Featured Designer at DigiShopTalk.com :)

This month, I am featured designer at DigiShopTalk ... the 'hub' of the digital scrapbooking community. All Gold and Diamond members will receive this exclusive kit for free!

So head on over now and check it out! :) Here's a sample layout done with the kit... (my gorgeous niece, Emma :)


And one of my 3 boys and myself :)


Happy Wednesday! :)

Whew! Christmas is UPON US!

What a crazy time it's been in the Hentzelt household! With the boys' school activities and my position on the Parent Advisory Council, I've barely had time to sit and have my daily coffee! But, 4 more days and the big day that the kids look forward to sooo much will finally be here! It's the first Christmas without Dad, so I am trying hard to stay positive and get in the spirit!

Speaking of the boys, they're doing well at school. Blake is getting adjusted to grade 6 and had a pretty good report card, that included an A in Drama class :) Funny.. I always called him dramatic (though nowhere near as dramatic as his younger counterpart:) He recently starred as Santa in the school play and had NO problem remembering all his lines and doing a wonderful job up on stage in front of a packed house :) He was also playing trombone in band, but has recently switched over to the flute (since I had one already from my school days :)... it's easier to lug around, that's for sure. The trombone was nearly as big as he was! Cole is doing so well, too! He's kicking butt in language arts.... rocking many 100% spelling tests so far this year! He always comes home with the funniest stories of his day at school.

I'm still over at ScrapBookBytes and am enjoying the community there. Be on the lookout soon, too.... since we'll be undergoing a change there and it'll be exciting to see! I'm also working with SongBird Avenue on a charity collaboration for the Make A Child Smile organization. I have been visiting Make A Child Smile since its' inception in 1998 and have watched the journey of many many children with life threatening illnesses. Sometimes the journeys end triumphantly, and other times, they end sadly. BUT, one thing I know I can do is to send a card of well wishes to them, to let them know we're rooting them on and sending prayers! So, the new kit for SongBird Avenue will be out in January, so I urge you to go over and check it out! And be certain to head over to Make A Child Smile and send a few cards out to deserving kids!

I'm also working on my Featured Designer kit for DigiShopTalk.com .... in February you'll be able to pick up my limited edition kit for Gold and Diamond members. I'm having fun with it, and hope it turns out as well as I am imagining it :)

FINALLY!

Okay.. wow. Since we've been married, over 11 years now.. I have longed for a Kitchenaid stand mixer. Every birthday, mother's day, Christmas.. I would ask for one, knowing that it was a tad expensive, but worth a shot.. lol. I was supposed to get my grandmother's, but long story... it got sold at a garage sale.
Annyyyywwwaaaayyyyss..... today, the boys and I went up to the airport to pick Eric up from work. He said he needed to go to Canadian Tire to pick up a few things. While making a small return at the Customer Service desk, he asked me, "What colour do you like?" Not knowing what he was referring to, I said "Bluish-Green".
Fast forward a few minutes and we're walking down the isle and he pushes the cart up beside a display of Kitchenaid mixers! He had been waiting for a decent price on the 475 watt professional series with the bowl-lift.. and needless to say, I am now the proud owner of this!!!

Isn't it BEAUTIFUL!? LOL.. I think I'm in loooovvve *swwooon* Christmas baking is going to be SO much better this year!!!
Anyways, I had to share.. off to play now :)

Wow... change is exhausting! :)

Well... it has been a HECTIC few months, hence my neglect of this blog :) The kids are back to school, we bought a new house (!) and moved in, and enjoyed an amazing visit with Dad! I will elaborate more later in this post, but business first!

Digital Scrapbooking Day is coming fast (November 1st), and many sales are happening in the digi world. At ScrapbookBytes.com, we have put together a super fun collaboration kit called Modern Boy... that will be FREE with any $10 purchase from the participating designers from Oct 30 to Nov 3! I will show you the previews so you can get your creative juices flowing. I have already scrapped a couple of pages with this kit, and might I just say, this kit is super fun and super easy to work with, whether you have boys or not!
Here is the main kit preview:



The papers (which are gorgeous!)



The elements (super fun!)



And the add-ons, which make for super easy scrapping :)



I will have a new fun kit out very soon, also... for next week's sale... so be on the lookout!

So, back to our busy-ness around here! First of all, here is the new house!

It is in a quiet small subdivision called ValleyView Estates... because, really, we do have a gorgeous valley-view.... the people just up the hill from us have a beautiful view of the farmland in the valley-bottom, along with the gorgeous mountains.. and we have a view of the vineyards and beautiful Peach Cliff...

The picture doesn't really do it justice... but it's BEAUTIFUL up here! We have an entire 1/2 acre that has yet to be landscaped, but we got such a screaming deal on this place, we could easily overlook that! We have 4 bedrooms
, 3 baths, slate gas fireplace, dining nook, dining room, living room, family room, Eric finally has a man-cave, also! The appliances are beautiful, stainless steel everything (which is annoying for fingerprints! lol).. and my Electrolux Pro Series Oven/Range is phenomenal. Oh, and we have central air, finally! That is a very very big necessity here in the Okanagan when it reaches over 40 degrees celsius! The house is only 2 years old, and the previous owners (house has been empty for 10 months) took immaculate care of it!

Anyways, Dad was able to take a break from chemo and come out for a 3 week visit... he was here when we put the offer in on the house, signed everything and moved in! It was SO nice to have him here, to visit and just spend time together. The boys are already asking when he can come back, or when they can go back to Newfoundland to visit! He even gained 16 pounds while he was out here (which is good, because he needed to!)... partly in thanks to a newly-acquired addiction to Tickleberry's Kettle Corn! :)

Anyways, the boys are doing really really well in school... Blake has adjusted and is really beginning to show major gains in all areas. Cole is apparently "a joy to have in the classroom and a sweet, sweet boy". I'm one proud mama! We're waiting to hear about some tests for Cole... an echocardiogram and ekg, as well as an MRI to rule out a Tethered Spinal Cord. Yikes... I thought I had dodged the "bullet" with the boys! So, if ya'll could spare a prayer for him and for Dad, I would very much appreciate it!

So, I should sign off for now, I have to 'puter-vultures hanging over my shoulder biting at the bit to browse Bionicles on eBay! lol... take care, and I will be back soon!