Janes and Chick-a-Barrels. We had candy rings and pop rocks,etc!


The store had put together their own goody bag for all of us who bought tickets through them to join them at their reserved table. And it all came in a cute water bottle! I got a 'HOT STUFF' vellum in mine!


It was a wonderful night and a much needed break from the stresses in my life! I had fun and won a prize also! I got a lot of my scrapbooking work done and really got to know some of the ladies (I always see on our Friday night crops) better. Here is the whole Scrapbook Addict Gang!

Here is the link to my favorite scrapbook store: The Scrapbook Addict

My bestfriend has diabetes...here is her story!

Well friends it has been a very long while since I have posted on here. I am sorry but had lots of things to do in past weeks. I am glad to be back to post and give you a glimpse of what has been happening in my life.

On a cool, crisp early Saturday morning, my bestfriend's mom, Judy, and I meet up with Adrien. Why, you ask? Because we were there to support her in her walk for finding the cure for a national epidemic...Diabetes! My BF was probably diagnosied a couple years ago...I still remember that fateful phone call. I can remember hearing Adrien tell me to sit down...I said "what is it?" and she came out and told me "I have diabetes..." , I started to cry. I was devastated for her. I have a mother who has been fighting diabetes for the past 10 years and I have seen her stuggles and wins with this horrible diease. I couldn't believe my BF had the dreaded disease.

It has been a struggle for Adrien since her diagnosis. I have seen her go through the wide range of emotions: saddness, angry, denial, withdrawn, etc. In the beginning her symptoms that moved her to go to the doctor's was excessive thrist and very blurred vision. The day she went in they did her blood sugar, it came back in the 300's. It was confirmed she had full blown diabetes.

As much as it is still a struggle today for Adrien, she forges on. Since her diagnosis she has done 3 city walks to collect money for finding the cure. This year will mark her third walk. Each year, more and more people affected by this disease join the ranks. Every year I gain a different perspective of this silent disease. I hear and see the devastation it brings to the people it affects and the families and friends who watch their loved ones struggle with this disease. I have been to all her walks, being her pillar of encouragement and being there at the beginning and the end of her walk! Cheering her on every step she takes to wipe out this disease. Every walk I swell with pride knowing that she is on that day OWNING her disease, she is the captain of her fate on that DAY!

Adrien still struggles each and every day to make the right choices in her lifestyle (as millions of other diabetes do too) towards controlling her disease. Some days are better than others. But even on though those 'not so good' days she still forges on. Adrien has an arsenal of people (family and friend) who care very much about her choices she makes. Because in the end, even though diabetics are not experiencing symptoms, the disease is taking a toll on their systems. It will catch up with diabetics who do not control their eating lifestyles. This is their continual fight...no better to say...it's all of our fight. I am sure just alone in my blogger friends lives we all know someone who is struggling, fighting this undiscriminating disease. My mom, my Aunt, cousin, coworkers, husbands good buddies, new friends, moms, dads, brothers, sisters, husbands, wifes, grandparents, my bestfriend.

I applaud my bestfriend's struggle to learning more and more about her dreaded disease and learning how it doesn't have to own her...she in turn can control her destiny with diabetes. I will continue to support Adrien and be her biggest supporter in her walks to stomping out this national/international epidemic. I will continue to encourage my bestfriend to make the right choices in her life. I will always champion her cause as this disease has affected my own personal family. I am very glad to say that my mom is now off insulin and no longer on diabetic meds, due to finally OWNING her diagnosis and taking charge of it! It doesn't own her, she owns it! Sadly, I now have an Aunt and cousin who just recently joined ranks of millions of diabetics who continue to struggle.

I am truly inspired by these two women in my life. My mom and bestfriend, Adrien. I am in awe how much money Adrien collects each year for the Diabetes Walk. Both Adrien and my mom make me very proud. Truly two very brave women who, (one who is a seasoned veteren of the disease and one who is a fledgling of the disease) both champion for each other and the cause. I urge each of you who read this post to take a moment and take a peek at the website I have listed and become a supporter. Even if you just volunteer for helping out the cause or take a piece of information and pass it along to someone who might need the help. Then thank you for supporting my bestfriend, Adrien and my mom and 20 million of their friends who are stricken with this deadly disease.


National Diabetes Associaton