what a ride! (and major "catch up"!)

Sheesh! it has been well over 2 weeks since I last posted here! Lot's has gone on! In a nutshell... the day that I launched my new digital store (via a new blog) I got an email from a fellow designer over at Elemental Scraps (Grace Bennett) asking if I'd like her help in setting me up a "real" store with an automated shopping cart... she is trying to build up a portfolio of websites she's done - so in exchange for her services in getting it all set up... she just asked that i let her include my website in her portfolio. This was a deal that I couldn't pass up! the next 5 days were spent getting everything designed (I designed up my whole site - and then would send her the files to insert in the proper places). You can find my site at http://www.shandyvogtdesigns.com . I am very pleased with how it turned out! I think it's quite gorgeous! LOL... ok let's see... so we went LIVE with my new store exactly a week after i had launched the blog store -- which i felt went over very well and my $.99 sale was definitely a hit! when I opened up the second store I had yet another "grand opening" sale where everything was 50% off for the week... again.. that was also a hit! I got so many wonderful emails and comments on how awesome my new site looked and how great my products were, etc.. really made me feel great! So then I decided that I'd take the plunge and get myself a CT (creative team) to work my designs and help me advertise around the digi community.... I put the call out and was hoping people would actually apply - LOL... I actually had my first application within 5 min. of posting my call! The first 3 days were pretty solid with lots of apps coming in (oh, my call started last monday and ended this past Saturday - so a 5-6 day call). I originally had thought of just taking 4-6 people as my team but i just couldn't narrow it down.. so (get this - LOL).. I ended up with 12 full time CT members and 5 Guest members for the month - C.R.A.Z.Y.!! I just figure the more I have.. the more my name will get around. I also added a private forum just for my CT members and I to chat on. I am announcing them tomorrow and have done up a pretty cool visual.. I'll be sure to add it here once it's done. oh, and I decided to call them the "Swass Posse" of Shandy Vogt Designs -- isn't that kinda cool?! I've got to work up on a blinkie for them to sport around "town".... Oh.. I also got contacted by Picaboo (a photo book place... like Shutterfly) to join their background designers team... Basically I sell them my designs to use for their background choices for the books. I was quite honored and felt this would also be a way to get my name out there (I have my own pic & bio over there with links back to my store, etc)... but the extra $$ is nice too :)... AND i got contacted to be a sponsor for a digital site.. they wanted it to be for this month (May) but I said that I'd feel more "prepared" if we didn't it another month -- so I'm set up to sponsor their DT (I give them 1-2 kits for their team to work with and in return.. they design up 100-125 LO's that they post as my advertisement and their team also wears a blinkie)... and this month I'm sponsoring the digital prize over at scrapgarden.net.... yep.. I'm having a FUN RIDE!

in other news: my little nathan finally started sitting up on his own - probably about 2 weeks ago... he's sooooo cute!! I've done 3 photos shoots of him since I last posted... and here's a little peek at some...actually i'll just put up the layouts I've already scrapped of 2 of the poses... (blogger isn't letting me add any photos right now... so I'll have to come back and insert them later on...) He's also just being soooo much fun! I've really enjoyed being a mom to this little guy! couldn't ask for a better guy :)

Ben got all registered for Kindergarten. We've also got an appointment with a plastic surgeon.. We figured you can never start too young - LOL.. just kidding! actually he was born with his left ear a bit deformed (Ok.. hate to use that word.. but I guess that's what you'd call it...) all of the cartiledge didn't quite get to the tip of his ear and it looks like it's folded in on itself... we wanted to get it fixed before he started school... plus where the army pays 100% of it... can't loose. He's still a ham and says so many cute things -- I need to do a layout of him and all of his quirky sayings....

Seth got enrolled for football... he's excited. He and John have been getting up at 5:30 and going to the track together before school/work (he needs to work back up to being able to run a mile before football starts). I'm proud of the two of them! He just brought home his progress report and he had 6 A+ and 1 A.... wow! he's been working hard! I think he was quite bummed that he didn't make the high honor roll like August did last quarter and is determined to outdo him this quarter - LOL. He also saved up his money and got a Pokemon Diamond game for his new DS.

August has really been helping out tons around the house... I had a talk with him on how he really sets the tone and mood of our house (he's usually the instigator for picking on his brothers...) He has tried to be nicer and I really appreciate it! Both he and Seth participated in the Pinewood Derby - August took 2nd (Seth took 5th out of 12 boys). So he was quite thrilled. let's see... oh, he also wants me to start giving him piano lessons... so we'll see how that goes.

John has been super busy at work (what else is new).. Unfortuanately he got the word this last Thursday that 2 more of his men were killed in Iraq (and 5 additional were injured). it's so sad... his unit had just finished up a big memorial service for the guys who died in February (the memorial service was just like last Saturday... and now more are dead :( he applied for a Government Civilian job - so then we'd just stay here in idaho and he'd work out of Gowen Field for the rest of his career... we both think this would be a great opportunity.. but on the other hand.. we both feel drawn to going back Active Duty... so we should have a definite plan of where life will be taking us later this summer...

Me... well, I've been enjoying myself tremendously with the whole digital desiging! I find so much joy and satisfaction in it! I'm so thrilled to start working with my CT and just enjoying the journey! I've got lots of planning going on with Girls Camp at church.. I'm one of the full time leaders that are planning on going up for the entire week... oh, John's grandpa died last week (he was like 96 and lived a very full life).. we will be leaving this weekend to go up to Clarkston, WA for the funeral. We'll probably take the boys out of school on Friday and head out... I've also done up a few baby announcements... my brother and his wife just had their first little girl on the 17th of April and she sent me this pic of her... I extracted her out.. put her onto a textured black background and added the swirlies... isn't that the most adorable photo!!! She is soooooo cute and I can't wait to be able to meet her! the Boys only have like 3 weeks left of school and then summer vacation will be here - that is so crazy! this year has flown by! well, the boys are asking when dinner is.. so better get off.. hopefully it won't be as long between posts ... if you ever get a huge "shandy withdrawal" you can always check out what's going on at my Scrap Blog to see what I've been up to...