LOOKING FOR ME?

I've relocated to a new blog, under my name. check me out HERE!

and with that, I am moving

I GIGANTIC thank you to everyone who bought my book last week to help Kimberly. I am in awe of the love shown to others in need. Y'ALL ROCK!

Here's just one of the loads I took to the post office. :)

I made the paypal payment to her account last night. She's not going to be able to retire or anything, but every little bit helps. And maybe she'll find some comfort knowing how many people were, and are, thinking about her. Hang in there girl!!!

And that brings be to some business. Last week, before the whole benefit happened, I decided it was time to leave "i swear" for good. I needed a fresh, clean and less sweary place to talk about all the things I talk about. And a place I could link my site to without getting hate mail about all the cursing.

Here is my new home

I hope to see you there!

a little quickie

don't even go there, you pervs, I'm just doing another quick twitter post.

first - don't forget about the Kimberly Benefit, which ends this Sunday. Really a good time to help someone out and still get something really cool in return. My $1.99 shipping special applies to this benefit, too, so I'm absorbing the balance of the actual shipping cost. How can you beat that?!

second - After Sunday, I'll be leaving "i swear" for my new less-sweary-but-still-all-me blog at michellemeisenbach.blogpot.com It's a whole new look, with more consistent posting, and stupid fun stuff to kill time. I'm diggin it. I've already posted something there that isn't here, so go check it out. I promise, I'll be a better blogger. Kid friendly almost!

and finally - well there is no finally honestly. Just waiting for the weekend to start. Scrapbooking JUST FOR FUN at Paper Vineyard with Kaelene tomorrow night. There are lots of spaces if you wanna come :) Then I'll working with Noah on school work and improving study habits. Getting him his THIRD backpack of the first quarter. Man, they sure do have you packing books in forth grade. Then finally (hey there is a finally!) cleaning the hamster cage. It's gonna be a mellow, hanging with the fam, kind of weekend. :)

as Ringo star says, and what is now my most favorite expression, PEACE AND LOVE, PEACE AND LOVE

atop my tv

I used to have this big cursive, button embellished "M" on my TV, right below that clock. It had to find a new home when I got this fun vinyl phrase from Brenda over at Eye Candy. I don't think she has a site, contact Lisa for her phone number. anyway, I love it. Thanks Brenda! It's added a cool touch to my family room.

Since I put that up I've spent some time just looking at the collection of things that have found their home on my TV. I found myself surprised that's it's mostly stuff from my dad. The huge candlesticks were a Christmas present/housewarming gift from him years ago. I remember it was a combined gift because they were rather expensive and we've had a spending limit for adult gifts for years, and this far exceeded that limit. they mean a lot to me for some reason, although I've never really been able to vocalize why. It was such an indulgent purchase for our family. I mean they were a lot. I think Dad knew that I fell completely in love with them and that they would always have a honored place in our home. And they do. I still love them as much as that very first day.

Then there's the round slice of rock, bottom left of photo. I didn't fully know it at the time, but this would be the last thing he ever bought me. I'm fairly certain he knew it would be his last gift. Which makes it all the more important. We were strolling around downtown Auburn California at the local antique shops and locally owned boutiques during my super fast visit before my 20th high school reunion.

Our first stop was this rock store, common in northern cali, with all it's gold and other natural goodness. I'm not the type who buys these types of things. No real reason. I love to look at them but having rocks in my house, even as pretty as they can be, usually doesn't interest me. But this one caught my eye, and Dad noticed. We went back and forth about this silly rock, talking about what we 'saw' in it, toying with buying it, but where would it live, how it survive the trip home, much less the kids, when finally he just bought it for me. So him.

In it I saw a lake, a huge lake with almost no end. A lake that went past the out cluster of shore which separated the part you might swim in from the part that one might speed boat in - although this wasn't a boating type a lake, but still a fun lake, with no end.

He saw the ocean with its vast horizon line that, also, had no end.

He bought that rock for me in August, 2007, and died 5 months later. I've posted this poem before, but will again. It gave me so much conform those hard days of waiting at Hospice. Read it with the thought of this rock and tell me he didn't know something beyond the fact that he had cancer...

I am standing upon the seashore. A ship at my side
spreads her white sails to the morning breeze and
starts for the blue ocean. She is an object of beauty
and strength. I stand and watch her until at length
she hangs like a speck of white cloud just where
the sea and sky come to mingle with each other.

Then someone at my side says: "There, she is gone!"

"Gone where?"

Gone from my sight. That is all. She is just as large in
mast and hull and spar as she was when she left my side and
she is just as able to bear her load of living freight to her
destined port.

Her diminished size is in me, not in her. And just at the
moment when someone at my side says: "There, she is gone!"
there are other eyes watching her coming, and other voices
ready to take up the glad shout: "Here she comes!"

And that is dying.

I don't mean to be a big bummer. We all deal with dying in our own way, and today mine is to talk about this. I think that's why I'm so touched by Kimberly's loss. My dad had been diagnosed with cancer and knew his time was short. He was able to, knowingly or not, leave something significant for me. Something I could always know we, at some level, had the same thoughts about. I hope she finds that one thing he husband was able to leave for her and that maybe it's something that lives on her TV. Something to remind her that this is not the end. Something she can look at, and smile.

my heart is warm

Y'all are busting this, and my heart is warm. Keep going. Dig deep. We can be a ray of light during such a dark time for someone else. I might not know her, but that doesn't matter. I could be her.

every.
little.
bit.
helps.

benefit for Kimberly

I don't have much time today, so I'm going to send you to cathy's blog and to tara's blog for the whole story.

Now here's what I'm going to do. Beyond my personal contribution, I am going to have a week long benefit for Kimberly. I don't have much to offer, but what I have, I'll give. If you buy the book this week I'll donate all my profits to Kimberly and her family.

there are absolutely no strings. You don't have to enter a code. You don't have to have read anyone's blog. all you have to do it buy the book. ALL retail sales will be included, whether they know about the benefit or not.

so if you were thinking of getting the book but were holding off for the right time, I'd say the right time is now. We have the power to help a sister in need. We can all make a difference.

m


p.s. OH YEA! As I said I'm in a time crunch today (dang real job) so I don't have time right now to update the paper therapy site with this benefit, but please rest assured that all sales will be tallied - starting now. I personally process all sales : ) so there's no chance of any sales being left off!

giveaway!

Check out Cathy's Blog tdday for a Lifted giveaway!

GOOD LUCK!

another twitter type post

1. This is super late - I'm a dork - but had a fantastic signing up in Glendale at Scrap Happy sisters. THOSE GIRLS ROCK! I'd hoped to have some pictures to show you of the contest they did but it finished long after I left and haven't gotten any emailed yet. I'll have to give them a call and check up on that. Anyway, it was an awesome event. I felt loved and was honored to be there. Thanks to all you came out!

2. I have a new ad up on Cathy's blog Go check it out - it's kinda fun. well fun for me anyway. Maybe I'll sell a book or two ;)

3. Check this super cool thing out. Lifted was reviewed at Scrapbook Update.com Great review. Love it when people get it.

4. Been crazy busy lately - with the real job. Not digging all that much, to be honest. Don't get me wrong, love (NEED) the paycheck, just wish I had more time to devote to blogging and the book.

5. I'm in the market for a sales rep. or reps if needed by region. Anyone interest or know anyone who might be please email me at michelle.papertherapy.com

6. have a couple signings coming up. I'll be in Tucson THIS Saturday at Pages in Progress from noon-2pm and then up in Flagstaff October 25 (that's 3 Saturdays) at About Memories and More from 2pm-4pm. Come by and see me! No purchase necessary LOL

7. Actually went out and got Halloween costumes already. First time not doing it days before and paying out the nose for overnight shipping. Kate's going to be a butterfly (thanks for the costume Beth - she loves it) Sarah is "bat girl" which is pretty much a batman costume in bright pink. I love it! an Noah is an army soldier.

8. Had my super talented friend Lisa take pictures of my kiddos this weekend. She's starting a photography business and couldn't wait to get her booked. I'm about dying waiting to see them (it's not like she's slow - it's only been 2 days!) I'm going to do a book for Peter for Christmas. I'm thrilled. Post a reply on Lisa's blog if you want to book her or have questions about her what she's up to. She's working on getting her site up and running. ***UPDATE: SNEAK PEAK IS UP ON LISA'S BLOG - WOO HOO!

9. and finally, a little picture, cuz everyone loves pictures. This is Noah. Gold panning in the North Fork, or the American River, or some other river in Northern California. He went to visit my Aunt and Uncle for a week while on break. He actually came home with real gold. We could buy a lollypop, maybe.



well that's about it. Sorry I've been so lame updating here. just crazy busy.