I've been TAGGED

I cannot believe she did it, but Melonie tagged me!!

You have been tagged.

These are the rules:
1. Link your tagger and list these rules on your blog.
2. Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.
3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs.
4. Let them know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog enjoy!Have fun!!!


Okay then, here are the 7 "strange but true, odd-n-end facts you were just dying to know about me" betcha weren't even aware of it yet! ha ha! Probably the saddest and strangest fact of all, NOT on the list is that...I have SO MANY to choose from, it took awhile to narrow it down!!

1.) I was born a fraternal twin to my brother, Brian, who passed away within 24 hours of our birth due to complications. At the moment he died, the nurses tell us that I literally lifted my torso and head from the mattress of my incubator and looking towards the ceiling, I let out a wail of grief like they had never heard--I was only a few hours old and shouldn't have been physically able to do that in the first place-but couple that with me only weighing 3 lbs 15 oz. (nearly 40 years ago) and it's even stranger....want more oddness? I spent 6 months in that incubator in the only neo-natal ICU nursery in our region..the nurses, in their attempt to comfort me, always kept baby Joey's incubator touching mine. We did everything together during that time, from feeding schedules to baths--the nurses never seperated us. When I was old enough to have my first imaginary friend, I called him Joey, of course! This really freaked my mother out, so she decided to get me a puppy............ which I immediately named Joey.

2.) I am related to Max Baer Jr. (Jethro of the Beverly Hillbilly's) His father, Max Sr., the prizefighter made more recently famous in the movie, "Cinderellaman" (and was portrayed rather villanously) was my Father's great-great uncle.

3.) The band, Green Day, has spent the night at my house and immortalized that visit in their song "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)" You see, my parents divorced shortly before I filed for my own divorce from my daughter's dad. My father kept custody of my then, 13 year old sister. I moved back home (to Dads house) from San Antonio, TX, where I'd lived for 3 years, Chelsea was almost 2 at that time. My sister was in her "grunge phase" along with all of her friends, who practically lived at our house. My dad liked it because he liked knowing where my sister was and he truly enjoyed all the goofiness that all of these kids brought into our home. They became a part of our family during this strange and wonderful phase. One of their favorite pastimes was heading to the Nordic Hall for Friday night shows when they would have several bands from all over the country, playing for an all ages crowd. The grunge-meisters loved the large "Mosh-pit" Terry, a good friend of my sister's and a house regular--was the one who lined up and arranged every one of these shows. Bands knew about them from word of mouth and who knows what other kind of "advertizing" but it was a great rest stop for them as they'd travel cross-country....they could refill their cash vault and be able to continue the next leg of their long trip. Well, this particular summer, Green Day was traveling east, to New York, to shoot their first MTV video. L.A. to New York is a long journey and they wound up in Sioux Falls,S.D. (my hometown) with a number of other bands for Friday night's show. One of the other bands playing was one called "False Sacrement" a great group of young adults who had stayed with us once before---my dad stayed up for HOURS, chatting away with the members of this band and truly liked their stories and their company and moreso--the fact that they were polite and respectful.....he gave me orders to go to the Nordic, and tell Terry that if False Sacrement needed a place to spend the night, he'd love to have them over again to catch up. So, I did as I was told...and then I went out with my friend for some grown up fun at the Pomp Room. heh heh. It's 2:30 a.m. or so, and Teresa and I are headed to my house--and when we turned the corner our jaws fell open and all we could think was "Dad is gonna KILL us!" There were vans--literally end to end for an entire block and a half! It seems that EVERY band was told to crash at our place for the night, LOL! We walked in and dad was sitting there, glassy eyed and with a dazed look on his face--people were EVERYWHERE! All he could say was "The groupies just left". The story has it that Billie, or one of the band members of Green Day, had asked about the meaning behind my maiden name. They were told the story of how it is descended from the Viking days when they wrote their laws on deer skins, and they were (rather unimaginatively) called "Skin Laws". OK--so then another topic of discussion was about all of the tatoos these kids were getting at the time--and there were A LOT of them! Chelsea used to tell me that she "wanted a pretty owy too" because when she'd try to touch the most recent work of art--she'd be told "Don't touch, it's a pretty owy right now" So.....a verse is written in that song where part of it goes: "Tatoos of memories and dead skin on trial, for what it's worth it was worth all the while"
So, now you know my crazy story of the night Green Day stayed at my house!
Pretty freaking cool, huh? And, yes, Billie--- we had the time of our life!

4.) I picked up the cello when I was in the 4th grade determined to play it, even though everyone told me over and over that I should play the violin because I was too small to play the cello. I proved them all wrong and became hooked on the instrument in the process. I practiced constantly------relentlessly even--it was my best friend. My mother would have to TELL me to go outside and play with my "human" friends for awhile. I found out, when I was about 25, that I had had a chance to attend Juliard--tuition paid in full--I had become THAT good, where the school District was out gathering the tuition money FOR me. But my parents didn't want me in New York--with a chaperone only--so they nixed it immediately. in high school I had to give it up completely because the small school I wound up attending, only had a band--no orchestra--12 years went by without touching a cello when I met a friend of my cousins, who has his own recording studio. He hooked me up with a cello and we started a little guitar/cello duet called Monroe and Chellars. I played music as Rhowan (hence my current DBA) Steve and his wife soon started a production company and record label as well and we wrote some new songs together--I am a singer/songwriter and I am a published author of lyrics. I now have my cello, safely sitting on "her" stand right here in my livingroom. It might sound strange, but it is a constant source of comfort, just knowing it is right here.

5.) My alias, "Rhowan" comes from the book, "The Witching Hour" by Anne Rice--Rowan Mayfair is the lead character and literally can kill with a look--I have always been accused of this myself, by my mother mainly.....but I have never rendered anyone unconscious, let alone dead, from a single look (nor anything else that I am aware of)but Rowan can. OK--so that sounds creepy, but there is more--I was studying a bit about herbology and the orientation of plant meanings and history in folklore (I get bored and my mind MUST find something new to learn--all the time) so, as I'm studying this new-age botany, I find out that the Rowan tree (Mountain Ash) was said to hold the powers of protection, strength and healing. Soldiers would carry the berries in their pockets for protection when going into battle. The bark was used to stop bleeding and prevent infection--it also, apparently aided in clotting and had certain antiseptic qualities to prevent wounds from infection. The leaves were also steeped and dtunk as a tea to promote the healing process. So, when I was thinking of a name to DBA, I immediately thought "Rowan". When I tried to use it on my AOL account, it was taken, so I wound up adding the "H" just to make it available to me. This new name represented all of things I didn't have in me at the time, or was in need of finding more of. I was an abused child, emotionally, physically and verbally--and this name gave me instant confidence and inner strength--not to mention, if anyone ever tried to hurt me again, I'd just shoot them THE LOOK and they could drop dead. (LOL!)

6.) I am a bit OCD--for example, I cannot stand it if my hands feel the slightest bit sticky or damp. I am also OCD at work and cannot stand anything in my in-basket.....ever. One of my DA's knows this (well, they all do, but he's got a "mean" streak) so he is constantly threatening to fill my basket up over the weekend--I have actually lost sleep over this before. But, I've come to learn that he is only teasing me.

7.) To wrap this up, we'll go back to when I was a kid----I used to run away.....a lot, it began when I was 4. Not in the typical "pack a bag and sit in a tree until it's dark and a bit scary, time to go inside" kind of running away either-----I would run away. The cops would have to be called and they'd find me at the bus station, or walking along a road leading out of town--and I would RUN---as fast as I could--away from the cops, LOL! So, when I was 5 and my parents found that I had mapped out my "escape route to Australia" on my new globe--they immediately confiscated it and I have not owned another globe since.

Alright--there's my strange and wacky "Tag confessions" Now------I nominate:

1.) Meg of Tiger Lily's Digis and Designs in Digital
2.) Cathy of Five Corners of my Mind
3.) Tink of Tinks Trinkets
3.) Sarah of Scrappin Cuteness
4.) Dorothy of Dorothy's Creations
5.) Lori of The Cameron Collection
6.) Janie of A Damsel with a Dulcimer
7.) Kim of Island Girl Designs

New kit in store tomorrow!

Hi everyone!
Well, it is almost August 1st---and that means that Scrap Factor is about to get rolling into high gear at Designs in Digital! We have SO MANY kits for you to use--along with some great challenges and fun prizes to win too!
One prize you could win is my NEW KIT-- "Strawberry Kiwi"!!



It will be available for sale tomorrow (Wednesday the 30th) in my store
Here
--and for the first 24 hours it's 50% off! But, hey--if you're cheap--like me-- you might want to run over to
DID and sign up to participate in the Scrap Factor challenge and win it! You get a HUGE--and I mean GI-NORMOUS tote bag (that's right I said TOTE BAG) full of wonderful kits for you to use in the challenges! The whole package wound up too large for a grab bag--so we had to "super-size" it for ya!

Oh yeah-- check back soon, I'll have a fabulous add-on for my new kit available and of course, a FREEBIE too!
Happy Scrappin'!

Sneak Peek!

I just finished my portion of the SCRAP FACTOR start up kits, for Designs in Digital--and thought I'd give you all a sneak peek! Scrap Factor is for all of you mad scrappers! A fun little competition where you pit your scrappin skills against a slew of others! It begins the first of August, so you'll want to stop on over to Designs in Digital the first of August,and see all of the other fabulous kits that the other designers have also put together especially for this event! There will be FABULOUS prizes too--so why not jump on in and play along?!? It's gonna be a GREAT time!

***Update****
If you missed the preview--so sorry! LOL!! But, I just realized that we are supposed to be keeping it a secret--so, if you were lucky enough to get a peek at my contribution....lucky you! If not, you'll have to head on over to Designs in Digital to check out all of the fun and games there! Believe me, this is a HUGE event and you won't want to miss it!!


I hope you all had a great weekend and have an awesome week!

I'm SO STOKED!

OK, I know it has been awhile--but I have been very busy getting all set for my "designing debut" at Designs in Digital---I'm SO thrilled about this whole new venture, that I have put together a little goodie FREEBIE bag for you all, to help me celebrate!
But first--I have to let you in on some very cool things going on at DID--and YES, FREEBIES are a part of the deal, so read on my lovelies!
First of all, DID is hosting a fab-tastic designing competition--and the first round is complete--you won't believe the fabulous kits these ladies have made!
Just check out this preview! (click image for a larger view!)




Pretty fantastic isn't it?!? And--- you get them all FREE by visiting the store and registering!!

Click here to check it out at the store!


For the scrappers, there is another competition beginning August 1st--called Scrap Factor--and if you like to create layouts, mark your calendars, you won't want to miss it!
Cole is still celebrating her Birthday this month at Green Elephant Designs--and she's got a ton of fun and goodies for you to help her celebrate! Just check out the DID forums (I think there might be a freebie or two involved in that too.....!!)

Want to get creative and get a free full sized kit to boot? DID is having a redecorating contest--and you get a free kit to work with, and of course, KEEP too!

DID will be putting out a newsletter with new releases every Wednesday--sign up, I'm sure there will be goodies and upcoming sales, events and specials for you!

Whew-- that's a LOT to cover, I just hope I didn't miss anything!!
And, now for my little gift to you, to help me celebrate my new Designing adventure!
Oh, and ya know what? I forgot to include my TOU in all my excitment--so, what the heck!??! Let's just say--HAVE FUN Go WILD use it for CU/S4H and PU, just ENJOY! But--one catch, if you download please--PLEASE, leave me a comment and a little thank you (it's polite and it inspires me to share more too!)



Click here for download

Alrighty--I better get cracking if I'm going to finish up on my first full sized kit! I think you are gonna love it! It is full of unique and fun elements--so much so, that I will most likely run it as a series! I'll tell you more about it later, I promise! So check back soon, okay?!?

I hope to see ya in the forums!
Be Well, Be Blessed and Happy Scrapping!!

Big things are happening!

I hope you all had a Happy 4th of July! I hope to make this entry a short and sweet one, if that's possible.....
Firstly: Digifree listed my first "mini kit freebie" today! That was a treat for me!
I've been a fan of several designers for the past couple of months and seeing my kit listed on the search engine--along with theirs-- was SO flattering, ok ok--it's not going to be my best work and certainly NOT of their calliber, but it has been a starting point for me. For those who have downloaded it and even used it, I hope it worked well, please let me know your thoughts and if you'd like to share your LO, leave a link to it in my comments--I would LOVE to see what you made of it!

Big news to share--- I WILL be designing for Designs in Digital VERY soon!! I have already made my contribution to the new Collaboration Kit, coming to YOU in August! This is a FUN and FUNKY kit, with so many great colors and elements--you are in for a MAJOR TREAT! There are so many great designers that are taking part in this mega collab kit--you are NOT gonna want to miss it!

DID Has a new owner--and several new designers with fresh and wonderful NEW PRODUCTS along with most of the previous designers whose products you have come to know and love already! Also, check out this exciting competition coming soon!





But--- that's not all! There will be a Contest, called "Scrap Factor", for all of you scrappers to participate in too! The forums are up and running with some revised challenges and it has gone to a point system, so you will get YOUR CHOICE of prizes from the prize area when you collect enough points! If you haven't been to Designs in Digital in awhile--NOW is the time to head back over there! For those who have never visited the site--follow the link above to take you there and see for yourself!
One of our Designers, Nicole of Green Elephant Designs, is having a HUGE "Turning 33" Birthday Bash! ALL MONTH LONG!! You'll want to check that out too so you don't miss all of the GOODIES she has for ya!


I have to get back to creating my first kit for my new store, whose name will include my nickname, Rhowan (or Rho) I think I'm going to call it: "Rockin' Rho's Designs" What do you think? Hey--I have only a couple more days to decide, so if you have any name suggestions, I am open to them! And-----here's a bonus for you----IF I decide to use the name you suggest, I will give you my first store kit, for FREE!

Now, how can you go wrong?!? So--put on your thinking caps, and send me your name suggestions to my email at dawnh5969 at yahoo . com- put "Store name Suggestion" in your subject line and I'll choose a winner, if any, by Wednesday. If I decide to go with my original name idea--I will still send ALL PARTICIPANTS a special gift, just for them, for sending in their suggestions!
(The gift is to be determined, but will be worth your time and trouble, I promise!)

Alrighty, y'all, I better get busy again--break time is over, LOL!!

Thank you SO much for visiting and have a WONDERFUL remainder of the weekend!

I did it!!

Well it has gotten late on me again tonight! I spent the day shopping with my DD --we had a blast! I was asked to make centerpieces for a friends family reunion, so we went shopping for floral "stuff" to get those made and I got my new Bamboo Tablet too! I was able to play around with some great CU items that I've picked up here and there! I've checked the TOU included in them and I think I'm alright to share what I have made out of them with you. I also made a 4 shared account so------without further ado, let's get to the giving, OK?!? I hope you like what I threw together, I didn't use a color palette or scheme, I just improvised......when I was through, it reminded me of those cool summer nights, when you're out camping and snuggled up in your sleeping bag, so I called this little mini kit "Cool Summer Night" yeah, I know--real original, ha ha! I still have a LOT to learn about my tablet and the software bundle that it came with, but as I learn new things, I'll be sharing them with you! I hope you like it and can find a use for it! Please leave a comment and let me know what you think! Happy Scrapping y'all!



**Link Expired**


CU Credits (Also included in my TOU):


CU Back Ground Overlay: Creations by Jo http://creationzbyjo.blogspot.com/


CU Ribbons: Nancy Wilkens, DBA Scrappy Cats http://catstation.net/scrappycats/blog/


CU Flowers: "Light Flower" Miss Vivi
http://missviviscrap.over-blog.com/


CU Frame and Button: Petit Moineaux http://petitmoineaux.blogspot.com/


Thank you, ladies, for sharing your talent and offering these fabulous CU items!! It's so good to get my feet wet as I begin to learn how to design myself!! If I missed anything in your TOU, please let me know and I will make it right! :)

Great News and more freebies real soon for you!

Sorry it's been awhile! This was a crazy week for sure....today we had a mandatory "Fun day" at the office--which was a forced scavenger hunt throughout downtown, LOL! It was actually fun but by the time I got home this evening I was not only exhausted, but my feet are blistered and my legs are so achy--I laid down, "Just for a minute" and fell fast asleep, ha ha! Anyway, now that I am awake for awhile, I wanted to share some great news with ya! Tomorrow I am off to Circuit City to pick out a new Bamboo tablet! You KNOW what that means, riiiiiiiiggghhhtt?? Yeppers! More FREEBIES for you, real soon!! I am so excited and can't wait to see what this tablet can do! Do any of you have one? What do you think of it? What do you create with it? I'd love to hear your thoughts and stories about your own tablet :) I use Photo Impact 11 to scrap with and have been dabbling in some commercial use items, with SOME luck, here and there....I'm planning on buying CS3 sometime in the near future, but for now I'll have the tablet to help out AND---I found, in the Photo Impact International Forums--a topic all about creating with it too! I can't wait to give it a go! So, no freebie at this time....HOWEVER....I DO have a couple of items that I am planning to throw together for you, in a little mini-kit, but I have to double check the TOU of the cu items I used to make sure that it's ok for me to do that---I LOVE your comments and am so grateful to those who've said "hello"!! So, once I recheck the TOU and start up my 4 shared account I'll be posting some goodies for you again, so make sure to stop back by in the next couple days or so! In the meantime, you might want to check this out Designs in Digital , they have a new store owner and the place is getting a makeover with tons of new games and challenges on the way soon! Tigerlily has created a gorgeous kit, called Sincerely, and is asking for help redecorating D.I.D! It's a great challenge and you get a fabulous new kit for free too! Alrighty--I'm off to check out all the things I've been missing out on the past couple of days, I hope you are well and your weekend is off to a GREAT start! See ya real soon!