Not one but two remarkable lines came in today: My Mind's Eye and Sassafras Lass. As usual the My Mind's Eye collection is huge and beautifully thought out, with well-priced embellishments to go with the slightly glittered paper (very subtle, but very permanent; this glitter isn't coming off on anything!). Here's a few peaks at what we've got waiting for you:

And then comes sweet and sassy Sassafras Lass, a uniquely appealing line, I find. These are the papers that come with the wonderful die cut bar-code strips which you can use in all sorts of ways--really it's like getting a free embellishment with every piece of paper! Just to whet your appetite, here's one of these cuties:

In Yiddish, "mensch" describes a person with great strength and great goodness. A man to whom much is given and who gives even more back, a person who lives up to every ounce of charisma bestowed upon him. To me, Paul Newman has always been a mensch, a man of both extraordinary charisma and goodness. I can't imagine a time when I didn't love him; I have no idea how old I was when I first saw him on the screen, but it was absolutely love at first site, a love that has abided and been fueled by an intense and growing admiration. As I get older--as Paul got older--I came to appreciate the choices he made. The choice to devote himself to his family, to stay married for 50 years, to take huge risks in his career as an actor and a race car driver, to speak out politically, and to find in bottled salad dressing the way to transform his glamorous image into camps for kids with life-threatening illnesses. Knowing that he was sick, I'd been dreading the day when he died, but now that the day has come, it doesn't hurt so bad. His was just a life that calls out for celebration, not mourning. Paul, it's been an honor to be on the planet with you. And to you, dearest Joanne Woodward, great actress and philanthropist in your own right, thank you for keeping him warm and safe and loved for all of us all these years. Our thoughts are with you.

It's simple, it's cool, it says it all. Those are some of the reasons I love this layout. Cari Kirla made it in a snap, too, after I handed her the paper and asked for a layout. Mostly this is just really cute paper from Dream Street, Thickers Letters from American Crafts, and white cardstock. Two features I want to make sure to call your attention to: look at how cute the little buttons are! Those are real and attached very easily with glue dots. Also look at how Cari used the technique of inking her edges with a little brown ink. In this case, the ink kind of "frames" the edges and turns a simple sheet of cardstock into something much bigger and better. And--well, it doesn't hurt if you have a scrumptious little girl like Fancy Carlee to pose for you, does it?

At today's Scrappink Crop #1, I've found a treasure to share with all of you. Sue Ross showed me the greatest little album/love note. Here's the story behind it: her son Marco had to choose between playing in the Little League Championships and going on the annual family vacation to Cape Cod. Guess which one he chose. Right--the championships. His family understood, but he was missed. So they bought a little doll in a baseball suit, one that bears a resemblance to Marco, and they took it everywhere they went on the vacation. If they were out for ice cream sundaes, if they were at a cook-out, if they were at the beach . . . Little Marco was with them. Sue then made a little 6 x 6 album about the vacation to give to Marco.

Here's a couple of pages from the album:

Be sure to note Little Marco on the boogie board, on his grandmother's shoulder, and in the sand.

And here's the beautiful final page where Marco is reminded one last time just how much he is loved and how much he was missed in Cape Cod this year:

And friends, that's what I call scrapbooking!

We know lots of you out there want more simple layouts, not just because you're short on time but because "simple, clean, classy," are good words to describe your style. You can catch up on some of your summer photos and make two double-page summer layouts this Sunday with these two designs by Wendy. The cost for all four pages is only $20, and the class meets from 12:30 to 2:30. If you've got the time, we've got the fun. Just call 860-399-4443 to sign up.

Staffer and Diva, Angela Renaud, asked if she could bring a friend to the design session Saturday night. She said her friend is facing back surgery and needs some cheering up, so I said sure. What Angela forgot to mention is that this gal, Alice Clark, is one talented lady! Look what she did with the new Owl minibook we have from Best Creations:

And two inside pages:

And last, but absolutely not the least, here's the back cover:

I've been having fun all morning thinking of occasions for which this book would make a perfect gift: like telling a parent that (at last) you appreciate all of his or her good advice and wisdom or celebrating a Big Birthday and the wisdom that comes with age, or how about a special gift to reward a child for making a special effort in school?

Alice does more typical layouts too, as you can see here:

Apparently had a pretty good time at the Clubhouse that night, because she sent me this photo the next day:

Thanks to everyone who participated in the multi-store Passport program; we loved meeting all of you who traveled to our store for the first time. Indeed, one of those people is the winner of our Summer Passport prize of a $75 gift certificate: Donna Seitz of Ellington, CT, come on down!!!