On Vacation

Sorry I didn't get to post before I headed out for our niece's 1st birthday in CA!! We've been here since Thursday and we leave for Seattle for 4 days on Tuesday just us. We've been having a great time but preparing for a HUGE party for 100+ people has been a little tiring - we didn't make it to church this morning & watched on-line. Been going to bed LATE every night but really enjoying all the precious moments with our family, especially with the birthday girl!

I've been tagged several times but won't be able to respond until we get back - but I promise I will :o)

Here’s my story – the ‘how’ I won the tickets is a direct result of “It’s not what you know, but who you know”. I had been trying to win the tickets for DAYS on the radio station! I believe it was trivia to answer. Well, while at work it was extremely hard but one time I had the right answer, I was the wrong caller. I gave my sob story to the DJ and he took my info & said he'd see what we could do. Well, he called me the morning BEFORE the lunch to say he found some extra tickets & I was going to be able to meet JD! How cool was that?! I always grew up asking for what I wanted & thought the least that would happen is I'd be told no, but hey no harm no foul just for asking! It pays off lots of times, so why not just ask??

btw – I’ve always loved INXS and from the very beginning of Rock Star INXS I said, “I’d really like for JD to win, I can see him as the lead singer, he has a great voice & I wouldn’t mind at all watching him all the time” and it sure came to pass – but little did I know that one day I would MEET HIM!! Oh and I have to tell you on the final episode when he was announced as the winner, I literally jumped up & down & screamed! My DH thought I'd lost it.
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First of all, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect other than we were meeting at Cool River Café a local restaurant I hear about a lot but have never been to. Wasn’t sure how many people would be there either.

Well, we had a nice buffet lunch (which I could eat very little of because I was nervous about him coming) and all the winners had CD’s compliments of Mix 94.7 (sponsor) and a card that welcomed us, it was neat. JD’s plane was coming in late and when he finally got there said a quick hi & left while we finished eating since he had already eaten lunch (bummer). He came back & signed full-color photos of the band, cd and 1 other item for everyone. Then, we would have a photo taken in groups of 4 (other bummer) I wanted one alone with him like you! Oh well – what I got was even better.

When it was nearly my turn, I kid you not – my heart was beating so fast & I still wasn’t sure what I was going to say to him. I walked up, smiled & said hi and I told him! I said, “My heart is beating so fast” as I patted my chest and he smiled and said, “That is so cute” and I said, “No, I’m serious” and he and I and his manager smiled & laughed. So, as he started to sign my stuff and I was crouching down next to him, I saw his manager was clutching the photos of the band and I asked him if I was going to get one. He said “Yes but is it o.k. it’s not signed”?. My heart sunk and I said, “How come I can’t get it signed?” and JD explained about how some gals might ask how come she got 4 things signed and I only got 3 and tenderly reached out to touch my hair and said sincerely, “Let us do our thing and you just be beautiful” and I melted!! I just said ‘oh, we’ll you’re almost done’ because there were only a few after us. I was in a state of shock I got such a sincere compliment from HIM!! But as we finished I got everything I asked for and more…I asked him if I could have a hug and he said sure and I leaned over for one and hit his knee. I said sorry and he said that’s o.k. I was just going to get up and I stepped back and said o.k. As I got my hug the whole room got quiet and in unison the gals all went, ‘aahhh’ Everyone was jealous, I’m sure. With all my excitement, I missed the excitement my friend got – a kiss on the cheek and before yesterday she had no clue who JD was! When she told her daughter who is my age what she was doing she came unglued & let her know what a privilege it was for me to invite her, emphatically saying, “Everyone in the office knows who INXS is!” Kathy was very grateful to me for a photo, signed CD, a free lunch and kiss on the cheek!

Well, my excitement wasn’t over yet!! As I walked back to my seat I had to share with several of the gals about what happened & how I got my hug. I sat in my seat and as JD finished the rest of the line and started to get photos taken, he was about 6 feet away, stepped toward me and made what I thought was a snicker at me probably for giving him a hard time. I smiled back at him. Well, the gal across the table from me said, “I can’t believe he just blew you a kiss” and I had no idea! (Let me remind you I am near sighted and was NOT wearing my glasses and that’s why I missed it!) I explained that to her and quickly got flush & picked up a piece of paper & started fanning myself!

I need to remind you I’m a married gal & when I told my DH (John) last week I wanted to win tickets to meet JD he asked me, “if you go, are you going to come back” kind of seriously but I really don’t think so. I said, “yah, ‘cuz I don’t think JD would take me home with him!” (not for a lack of want on my part married or not). I have to admit I did have a dream about him a few months back, JD that is but I wasn’t going to share that with him yesterday – he would have quickly thought I was a nut and not as normal or sincere as I wanted to come across. I did share the dream with John though.

Anyhow – it was time to get a picture taken and it was going to be with 3 gals who were about 5’ 6” and up and JD who is clearly more than 6 feet and all 4’ 11” of me ;o) I actually wrapped my arm around him as I approached him and he smiled and said, ‘you’re giving me a hard time’ and I said, I know – sorry and something stupid about what he thought of Austin when all he did was drive from the airport to the restaurant and it was his first time. UGH Then I said something about them being back in June for the concert. We all took the picture and I actually got up on my tip toes so I didn’t look so out of place with all the tall people! I snapped a few photos I’m attaching to the email during the lunch. I am supposed to be get the group photo emailed to me by the station.

HOW COOL WAS MY DAY!?!? Most memorable, actually!! I’m still floating around with a big smile on my face about it!

Thanks for reading! Donna

Stampin' Up! New In Colors Spoiler

on the SU! cruise last weekend - they announced the new IN COLORS for 2007-08 check out this post from Lynn

Basic Grey, Soft Sky, Wild Wasabi, Purely Pomegranate, Blue Bayou, River Rock, and Groovy Guava

Winner of Blog Candy!!!

It was so fun reading all the things people have won - I forgot *gasp* to mention one of the highlights of my life was winning a lunch to meet JD Fortune March 23, 2006 - he is the new lead singer of INXS. I'll have to post details & pics of that some time, y'all will get a kick out of it & I will reminisce. Thanks for playing along, y'all!! PM me your address if you have an SCS id - mine is dbaker3. If not email me at yahoo (texanwife). Thanks!!

Winner of blog candy is #33 (selected by DH)

Deb Lenox Charles Town, WV said...
I guess when I was in College I won tickets to see Ozzy Osbourn concert. Now I really didnt care for him, but he was my baby sisters favorite group and althought I was in college and she was too far away and too young to go, I went with a friend, took many many pics and got her some t-shirts and other stuff and it really made me so happy to see the look on her face when I gave them all to her...


Referral winner is #3 Kathy (selected by DH)

kathy said...
I would hafta say the best thing I ever won was my husbands heart and boy he is a keeper...lol does house work and now is dabbling in stamping.....What a prize to win. I will send my friend cheryl over

Your Star Wars Name And Title

Your Star Wars Name: Donba Cahay Your Star Wars Title: Rekcho of Nhoj

What Is Your Star Wars Name and Title?

If you love Star Wars - head on over to the link so you can check out what YOUR name & title are - how fun! I LOVE Star Wars movies! My BIL is a major Star Wars Nut - I picked him up some star Wars stuff at the Target #1 spot the other day, I know he'll get a kick out of it!!

Susiestampsalot CASE

It's not that often I find a card that I LOVE so much I want to CASE it & even more I want to CASE it NOW! Well, I did this morning browsing through some blogs when I came across this card by Susan Liles. I changed up the colors & ribbon but it's pretty much the same. I LOVE it! Plus, I needed a birthday card for a stamping friend to send off her birthday package before I go on vacation. The card actually looks so much prettier & vibrant IRL. I used aquapainter & re-inkers for the rose. My friend loves Earth Elements colors so I figured this would be PERFECT for her. Thanks for the inspiration, Susan!

Milestone Blog Candy!!

Head on over to Rachel's blog to check out her blog candy celebrating 15,000 hits!! If you go there from a referral from my post - please tell her Donna B. referred ya (extra entry for me).

#1 Post a Comment, of course, however would I know who you are?
#2 Make sure your Name is attached!!
#3 Spread the Word, referrals get an extra entry!!!
#4 Tell me something about yourself...whatever you would like, something funny, serious, weird, silly, interesting...your choice!

Good Luck! The drawing will close on Monday, April 23

Thank You for the RAK Kristine!!!

I was SO excited to get a Blogger RAK in the mail yesterday - imagine my surprise when I discovered the THICKNESS of the envelope & out popped a BUNCH of goodies!!! Kristine - check out her blog Ink Something! send me the prettiest card using a Cuttlebug folder, Basic Grey Blush collection, Happy Harmony & more stuff - if you want the details here they are. She sent me cuttlebuged papers, her ant watermelon image (I commented I LOVED her card using it), penny black hedgie images (because I love them so much) and Giga Circles punched!! WoWzA! Thanks, Kristine - you are so SWEET! She even enclosed a sweet message to me! I felt so blesssed by the RAK!!!

I've been tagged!!!

I've been seeing these all over & just discovered that Deb tagged me!! I've been reading all the great tags & learning new blogs to add to my Google Reader! I now have 105 blogs I read updates on!! It's one of the highlights of my day!!

5 blogs I love to read & I don't think have been tagged yet are:

Rubbah' Thoughts & Creations by Teresa Otto
Ink Something! by Kristine Breach
The Stampin' Librarian - Nicole Cooke
Inky Paws - my awesome downline & friend Jeanne Streiff
I lie, cheat & CASE - Lauri

Post-it cover & semi-matching card

A male co-worker (the one I made the teacher of the year shadowbox card for) needed a birthday card for his wife. He said whimsical and that's usually a challenge for me. I decided to try Cambria's tri-fold card with Unfrogettable & her post-it cover!! to make my version of the set. Tempting Turquoise, Old Olive, Whisper White cardstock. Petals & Paisleys DS paper, Doodle That, Unfroggetable sets, Petals & Polka Dots, used stickles on dragonfly wings. The coolest thing was using Pure Color Pencils to color in the flowers inside the 'window' directly on the paper & it showed up! love it! I've only tried it on colored c/s before. Other details I'm sure everyone can figure out - if not, just ask & I'll reply. This was fun - I hope he & his wife like it!

3,000+ hits - it's time for Donna's Delectable Delights!!!

O.K. it's finally my turn to say THANK YOU for visiting my blog! It's been so fun posting & chatting with other bloggers out there, I honestly never thought I'd do something like this but I have enjoyed it a lot. I'd like you to post a comment to this thread telling me about the BEST thing you've ever won & what impact it made on you. I have to say 4 different ones because I can't just say one. I'll choose one of those handy dandy random pickers (my DH) on Sunday evening at 7:00 central time to choose a winner & post that evening **edited because we leave for CA on Thursday & I need to get the box out way before then**

I'll also give away a little something extra (to be determined) to a winner who refers someone to Donna's Delectable Delights & they reference the referral on their post!!! So tell your friends about my giveaway!!!

1. I won $300 in a Christmas main dish food contest (I felt bad because my mom's friend had made the Teriyaki meat but he was happy for me & told me to keep the $). P.S. the cheesecake I made won $50 and I was proud of that!

2. I won the first pick of a prize at a company Christmas party when I was in my early 20's - I chose a camcorder. It was so special because I was able to record precious family memories.

3. My Faux Postage Summer by the Sea girl was highlighted in a Stampin' Up! Stamping Succcess Issue back in April 2005. Funny thing was, they credited a Donna Baker in Bakersfield, CA for the card & she hadn't sent anything to them! I ended up getting an additional stamp set free for their error & they published a correction in the next issue. It was such an honor for my little 'ol card to be in there!!!

4. My name was drawn for a free plane ticket at work March 31 2006 (owner had a free voucher). I found out at 2:00 p.m. & was on a plane to see my oldest pregnant sister in CA when she was 8+ months by 7:00 that evening!! I rushed home early to wash clothes & pack in a hurrry! It was a special weekend!!


Included in the giveaway is:

Yellow & White Daisy S & P Shakers by Pfaltzgraff
Maya Road Paisley chipboard
2 4" square chipboard coasters
Assorted chipboard shapes
Assorted colored/shaped brads
Assorted gold/silver finish charms
Mono refill
Love expression stickers
Summer package decorations
Summer Primas!
Green R.S.V.P. pen filled with bright colored beads
Silver & Turquoise Earrings (handmade by Moi)
Matching Silver & Turquoise Scissor or Cell Phone Charm (handmade by Moi)

Prezzibella

This is the RAK I sent to Donna McInnis - got the colors from SU! color coach - Almost Amethyst, Chocolate Chip, Rose Red, So Saffron. Floral BG stamp, punch stickles on her shirt & boots. Ribbon is from Jacksonbelle embellishments I just discovered the new craveabella & bubblebella - how cute!! Em is on top of a goldmine, isn't she??

Bella Rak from Donna McInnis!

o.k. Donna is not a blogger *YET* but I must post her adorable Frizzybella she sent me from the Bellaholicsanonymous yahoo group (all you Bellaholics need to join in the Bella fun if you haven't already!!!- it was RAK back from the Prezzibella I sent her (I think that's the card I sent!) Isn't this card the greatest! OH and get this irony - my DH whose name is John randomly chose her to send my RAK to so I did (and we made a joke about him always choosing the Donnas because his mom's name is Donna too). Anyway - I told Donna Rak recipient this in her card & she wrote back that her DH's name is John too! how funny! Anyway - how cute is that green & blue fiber that matches the cardstock & her little outfit?! Sometimes I feel like this Bella when I have the Frizzies!!

Teacher of the Year Shadowbox

I was asked by a co-worker to make a congratulatory card for his wife who got Teacher of the Year at her school - what an accomplishment! He wanted it to be something she could 'display' as well. I was inspired by Valerie Stangle's Flowers for a Friend shadowbox so I went over to SCS for the tutorial to try it out. I couldn't believe how easy it was! What a great way to showcase something special!! I'm so glad I have the coluzzle which is perfect for this type of project! I typed the message in Word using an oval shape & it came out perfect! Used Bashful Blue (he said pale blue is her fave color) and Chocolate Chip because I love blue & brown together!! Used Both Way Blossoms (first time it's been inked!) and Floral BG in craft ink for the outside. Also pale blue gingham ribbon was the final touch. Thanks for your inspiration, Val!!

Jen's Blogger Challenge #4 & SCS FS10 Challenge

This is my first time participating in Jen's Blogger Challenge (thanks for simplifying the contest*wink*) and I made the time to play this time! Jen's challenge this week was to use any acrylic stamp set & background paper. Of course I had to use my new Butterfly Kisses & Papertray sentiment stamps sets from Papertrey Ink (shhh...don't tell anyone but I've had them for over 2 weeks and have now just had the time to play with them!) It was SO fun to use them!! I'm no longer an acrylic stamp virgin. I adore these stamps - Nichole has created some awesome stamp sets & they debut the 15th of each month. I LOVE her countdowns with small glimpses of the sets leading up to the debut. She even had a special edition set called Green Thumb mid-month which is adorable & so versatile! If you've never heard of these sets which are all the hype on blogs, SCS, etc...check out Nichole's blog {capture the moment} it's great!! I'm going to send this RAK as a Thank You to Charmwarm who sent me some OODAGOODIES the other day!

I missed a few Featured Stamper Challenges and have been bummed so I decided to combine these 2! Rohla is the FS10 this week and here is her Eat Cake card I CASED. I changed up the stamp sets & colors but kept the same layout with embellishments.

O.k. on to the details on my card: I used Whisper White, Cool Caribbean, Chocolate Chip, Pretty in Pink cardstock. Inks used were Cool Caribbean & Chocolate Chip. Embellishments used were silver brads & chocolate ribbon I got at the Dollar Tree. I spponged and drew the butterfly trail & antennae with my chocolate chip marker. I used my new Basic Grey Phoebe 6x6 paper pad too (o.k. I'm confused about how to spell this because I noticed other people and I have too type Pheobe. So naturally I looked ON the paper pad to see what it says and surprisingly it has BOTH spellings!! If you don't believe me - check yours if you have it. Maybe mine was a misprint??! I got my paper pad from Tracey at Starving Artistamps and I LOVE it! I love these colors!

Poetic Artistry contest entries!

only 200 more hits to go until Julee (Shadowcatcher) chooses a winner from her card sketch contest. Check out the details here and get your card entered. She has posted a slideshow of the entries so far - go check it out & help us with her hits goal!

New Stuff!!! Javabellas!!

Manda on SCS was so sweet to swap a few Bella images with me recently. There are still openings for this swap she's hosting!! These are the javabellas. Reminds me of years ago when my girlfriends & I would hang out at the coffee shops in CA - I LOVE COFFEE!!! I just got my new Basic Grey Pheobe paper from Starving Artist Stamps (great prices & variety of stuff!!!) and my brown stitched ribbon is from Jacksonbelle I took the colors for the javabellas from SU! color coach - So Saffon, Almost Amethyst, Chocolate Chip, Rose Red & I think I threw in Cool Caribbean to match my paper. I used Delight in Life little flower & ticket corner punch.

Great Blog Candy Giveaway!!

Starr is giving away some awesome blog candy!! Be sure to tell her you were referred by me! Get in quick - the drawing is on Friday the 13th!!!

I WON MY FIRST BLOG CANDY!!!

I am SO excited!!! Charmaine (Charmwarm on SCS) posted some Oodagoodies (check out what I am getting here) to give away & although I have been stalking blog candy for DAYS - this is the 1st time I won - can I get a WHOOP, WHOOP!!?!?!! I will post some creations I make with my Oodagoodies (how cute is that name for Blog Candy?!)

Stay tuned - because as I've mentioned before - I plan to post my 1st Donna's Delectable Delights (DH came up with that, how do you like it?) to give away soon as I've reached over 2,500 hits on my blog!!! Yee Haw!!

Blogger RAK from Kathat!!!

Look at the cutest RAK I got from Kathy Hatzke SCS id Kathat check out her blog Kathat Stamps today!! What a bright, fun card and the first time I saw the Big Blooms from the Spring Mini is person (now I'm probably going to want it!) She wrote the sweetest note in it that said, "I visited your blog and LOVE your photo keychain! Thanks for sharing...and wanted to RAK you as a thanks for sharing" how sweet is that??! Little does she know I discovered her blog recently and as a gal who grew up in the area she lives in, I was going to RAK her!! *wink* pretend you didn't read that, Kathy! You've got to check out her EYE Candy on her blog - I'm lovin' that!!! Thanks for brightening my day, Kathat!!!

Emily's Blog Goodie!!

check out Emily's blog for a cool goodie contest since it's the month of her birthday (April 17 is the day)

1. Post a comment on this thread before 5pm CST on Friday, April 6th.
2. Ask me a question in that comment.
3. I will post the winner by 10pm CST on Friday, April 6th using some kind of random chooser.
GOOD LUCK! And Happy Birthday to all the April Shower Babies!

Poetic Artistry - card contest!!

Julee has posted this fun card contest using a sketch from one of her favorite cards she's made. When her blog gets to 15,000 hits she's going to post a winner. The contest inspired me to use my coluzzle for the first time in this manner, I've seen quite a few of these sketches but never whipped it out to use it but it was fun! Also, I got the prettiest container of Primas from Target on Friday & was jonesing to use them! I also found a cute acrylic set of holiday greetings in the clearance section at Hobby Lobby & that's where the Spring Greetings came from. I used SU! Paisley & Linen BG stamps. Inks are Craft: Apricot Appeal, Certainly Celery & SU! Sweet Shoppe ribbon. Thanks, Julee & congratulations on your hits - I enjoy your blog.