Fun Project My Quilted Bag

Want to make a fun project? This is it. I made this Quilted Square Bag with matching flower attached and wide ribbon handles. (hard to see click on pictures for closer view) Fast easy and all fabric and batting cut with my Stampin' UP! Big Shot! Gotta get one...ask me how!

Happy Birthday to the Max's! Both Born on Oct. 15th!

There are two special people in my life named "Max". First, is my dear Father who is the greatest Dad a girl could ever have! Then on the very same date our grandson "Max" was born. He is three today! So this day is for the two of you!
Happy Birthday Dad(Max)and Happy Birthday Max our grandson!

This is my father , Max or great grandfather holding little Max the day he was blessed. He looked so much like is Father, our son Mike, with a full head of black hair.

Here is Max now. He is having a "Spiderman" party today with his sister Madi and little cousin Tyson. Have fun little buddy!


Spiderman cake!

Opening presents, his cousin Ty giving him his present...maybe wanting to play with it too. LOL

Stampin' Up! Scrapbook Expo

I have some great stampin friends, Tami, Liz, Julie and Chari who were doing a booth at a Scrapbook Expo in August. So while I was in the US they invited me to help them out. I was honored. It was alot of work but great fun and our booth was fabulous! I can say that since, I did not make ANY of the items I just helped out. Seriously, we had comments constantly about how fabulous the booth was. In fact, we even got asked if "professionals put the booth together. So, I decided to show you a few photos so you can see for your self the talent these ladies have. We offered a FREE make n take and mini catalog to any customer which was a big hit. Be sure to click on the photos for a larger view. This is a look at the whole booth at once.


This is my favorite corner. The birdcage was a fun addition with items inside. They were all displayed on an antique school desk. Love antiques!

This was the jewelry tree (yes Stampin' UP! now sells jewelry)

This is a window frame with the decor elements used for the lettering. This is a fabulous project.

This is one of the many display boards of cards and scrapbook pages done with our new digital scrapbooking.


These are the blocks we sell using "My Digital Scrapbooking" to make photo cubes. Awesome!

This lamp and topiary are to die for. The picture does not do them justice.

This tree was filled with fun goodies. It sat upon a hat box and then vintage suitcases.

Lighting not great but here is a close up.

This bulletin board made with our ribbon and decor elements and it is darling...I am copying it for sure.

Close up!

This is "Cricut Dan" he was in the booth across from us and we got to look at him all day long for two days! Aren't we lucky?!

Way Behind..The Hospital Visit..Another Doha Day...How do you get released!

I am way behind on updating my blog. Bear with me as it will take a bit to get caught up. In late August upon my return trip from the USA I was hospitalized at Al Ahil . It is a private hospital, good care and modern for this part of the world. Apparently due to my 3 hour flight from Utah to Houston and then another 16 hour flight from Houston to Qatar I developed blot clots. Two of them broke loose and traveled to both my lungs. Diagnosed with Massive Pulmonary Embolism. I was in CCU for 5 days and then a private room for 3 more. I feel extremely blessed that the Lord was watching over me and made sure I got the care I needed. The many prayers from family and friends were felt as I gathered peace more and more each day. I also am grateful for the church family here. I had visitors every single day and they kept my spirits high not allowing me to get down or worried. Now, time came to be released and here is the Doha Days moment. The doctors signed all the papers and came in my room to give me final instructions. Just now waiting for the insurance people downstairs. A few hours went by and I being restless asked a nurse what is happening. Finally it came down to the insurance people emailed our US insurance company which was the middle of the night US time and expected them to respond back. Hello...no one is there. I convinced them to call. They said they could not get through. Its a 24 hour, 7 day a week number . So I called on my cell phone (costing an arm and a leg). They said, we approved the claim three days ago, all costs will be covered and a letter was sent. Great I thought. No...of course this isn't the end. The email went to another employees hospital email and that person was not working so now they had to have another letter because of course in three days the insurance may change their mind. I called back and the lady said if you stay on the phone with me I can write another letter and send. I agreed to stay on the line. The letter was sent. Steve goes downstairs to the office to see why its taking so long. The man could not open it...an attachment. No reason he should not be able to, but that doesn't matter. So I asked, can you email it to my email. The lady said yes. Steve drives homes, prints out the letter from our email and brings to the hospital, lays it down on the mans desk and says, "now let my wife out of here." So you see life is still difficult in the great Land of Sand! Check back in a few days I will post more.

Got on a plane for what...

To see the grandkids! Why else would you fly 16 hours then have a 4 hour layover and fly another 3 1/2 hours ? Well to see my grandkids (their parents) and my family too. But are these not cute kids that anyone would fly all the way around the world to see! I think so.

The Qatar Masters Golf Tournament

This happened way back in February I am behind so be patient I am catching up. This is the annual Qatar Masters Golf Tournament. I really enjoy it for two reasons. First, I think the golf course is the prettiest place here in Doha. It's green and feels serene to me. Next, it is not that crowded so you can really get up close to players and watch all the spectators which come from many countries. As a result, I like to play a game and get pictures of some people without them knowing it. So here goes... The first two pictures are the beautiful course.


These next two pictures are players giving autographs.

The next two really got my attention. Look at the caddy with the long wild blonde hair. He is a Rod Stewart look alike!

This last one is my game. The guy in the polka dot pants cracked me up. Click on picture to get full affect of pants pattern. I could not get his companion but oh..I tried. Some people need style experts to dress them. LOL

Doha Day for Making A Movie!

Story here...one day when we lived in Riviera, in the famous "Pink Villa" I heard all this noise outside and went to investigate. Now the gardener and I tried to find out what but they would not talk to us, a worker and a woman!Ya right! I finally talked Steve into going out and they glady told him they were making a movie in the villa next door. It was about a family under crisis with the recession and had to move. We don't know if they were forced to move into Riviera or out of Riviera. Anyway, our good friends lived there and had just moved to the states. She had painted inside and had a great backyard area. Somehow they liked this villa and decided to make an Arabic Movie. It was crazy. They put huge lights in our yard going over the concrete wall because they shot the movie from 1:00 PM to 3:00 AM..no kidding! So at night it was like daylight in our living room. Anyway, enjoy!

Lights, Camera, Action!

Chatting about the script.

That is my white Pajero in the driveway. Those are the men that told Steve what was going on.

Happy Birthday America!

This America banner, cupcake picks and liners were done by one of my SU! friends Elizabeth Price. She won the Artisan Award at Stampin' Up! She is so very talented and creative. I could not think of anything better to post for America's birthday than to show off her artwork. Congrats and awesome job Liz!

Doha Days are Back! ( two posts today)

Two weeks ago several ladies gathered at the "W" hotel for a going away luncheon. When I arrived it was rather busy so I handed my keys to valet park. At the time I thought, I hope this works out. After going inside I ask at the desk where the party was. They did not know, of course! Maybe its not here she said. Finally I convinced them to look at the three restaurants and we found the group. It was a great lunch we all handed our keys to the valet attendant. Before leaving I had to pick up a standing fan from a friend. So she pulled up and took it out of her car as I was still waiting for them to bring my car around. So after standing there for 10 minutes while holding a fan in the 100F heat they brought me a luggage cart for the fan. Now imagine the view. I looked even more ridiculous then. I finally went inside with my luggage cart and the fan and pleaded where is my car? They could not find it. Their answer was, Madam you just checked in it isn't parked yet. I am like WHAT? I have been here two hours at a luncheon. They look again, still can't find the matching keys to my slip. I described my car and said go look for it. Still not working I said show me all the keys and I will find it. Sure enough they had wrapped my keys up with group of business men behind me. After 40 minutes I finally got my car, proudly put my fan in the back!

Way behind on Posting...Stampin' Ideas

I am way behind on posting...over the next few weeks I will be catching up. So be sure to check back! First I am posting my Stampin' Up! cards I made for my quarterly exchange. We are each given a different stamp set and have to come up with 4 cards to swap with the rest of the group. These are mine and from a set called "Sentimental Journey". Enjoy!

Leaving on Jet Plane...tomorrow

I feel like that song "leaving on a jet plane don't know when I'll be back again..."
I am going to be in the states for just a few days shy of three months. I have never been gone that long. Steve gets to go with me for the first two weeks and then again at the end for another week. Now mind you I will be staying with my darling daughter and her husband and so...I need to behave myself. Three months is a long time to have a house guest no matter who you are! Can't wait to see and play with the grandkids!

My Stampin' Up! Cards

These are my latest creations for my demonstrator card exchange. The stamp set is "All My Heart" using all Stampin' Up! supplies. Enjoy!

Newspaper Ad the Doha Days Way

I thought this ad was very interesting. By the time you are 28 I hope you are still not a girl. Second, how do you tell if you are good looking enough? Third, the limitation on the age...isn't that discrimination? I thought I might apply but Steve said I did not qualify, age...darn. Oh well.

Wal Mart with a Doha Days Twist!

Image my excitement to learn a Wal Mart in Doha! Can this be?! NOT! As a friend put it, only in Qatar could a small corner business get a license to name their store after one of the largest chains and sought after business' in the North America. But I am here to say, NO this is not Wal Mart! Not even close.
PS updates...still not done with my crown I have had two more visits since last post and now one more to go again! Got my fabulous Whirlpool washer and dryer but still waiting for my American stove to arrive going on three months now. Laughter is indeed the only way to live.

Doha Days Root Canal and Crown!

Just my luck back, in September on my way home from the US back to Doha, my tooth started to hurt after biting into a pretzel on the plane. I tried very hard to forget it and hope it would go away until March when I could go home to get it fixed. Not so...finally in December when the pain was all day and night I went to the dentist. She told me I needed a root canal and sent me to a "specialist" (endontist?) she said. Well I called his cell phone for an appointment. Interesting how the doctors and dentists here give you their "mobile" numbers to call. I talked to him at 10 am and had an appointment that day at Noon. He said, I am packing now at home to leave in two days for Christmas break to my home Lebanon so can you come today? Sure my mouth was killing me so why not. It turned out that he was great. He had a special microscope and did it rather quickly and without ANY pain. I did not even feel the first shot. I was very scared so he sang to me his best "Lebanon" music so I would open my mouth wide and be calm LOL... It worked, he sang terrible and I was laughing inside and it relaxed me. Here is the other part of the story...I had to go back to the dentist to get a crown. I have been three times and will go again tomorrow to finally get the real crown. I have no idea why this process has taken so long, four visits to take an impression and get a crown...don't get it, but ladies and gentlemen this is the Land of Sand and nothing makes sense here!
PS I posted my x-rays because they gave them to me on a CD so I thought well if I get killed suddenly you can all know how to identify me by my dental records!

Stampin' Up! Crafts at AWA Bazaar!

These are my Christmas Memory Tins, very popular I always sell out of them.Vinyl lettering on Frame in back.

These are my Baby Milestone Tins

Ho Ho Ho sign made with the new glitter Ho Ho Ho letters on a glass frame with background paper behind and embelished

Painted wooden signs with the vinyl lettering from decor elements

More Christmas Memory tins

More of the signs