Lisa's Blog

Hey Everyone--

I've had a fabulous time in Japan and have fallen in love with this beautiful country! We are leaving tonight (it's actually Monday here) and will be home tonight (weird!). I'll write more about my experiences here!

Just wanted to let you know that this month's Kit of the Month has been very popular and the quantities are going fast. If you want one, you'd probably better take the opportunity soon to snatch one up.

If you want to see all the pages and some designer pages, please click on one of the scrapbook pages images on the Kit of the Month home page.

I'll see you back in the states!

Lisa

Just an FYI--we had a problem with international sales for Kit of the month but found a solution. You can now buy the Kit of the Month for March. Yahoo!

I got in bed at 4:30 a.m. this morning--we got stuck in the snow storm in Dallas after flying all night from Tokyo. We spent nine hours in the airport. Not fun! I didn't know it snowed in Dallas--everytime I've been there it's pretty warm!

I'll write about my amazing experiences in Japan hopefully tomorrow.

Sincerely,
Lisa

We are back safely from Japan after a VERY long ride home. We got home in the wee hours of the morning--just in time for Brecken's 11th birthday. The boys were very cute and hung streamers, balloons and Happy Birthday signs all over the house. But poor Brecken looked like this all day:




That darn flu--all day yesterday and today. I just went and checked on her and she's still sick to her stomach. She couldn't even eat breakfast in bed (rice and raisins made by Steve--Brecken's favorite)--she was too weak and sick. So--I guess we'll have to celebrate Brecken's birthday when she's feeling better. What a bummer! You don't really appreciate your health until you feel like this!

On to Japan. Two weeks before we were leaving, both my husband and I started having panic attacks. We have only left our children a few times when we've gone overseas but it's always been Hawaii or the Caribbean--closer to home. We were very apprehensive leaving our children for nine days and going to a country where we didn't know the language or how to get around. We finally decided to make it a big adventure and honestly had the time of our lives!

We got to the airport, and Shio holding this sign was a VERY welcome sight.




She got us to the hotel and convention center (Sunshine City Prince Hotel) where CKU-Japan was held. Thanks, Shio!

The next morning we woke up at 4:00 a.m. and after trying to go back to sleep with no luck, we decided to brave the trains. After being there for a week, we discovered the train and subway systems are very convenient and easy to navigate. It was just that first initial ride that was tough. We got to the station at 7:30 and had no idea that it was rush hour. It was a sea of people in dark clothing and some had white masks on. (We found out the Japanese are very germ conscience and clean and if they are the least big sick, they wear masks. Smart idea!)

We tried to figure out how to get tickets but if was very difficult. We tried for some time, asked several people who didn't speak English, then I started looking for light hair in the crowd of people. I finally found a British gal who was a great help and we got on the train to Kamakura ( a VERY crowded train--we were packed in like sushi!)--a beautiful little town in the country. By the way--here's what most people look like on the trains. They fall asleep and somehow their internal time clock knows to wake up at the appropriate stop. By the end of the week, I was also falling asleep and somehow magically waking up!

We spent the day in Kamakura visiting Buddist and Shintu (sp?) temples, seeing the BIG Buddha and checking out the countryside.



I loved this photo when we got off the train. We couldn't read anything but we did recognize Colonel Sander's face. Good old KFC!



We went to a grocery store (very educational experience!) and also saw an Amish Cooking restaurant! I later found out that you can literally eat food from anywhere in the world in Japan. It was wonderful!

The next day we toured Tokyo on a tour bus--amazing city and it was nice having someone who spoke English as our guide.

The following day we found our church's temple in the middle of Tokyo and enjoyed our visit there.



Friday through Sunday was CKU-Japan. Again, I was apprehensive with the language barrier but had the most amazing translator (love you Cathy Piehl!) and two darling teacher's assistants (Chinatsu Kawagoshi and Ayumi Nakamoto). We had such a great time together and Cathy did a great job getting across the message and project I wanted to share. And, since I taught the same class seven times they sat through the same material for 14 hours! Very patient!



The best part of my Japanese experience was mingling with the students at CKU-J. Everyone was so gracious, so beautiful and had amazing spirits. As I told them in the closing event, we may not have spoken the same language but we communicated through the universal language called love. We all cried when the event was over. It honestly was one of the best experiences of my career. Thanks, CKU-Japan Students. Also, Sun-K--you did a great job overseeing the event! Also, loved my fellow teachers--Britney Mellen, Brian Tippetts, Lance "Mr. Pickle" from Rusty Pickle, Donna Downey (still one of the funniest gals I know), Becky Fleck, Fontworkz (from Canada) and Emily Adams. You all are the best! For those of you who live nearby Japan, don't miss this awesome experience in 2009!

Also, Makiko Kawabe--thanks for the wonderful experience at your husband's restaurant.



We ate tempura--totally Japanese style--and as my husband put it "This was one of the best dining experiences I've ever had!" If you're ever in Tokyo, please go to their restraurant at Hanamura, 6-6-5, Akasaka It might be by invitation only but tell them "Lisa the scrapbooker" sent you!

There's so much more I want to tell you. Know this--if you ever get the chance to go to Japan, jump on it! The city is VERY clean (all the restrooms are also very clean) and the people are fantastic. And the Baskin Robbin's ice cream tastes the same as here in the states!

Well, that's it for now. I guess I'd better go try to get some much needed sleep.

Have a great night!

Lisa

P.S. Just one more photo. The school children take tiny lunch boxes to school and their mothers always create a "surprise" lunch for them. Always very creative and decorative. Somehow I don't think my Lunchables would be acceptable!



P.S.S I got lots of incredible gifts from the students. This one blew me away! Yoko Imai made me a folder and binder with all first 100 covers of Creating Keepsakes on them! Thanks, Yoko!

Collin forgot his lunch money today so I had to run to school to give it to him. I left it at the front office since he was still in class (he has second lunch) and turned to walk out the door. Instead, I felt drawn to the lunchroom where students were eating lunch. I walked upstairs and stood in a corner looking over the balcony. My mind went back to junior high school--the fitting in, the popularity contest, the chaos and noise. I stood there for several minutes, taking everything in. Then I noticed "her" (I'll call her Lilly)--a beautiful girl sitting all alone eating. Oh--there were students sitting at the same table. But their backs were turned to Lilly and she had turned her face and body the opposite way, pretending not to notice or even care that she was eating alone. But--I know she cared. I wanted to scream down to the students and tell them to notice this girl. I wanted to go sit by her and chat with her and tell her I wanted to be her friend. But--at 44 years old I couldn't really do that. For the first time in my life, I wanted to be back in eighth grade. I felt helpless as I stared at her. Then I saw my cute neighbor--Jess who's in the seventh grade. She was sitting at a table near the girl's table. I walked over to her and quietly said, "Hey--do you know that girl?" She knew Lilly's an eighth grader but she didn't know her name. I told her I'd been watching her and that she was eating alone and challenged her and her friends to eat with her the next day. Jess took my challenge and I'm excited to hear about the results. (I spent the ride home bawling. I hate seeing people left out.)

I know this experience seems small, but it got me to thinking how the little things mean so much. Also, how kindness goes such a long way. It inspired me to go visit a friend who's going through chemo and take chocolates to a librarian who recommended a good book.

Then it got me to thinking about all of you--the kindness you showed to my friend, Brian Nishimoto (he's still receiving stickers and loving it) and to the Amish community last year. You are a powerful force for good and I feel so blessed to be associated with you.

Then I started thinking, wouldn't it be cool if we started an "Angels Among Us" club. I'll be on the outlook for a need and you all will go into action and respond to the request.

Okay--so here's a gal who needs our support.

Nadine is a lovely mother of three boys who is an AVID scrapbooker and wonderful mom. On January 22nd, 2008, her youngest son, two-year-old Nate, tragically died in a freak accident.



Despite this horrible lose and the overwhelming sadness it brought, Nadine has reached out to others to comfort them in their trials and hard times. One of my friends told me about a hard situation she was going through and how Nadine reached out to her. I was deeply touched.

I have been in contact with Nadine and have been amazed how she and her husband have chosen to live life with love, forgiveness and kindness, rather than bitterness and hostility. It has been a privilege to get to know her and call her friend.

Nadine loves homemade cards and handwritten sentiments. Let's shower her with cards and let her know that scrapbookers around the world are thinking of her and her family.

The two-month anniversary of Nate's death will be March 22nd. Try to send your card before or around this date. Post a comment when you've put it in the mail so we can feel this amazing support too.

Nadine doesn't know what we're doing but has given me permission to post her address:

Nadine Fenchak
7422 Brookwood Ave
Baltimore, MD 21236

One of my favorite songs by Alabama goes like this:

"Oh I believe there are angels among us.
Sent down to us from somewhere up above.
They come to you and me in our darkest hours.
To show us how to live, to teach us how to give.
To guide us with a light of love."

You truly are angels! Thanks for your support!

Sincerely,
Lisa

P.S. My friend is helping me make a special surprise for Nadine. I'll post it on the 22nd!

Yikes--it's snowing right now where I live in Utah. Where is Spring?!?

First of all, notice that the March Kit of the Month is sold out and that Becky's February Kit of the Month (the School Years kit) is available for pre-order. Just go to Kit of the Month (above) and you'll see instructions on ordering this kit.

Also, I am so thrilled with the overwhelming response for Nadine (see the posting below). Thank you so much for the wonderful support for this amazing lady. Nadine has e-mailed me several times and is so touched by all the cards. I will post a special letter from her on March 22nd.

Hands down the best part of my job is meeting and mingling with scrapbookers from all over the world. That's how I met Nadine. I also met Michael Lazorchak through scrapbooking.



Michael is an 18-year-old amazing scrapbooker from Marion, Illinois. He is truly a unique scrapbooker and has surprised me with beautiful works of art using photos and entries from my blog. Here is a mini album he created from my birthday photos and blog entry:



I love how even though I'm old enough to be Michael's mother, we have become friends through this amazing hobby. Thanks, Michael!

Okay--now on to the contest. The April Kit of the Month is simply a really cool kit. It's called "Details Enclosed" and includes a lot of really great embellishments, envelopes, pockets, file folders, etc. that help you tell the story and add memorabilia to your pages. These embellishments are truly unique--unlike anything you've seen. (I'll give you a sneak preview the week of the 24th.) I want 10 of you to win one of these kits. Simply guess which celebrity is coming to scrapbook with me at a fun retreat next week and I'll choose 10 names from the correct guesses. You have an entire week to guess--I'll choose 10 lucky winners on March 22nd. Plus--I may even send you a homemade card signed by my friend.

Here are a few hints:

She was a huge television star during my teenage and college years.
Many girls aspired to look like her (I loved her hair).
She is a wonderful role model for other women to follow.

Hum--I really can't say more or I'll give it away.

Good luck with your guess! And I'll have a great time at the retreat--I'll post a photo on the 22nd!

Sincerely,
Lisa

Thanks to so many of you who reached out to Nadine Fenchak (see my blog entry two down). She was so touched by all huge outpouring of cards and love you gave to her. (This is a small sampling of the cards and mail she's received.)



Here is a note from Nadine:

Dear Angels,

You have no idea how grateful I am to each and every one of you. Your thoughts and prayers and cards and notes have really made a difference. I can't believe how many people took the time to send me notes of encouragement and love. As the 22nd looms closer, I dread the day....but I make myself think of how many people will be thinking of Nate with me and I know I will not face the day alone. Thank you so much --you all truly are angels! This poem is a relection of Nate--please enjoy it and know that you have all helped me so much when I really needed it the most.

Love, Nadine and Paul Fenchak

Here is the poem Nadine refers to above (written by Carrie Wheeler, her 7-year-old son's teacher).

In Loving Memory of Nate Fenchak

His infectious smile warmed your heart
And his laughter was filled with joy.
His eyes were full of sparkle
Oh that precious baby boy!

He was full of inquisitive spirit
From his head down to his toes.
He was curious about new things
As all his adventures show.

He looked up to his big brothers
And wanted to be with Gabe and Paul.
He followed them from place to place
Where you'd see one, you'd see them all.

His teddy bear and toys remain,
As do our memories of his past.
Mommy and Daddy's little boy
Whose legacy will last.

We had him for such a short time
And it's so hard to understand
Why we had to give him to the angels
As part of his life's plan.

He will live on inside you
Even though you had to part
Because his tiny little feet
Left loving footprints on your heart.

My friend, Karen Clauson, is an amazing designer and crafter. She created these three canvases for Nadine. They are so beautiful and I couldn't wait to share them with you.



By the way, to find out more about Karen's Canvases (she creates them for any occasion--wedding, memorials, birthdays, awards), you can contact her at klclauson@comcast.net.

Please know we love you, Nadine and Paul, and are here for you. It's a pleasure knowing you!

Now to my next subject. During my teenage and college year, I loved the television show "The Facts of Life." My favorite character was Blair (Lisa Whelchel). I loved her spunky personality ("I just had another one of my brilliant ideas!") and cute hairstyles. For me she truly was my Hannah Montana. Several years ago, imagine my delight and excitement when she came to a photography class I taught in Texas. We exchanged numbers and since that time have become good friends. She is such an inspirational person and has written some amazing books. She truly is a wonderful role model for us all to follow. She came to CKU-Provo a few years ago and hung out with some of my neighborhood friends.



We all had such a good time together that we decided we had to do it again. So, for the last several months we've been planning the ultimate scrapbooking retreat at Sundance, Utah. We all were so excited and had every last detail planned. Life is unpredictable. Terrible storms and flooding hit Lisa's hometown at the same time she was scheduled to fly to Utah and her airport was closed down with over 700 flights cancelled. On top of it, her husband got stuck in California due to the bad weather making it impossible for Lisa to come. We all felt really bad about the situation--we were so excited to hang out with Lisa and she'd been looking forward to it for months. We still went on our retreat and had more fun than humanly possible (laughed and cried and laughed and cried some more) but really missed Lisa. We are planning a retreat for the near future. Lisa said she'd fly out of a very dry place the next time (Arizona?)! Here is a photo from our retreat and a little message for Lisa:



So--here's the scoop. If you guessed Lisa Whelchel or Blair from Facts of Life, you were eligible to be in the random drawing for the April Kit of the Month. (By the way, I couldn't believe how many people got it right!)

Here are the winners:

Sheliab
bpederse@optionline.net
nhp20090@msn.com
anniescrapper
alaina
Sue Malkowski
Smdoss
Heather (5:49 p.m.)
Anne (realliferesidentwife.blogspot.com)
afscrappermom

Congratulations to you all. Please send your snail mail addresses to: angeladash@gmail.com.

Have a great Easter weekend. I'll check back in at the first of next week to share the April Kit of the Month.

Sincerely,
Lisa

I am so excited about the April Kit of the Month. It's called "Details Enclosed" and it's all about writing down and storing the most important things in life. (Perfect for memorabilia, CDs, journaling, etc.) It's one of the most unique kits I've ever seen. Here is a little video that showcases the kit of the month:



I also wanted to share with you some of the ways other scrapbookers have used this kit:

Kara Dudley created this page using one of the large circle-punched envelopes:



Kelly Purkey made this adorable card using a library pocked and card:



I love how Robyn Werlich used a definition envelope on her child's page (cool things can be stored inside--birth bracelet, announcement, newspaper clipping, etc.).



Maggie Holmes used the 12 x 12 file folder and created this super cool page. The inside of the folder can house artwork, love notes, certificates, more photos and so on.



You can order this kit on April 1st at 9:00 a.m. MST. There should be a full preview under Kit of the Month later on this week.

Enjoy!

Lisa

Sorry about the problem with the video below. It loaded fine on Blogger but for some reason isn't loading correctly on this site. We are currently trying to work out the bug. Hopefully it will be ready for full preview soon.

Until that time, here are some still shots of the kit.

Here's a list of what's in the kit: definition envelopes with embossed dots, library pockets, library cards, legal-sized word envelopes, legal-sized journaling cards, scalloped-edge ledger journaling cards with coordinating envelopes, file folders with embossed words, large envelopes with die-cut circles, embossed (with the word "open") lined flaps, date, quote and journaling stickers (heavy-duty), chip board arrow photo turns and brads. There are over 320 pieces included in the kit and 12 different color schemes: aqua, green, light blue, salmon, purple, orange, black, brown, yellow, red, pink and white.

Here is a sampling from the brown embellishments:



And red:



And black:



And orange:



Just a reminder that it goes on sale April 1st, 9:00 a.m. MST.

Have a great weekend!

Lisa