Life Moments

In today's world, we are so tempted by material things that sometimes it's hard to keep in perspective what is really important. My husband and I have five children, ages 16, 14, 13, 12, and 11. We receive what seems to be a continual barrage of I want.., I need..., and Can I have... requests. Amidst their desires, we repeatedly try to inform them of what is really important in life. We stress how what they have and don't have has nothing to do with the person they are and the adult they will become. The latest video game or a trendy pair of shoes won't affect the outcome of their success and ensure a happy life. Since they are teens and 'tweens, we realize that most of our lectures fall on deaf ears. I mean, come on now, their father and I are adults, therefore, we know nothing. We haven't been through any of this stuff.

The other night, I ventured upstairs to locate my husband. I found him with pieces of one of the kid's computers in hand, with a frustrated look on his face. (I believe our kids hold the record for crashing the most computers in the shortest amount of time.) I sat down beside him as he worked on finding the problem. As a continual stream of "Is the computer fixed yet?", "When can I get on the computer?", and "How much longer?" inquiries from our 11-year-old daughter became annoying, I started to drift off and focused on the other things happening in the house. Our 16-year-old son was in his classic hermit mode, attached to the end of a video game controller in his room. Downstairs, the lyrics to our 13-year-old son's favorite song was being belted out over the hum of the vacuum cleaner as he did his evening chore. I could hear our 12-year-old daughter screening repetitive phone calls to our 14-year-old daughter from her boyfriend. From the translation, it seemed as if they were having an argument, an argument that was confirmed by the stomping up the stairs that immediately followed. Her actions concluded with the shutting of her bedroom door and music blaring lyrics, including the words, "This is the worst day of my life."

Our 11-year-old was still standing over my husband as if her presence was going to speed up the computer repair. I began to giggle. My giggle turned into a full blown laugh. Puzzled, my husband asked what I was laughing at. I ran down the list of everything that was going on in the house for him, but I know it didn't affect him the way it did me. I'm still not sure why it struck me as so comical. I just took great pleasure in the moment that I was experiencing. It's one of my favorite moments. Everyone was experiencing something different, and it had nothing to do with what they had or were wanting. It was their life at that moment in time - and it made me smile. And while I want time to pass slowly, I look forward to the day when our kids reach that point of having life moments of their own.

- Teresa Burton

Follow Ro's popular blog – Life Muses by Ro
Blog-only muses and humor pieces, inside scoop of Ro's life, photo journals, and more)

Follow Ro's newest blog – How Mom Did It
Food recipes, homemaking tips, gardening, quilting, and other neat stuff her mom and grandma taught her

Muse: To be absorbed in one's thoughts; engage in meditation. Not intended to solve the world's problems, another person's problems, or to cover topics completely. One does not have to agree with musings to enjoy them, just as one does not have to be the same as someone else to appreciate who they are.

Would you like to earn a $20 Gift Certificate? Send your own muse to [email protected]. If it is selected for publication in the Scrap Girls newsletter, you'll get to have fun shopping!

SCRAP GIRLS CLUB

Join the Scrap Girls Monthly Club and you can have fun with the newest traditional digital and printable scrapbooking looks while saving! (A $27.94 value for $9.99 or less!)

The Scrap Girls Club contents are released on the 1st day of the month (or the closest business day to the 1st).

With the Scrap Girls Club, you will receive:

1 Collection Biggie
1 Paper Super Mini
1 8.5x11 Sheet of Word Art
1 Embellishment Set
1 Assemble Your Own Zoom Page Set
1 Designer's Choice Item

Layout by Kim Meeder using February's Scrap Girls Club
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Created for you by Kim Meeder

If you prefer not to join a club, the Scrap Girls Club contents are available at regular prices in the Boutique. You can easily find them right now by checking the What's New? section of the Boutique.

Note: The Scrap Girls Club contents are always available for sale elsewhere in the Boutique at their regular prices once the associated club month is released. But all club contents are totally brand new, never-seen-before product releases for each month!

SCRAPSIMPLE CLUB

Join the ScrapSimple Monthly Club and you can enjoy the newest ScrapSimple looks while saving! (A $13.95 value for $6.99 or less!)

The new ScrapSimple Club contents are released on the 15th day of the month (or the closest business day to the 15th).

With the ScrapSimple Club, you will receive:

1 ScrapSimple Paper Template Set
1 ScrapSimple Embellishment Template
1 Brush Set
2 Designer's Choice Item

A commercially licensed version of the ScrapSimple Club is also available here.

Layout by Cherise Oleson using January's ScrapSimple Club
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Created for you by Cherise Oleson and Brandie Valenzuela

If you prefer not to join a club, the ScrapSimple Club contents are available at regular prices in the Boutique. You can easily find them right now by checking the What's New? section of the Boutique.

Note: The ScrapSimple Club contents are always available for sale in the Boutique at regular prices once the associated club month is released. But all club contents are totally brand new, never-seen-before product releases for each month!

Our customers mean the world to us! We do our best to make each one happy with what they find here at Scrap Girls. Here are a few of the nice things our customers have said lately:

I have to say you are the best scrapbooking site on the net. I am a long-time customer (I think since 2006), and nobody compares to the quality of materials you offer in the Scrap Girls Boutique. You are always on the cutting edge with new techniques to teach, and you stay up-to-date on technology related to photography and programs we use in our scrapbooking. Your customer service is excellent! Thanks for all that all of you at Scrap Girls do!

I just wanted to drop you a note to say thank you for your awesome help - without even knowing it, you made everything right. I was having trouble unzipping a file, I tried everything I could think of, and I began to write you an email asking for advice. Then it hit me, read the entire order receipt email! Lo and behold, my troubles are fixed! Thank you for anticipating potential problems and providing great trouble shooting tips.

It's not often that I'm as thrilled with a kit as I am with this one! It is fabulous! I just love the papers and the elements! The alpha and the word art is great, too. I'm so happy with this. I'm doing a recipe book of family favorites and didn't like some of the graphics in the empty cookbooks I got and was going to redo some of the pages. Well, it's red and black with a harlequin design. This is perfect to redo some of the pages. Thank you for a great product. I am one very happy customer!

It's not just the big choices, but the small choices – like, do I have that second breakfast burrito - that you have helped me to reconsider today. Your thoughts are a bright spot in my day – I love your newsletter. May all your choices be perfect for today! Thank you for sharing.

I just finished reading your free 65-page eBook, and I can't tell you how much it helped me! I'm a traditional scrapbooker looking to move into digital scrapbooking, and I had so many questions and concerns. Your book and site have really helped alleviate my fears and taught me more than I ever imagined.

Thanks many times over for Marnie Adams's Do-Over tutorial today! While all the tutorials are good, and there have been others on the Rule of Thirds... this one spoke to me and it all sunk in! I loved the hint to line up the eyes in the various photos! Amazing what a few simple tips will do! Thank you! I am so grateful for all of your hard work and effort!

I just wanted to write a quick note to tell you how wonderful it is to hear of a company that actually cares about its customers. Not very often any more do you hear of a company that goes out of its way to "help" customers. When I read the email from the newsletter about you extending the deadline for your sale because your server was running slow, I thought to myself, Can this be real? Most companies would say tough luck for you - it's not our problem. But not Scrap Girls. This is why I love your company and tell everyone about it. I want to personally thank you for thinking of your customers and not the bottom line. This is why Scrap Girls is so successful. You will always have me as a customer. I will definitely be spreading your name around even more now that I realize that the people at the top truly care about the customers who purchase your products. Once again, thank you for thinking of your customers!

Ro, I have looked forward each morning to your little stories. At first, I found them very funny; today's made me cry. I hope it touched everyone's heart and that they find that same forgiveness in their hearts. Thanks for sharing.

Thank you so much for The Christmas Jar story. I still have tears in my eyes and a huge lump in my throat. It was such a beautiful story and brings home the fact the God has a reason for you to be where you are at all times. Merry Christmas to you, Ro, and all your team. You are all such a blessing to me. God bless all of you!

Weekly Layout Winners

Layout by richelle
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This second product is included in this month's ScrapSimple Club offering. Members receive a substantial discount on these club supplies. They are also available elsewhere in the Boutique at regular prices for those individuals who would rather not join a club.

Commercial license versions of ScrapSimple Embellishment Templates: Bokeh Text Borders, ScrapSimple Tools - Styles: Inked Edges 1801 Mini, Brush Set: Swirlicious Biggie, Brush Set: It's Me, ScrapSimple Paper Templates: Edgy, THIN and ScrapSimple Tools - Styles: So Basically 6401 are also available.

Layout by scrapperbees
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Commercial license versions of Brush Set: Urban Grunge Photo Masks are also available.

Want to see your layouts make an appearance in the Scrap Girls newsletters?

Simply post your digital or paper layouts that use Scrap Girls products in our online Gallery, and if we choose your layout to be featured in the newsletter, you'll win a prize! To be considered, don't forget to list the Scrap Girls products that you used in your layout.

Congratulations to this week's selectees. Please email [email protected] to get your gift!

Want to see past winners of the Weekly Layout Contest? Visit the Weekly Layout Winners gallery on our Message Board here!

January's ScrapSimple Club Concepts Layout Winners

Layout by KatieGrace
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These two products are included in this month's ScrapSimple Club offering. Members receive a substantial discount on these club supplies. They are also available elsewhere in the Boutique at regular prices for those individuals who would rather not join a club.

Commercial license versions of ScrapSimple Embellishment Templates: Bokeh Text Borders and Dynamic Brush Set: Bokeh 1501 are also available.

Layout by Mikelle
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These first three products are included in this month's ScrapSimple Club offering. Members receive a substantial discount on these club supplies. They are also available elsewhere in the Boutique at regular prices for those individuals who would rather not join a club.

Commercial license versions of ScrapSimple Paper Templates: Bokeh Blur, ScrapSimple Embellishment Templates: Bokeh Text Borders, Dynamic Brush Set: Bokeh 1501, ScrapSimple Tools - Styles: Dyed Threads 5101 Super Biggie, ScrapSimple Tools - Styles: Glitter Spray 8202 Merry Christmas and ScrapSimple Embellishment Templates: MaskQuerade Heart Photo Masks are also available.

Congratulations, KatieGrace and Mikelle!! We loved your layouts so much we had to share it with everybody! KatieGrace and Mikelle each receive a $5 Gift Certificate for their layouts using January's ScrapSimple Club! Congratulations!

Congratulations to this Club's winners. Please email [email protected] to get your gift!

Want to see past winners of the ScrapSimple Club Concepts contest? Visit the ScrapSimple Club Concept's Winners Gallery on our Message Board here!

FREE STARTER KIT

Free eBook "starter kit" turns your dreams of digital scrapbooking into reality today!

This dynamite eBook is 65 pages - packed full of the information, ideas, and help people need when they are about to dive into this great hobby. It answers all of the important questions new digital scrapbookers have. They are all here for you - in one easy to use eBook!

Bonus! Download the free "Warning" Label, too. It was created for you by Valerie Randall as a little bit of extra fun!

Would you like a chance to try digital scrapbooking yourself?

Scrap Girls' Refresh Collection Biggie offers you free samples of some of our most popular product types. Try making a layout, your own paper with a ScrapSimple Paper Template, a fast layout with a ScrapSimple Digital Layout Template, or experiment with a brush.

We know you'll love digital scrapbooking as much as we do, and we have thousands of products to feed your new addiction!

Ready to Take Off? In-depth Tutorials Help You Become a Great Digital Scrapbooker

Scrapbook Software Secrets Revealed!

NEWLY UPDATED! Scrapbook Software Secrets Revealed for Photoshop
NEWLY UPDATED! Scrapbook Software Secrets Revealed for Photoshop Elements
Scrapbook Software Secrets Revealed for Paint Shop Pro X (XI)

Find out what tens of thousands of people have already learned: Scrapbook Software Secrets Revealed is the fastest way to learn how to create digital scrapbooking layouts. And because this series covers so many topics with one purchase, it is a bargain!

In the tutorials, you'll see Ro working on her computer and hear her talking about why she is doing what she is doing. It's like having Ro come to your home and give you private scrapbooking lessons. You can create digital scrapbooking layouts today!

Download and CD versions available.

Photoshop and Photoshop Elements users receive:

30-33 movie tutorials
Companion eBook(s)
Collections
Other supplies

Paint Shop Pro users receive 31 movie tutorials.

MORE Scrapbook Software Secrets Revealed!

MORE Scrapbook Software Secrets Revealed! for Adobe Photoshop
MORE Scrapbook Software Secrets Revealed! for Adobe Photoshop Elements

Now that you've learned the basics of digital scrapbooking with Scrapbook Software Secrets Revealed for Photoshop and Photoshop Elements, you are ready to learn advanced skills for having even more fun while you create digital scrapbooking layouts!

Get a big boost learning how to use ScrapSimple products to make your own backgrounds, embellishments, and alphas with the MORE Scrapbook Software Secrets Revealed for Photoshop Elements movie tutorial series. You'll learn so much that your digital scrapbooking layouts will never be the same!

eBooks

Scrap Girls offers a large catalog of eBooks covering topics that will expand your digital scrapbooking abilities to new heights. Here are just a few samples:

Scrapbook Quotes: The right quote for your scrapbook layouts

Looking for scrapbooking quotes or quotes to use for greeting cards? Here's your solution. This packed eBook contains hundreds of quotes, collected over many years by Rozanne Paxman specifically for use on scrapbooking layouts.

Scrapbooking 911 - 2-page Sketches
to Revitalize Your Digital Scrapbooking eBook

Are you stuck in a creative corner? Need a jumpstart to your layouts? Want more ideas how to go from a blank page to a digital masterpiece? With a fresh collection of original sketches, all the hard design decisions (such as balance, composition, and rule of thirds) have already been made for you.

Scrap Girls Tutorials & Way Cool Stuff eBook Set - 2010 1st Quarter

Subscribers to the Scrap Girls Newsletter have one thing in common: they love to learn new techniques! Each issue shares ideas, tutorials, and new ways to use Scrap Girls quality digital scrapbooking products. Now you can have all those past tutorials and Way Cool Stuff articles of the 1st Quarter of 2010 in one convenient PDF format. It's easy to find those helpful hints with just the click of your mouse. You get two eBooks for the price of one!

Ten Beginner Tips on Type eBook

If you're creating a digital scrapbooking layout, it's almost guaranteed that you'll be using type on your pages somewhere. But did you know that type can make or break your page? What typeface will you use? What size font? Where will you place it on your page? If you want to take some beginner steps towards improving the type on your layouts, and thereby improving the overall look of your layouts, then this eBook is perfect for you.

See more titles

Layout by Syndee Nuckles
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Designer Freebie by Syndee Nuckles coordinates with her Unforgettable Collection Mini

Commercial license versions of ScrapSimple Tools - Styles: Butterfly Shadows 6301 Mini are also available.

* There is a "free download" button on the details page for each gift. You don't need to put them in your shopping cart unless you are shopping for other items. Also note that if you are slow reading your newsletter, you may find this freebie has already been retired, as the freebies are only available as gifts for about two newsletter cycles.

CROPS AND CHATS

NSBR Chat - Early Edition
Saturday, February 12th - 2:00PM MT

What is NSBR? It's a non-scrapbooking related chat! We talk about everything, including some scrapbooking and usually chocolate. It's a great chance to meet new friends, catch up on what everyone is up to, and just relax! If you have a problem, we'll lend an ear or a shoulder to cry on. Have some great news to share? We'd love to celebrate with you. So join Pat (PBarnes) at 2pm MT in the chat room Lobby! Hope to see you there!

Monthly Recipe Swap Chat
Saturday, February 12th - 7:00PM MT

Join April (April Showers) and Lei (Bride) at 7pm MT in the chat room for our Monthly Recipe Swap Chat. Please check the message board the Thursday before the chat for this month's theme and the swap details!

Journaling Chat
Monday, February 14th - 6:00PM MT

Join Carla (CRS) and Lei (Bride) for a Journaling Chat at 6pm MT on the second Monday of each month. Struggle to find the right words for your layouts? Are your layouts more decorative than descriptive of the moments you're trying to capture? Then you won't want to miss this chat - we'll have a special challenge to encourage you to journal on your pages more! See you there!

Quote Challenge Chat
Monday, February 14th - 7:00PM MT

Come join Pat (PBarnes) for the Quote Challenge Crop at 7pm MT. Including a quote on your layout can be a touching and meaningful addition, especially if you use the quote to create your own word art. Here's how it will work. On Monday, Pat will post a thread on the Chat section of the board giving you the quote that you will use to make your own word art. It's not hard, and she will have a layout with a Word Art example in the gallery. Then we'll meet in the chat room to have fun, chat, and create our Word Art layout! Everyone can participate and create a layout, even if you can't make the chat. Hope to see you there!

New Member Chat - Early Edition
Tuesday, February 15th - 1:00PM MT

Join Debbie (B&K Mom) at 1pm MT for a fun chat to get to know our newest members. We will discuss the message board, gallery, chocolate and so much more! Everyone is welcome, new or not-so-new! Not sure how to get there? Just click the "chat room" button at the top of this newsletter; you will need Javascript enabled to access the chat room.

Faith Journey Chat
Tuesday, February 15th - 6:00PM MT

Join Elisha (elibar) and Lei (Bride) for a Faith Journey Chat on the third Tuesday of each month at 6pm MT. All faiths are welcome! We'll be chatting and scrapping about our individual faith walk and how we also walk together. Watch the message board for this month's topic of discussion, and if you like - create a layout based on the topic!

Life Moments Chat
Tuesday, February 15th - 7:00PM MT

Join Shannon (tinkerbell11) in the Chat room for a Life Moments Chat on Tuesday, February 15th at 7pm MT. A layout idea will be posted earlier in the day for you to get started. These chats are meant to help you scrapbook about YOU!

East Coast High Noon Crop
Wednesday, February 16th - 10:00AM MT

Join April (April Showers) each Wednesday at 10am MT for the East Coast High Noon Crop. All coasts and time zones are welcome! These crops are designed to allow you to work on your own photos and themes simply giving participants a one hour goal and a fun, new challenge each week. On February 16th, we'll do a photo manipulation challenge! Create a layout using a photo you have manipulated in some way - change it to black & white or sepia, remove a distraction, cut out the subject - anything goes! Create your layout and upload it to the special High Noon Crop Gallery. You'll be amazed what you can get done in just one hour, but there is no High Noon Sheriff timing you! Hope to see you in the chat room!

U.F.O Chat
Wednesday, February 16th - 11:00AM MT

Everyone has those projects you started but just haven't gotten around to finishing! Join Shannon (tinkerbell11) and our guest hostess from the Layout Artist Team, Ashleigh (caprimom) in the chat room at 11am MT to talk about all of your U.F.O (unfinished layouts). Post your layouts in the Unfinished Objects Layouts Gallery before the chat so we can get help from everyone during the chat.

FEBRUARY EVENTS

February Message Board Game: Posting Contest!

It's that time again - Posting Contest time! This is where you are rewarded for your flying fingers and chattiness. The contest will run from February 1st when we post the thread to February 28th at 12:00 Midnight (MST). We are doing things a little differently this time and there are two ways to participate - the Message Board and the Gallery, so here are the rules:

1) To enter the Message Board Posting Challenge, reply in the game thread with your CURRENT post count. This is the number under your Avatar that shows when you post. Do not post the number found on your profile; it is a different number that is calculated differently. During the month, chat your fingers off! On February 28th, BEFORE Midnight (MST), go back to your original post in the game thread (the one with your starting post count) and take a screenshot of it. Send the screenshot to [email protected]. The screenshot is your contest entry! We will calculate your post count based on the numbers on the screenshot. (Directions for taking screenshots will be posted in the game thread.)

2) To enter the Gallery Posting Challenge, take a screenshot of your Gallery comment number and send it to [email protected] BEFORE February 1st, Midnight (MST). To get to your Gallery Stats, click the arrow beside your Profile photo and go down to Gallery. Your total comments number is under Stats on the left-hand side - this is what we need a screenshot of to know where you are starting. Then BEFORE Midnight (MST) on February 28th, take another screenshot of your Gallery Stats and send it to [email protected], this will give us your ending number and enter you in the contest!

PRIZES: You may enter both contests. Members with Message Board posts over 50 will be put in a drawing for a $5 Scrap Girls Gift Certificate. Members with Message Board posts over 200 will be put in a drawing for both the $5 Scrap Girls Gift Certificate and a $10 Scrap Girls Gift Certificate. Members with Message Board posts over 400 will be put in a drawing for a $15 Scrap Girls Gift Certificate, as well as the $5 and $10 Gift Certificates. Members with Gallery comments over 25 will be put in a drawing for $10 Scrap Girls Gift Certificate.

For complete details, visit the Monthly Message Board Games folder on the Scrap Girls Message Board.

Layout Contests:

February Monthly Layout Contest: In the spirit of Mardi Gras, let’s scrap about parties!! For the February Layout Contest, we'd love to see your layouts featuring people or things that make a party special to you! It can be a party you hosted or one you attended. So put your party hats on and post your layouts in the February Monthly Layout Gallery before Midnight MT on February 28th. Be sure to list your credits in the description or under the EXIF Properties. If your layout is one of the two chosen, you will win a $10 gift certificate to the Scrap Girls Boutique!

Club Concepts Layout Contest: Post your new layout using the current club selection (either the Scrap Girls Club or the ScrapSimple Club) in our Scrap Girls Club Members Gallery or the ScrapSimple Club Members' Gallery. Be sure to list all of the Scrap Girls products you used. If your layout is chosen, it will be showcased as a Club Concepts layout winner, and you will win a $5 Gift Certificate to the Scrap Girls Boutique!

Check our message board calendar if you have any questions about what is happening at Scrap Girls. All event times are given in Mountain Time Zone unless otherwise noted. Need help converting time zones? Check out the World Clock - Time Zone Converter. (Use 'USA-Utah-Salt Lake City' as the location for the Mountain time zone.)

Haven't received your prize as a contest winner? Please send an email to [email protected] and we'll get it out to you right away!