Because some of you enjoy our family traditions, I present this year’s antics from our annual Pumpkin Carving Night . . .   We never used stencils until Emily came around.  Ryan and I balked at first – I came around a couple of years ago, and Ryan finally...

Last weekend was our annual trip to the Smoky Mountains in Tennessee.  We usually get there just in time to see the fall colors at their peak – but not this year.  Way too much rain and warmth during the summer – the leaves still haven’t started changing...

We spent the weekend in lovely Fort Wayne, Indiana – and near record high temps allowed me to wear shorts both days of the show (even though it was freezing in the building on Sunday).   Since setup on Friday was four days before my birthday, and since I was...

I got a text on Saturday evening – the message stopped me cold.  I really have been expecting it for a long time, but each time Kathy Krivitski (Seaside Stampin’ Ink) had another health crisis, somehow she pulled through. But not this time – she died on Saturday...

I get that question a lot – “What do you do when you’re not on the road?”  I rarely seem to have problems staying busy.  I have been home since mid-August, but every day has been full – I have even had some time to work on a project or two at home. But most...

Yesterday was Mom’s birthday.  Her 79th – I have been around to celebrate 60 of them.  I always enjoyed having young parents – and I cherish still having them around.   Birthdays are always a big deal in my family – honestly, any excuse to get together...

It always seems like it would be easier to do a show in my own area, but the week of Stampaway USA in Cincinnati (aka “The I Get to Sleep in My Own Bed Show”) is always one of the most grueling of the year.  I know that part of it has to do with only being 40...

Last weekend was my first visit ever to Port Huron, Michigan – and the closest I have ever been to Canada without actually crossing the border.  The town is well-named – most everything I saw there had something to do with the lake, the river, or the bridge...

Congratulations to our friends Deb and Sam Solis (Stamp on It) -- many of you have watched their children Talia and Jesse grow up on the road at shows . . .   This week, Deb and Sam became grandparents for the first time, as Talia and her husband welcomed Jameson...

Time to catch up on some pictures and stories and such from the past three shows or so . . . because once the Stamping Gala at our store and the 50s Preview Party for Stampaway in Cincinnati come in early August, my cell phone will fill up again. Joe and Kathy...