Junior Prom
Tonight was the Junior Prom--it is hard to believe that all these kids are so grown up already. One of the kids I hadn't seen since she and Tommy were in preschool together!
Tommy & Kaitlyn
Kaitlyn making Tommy look at the camera.
Photo Albums
People Who Inspire Me
Places I Visit
Places That Carry My Product
TV Appearances
Sharing a Birthday Card
Just sharing a quick birthday card I made for a co-worker. It says Happy Birthday on the inside. I used Narratives Oceanside paper and some of my old Seashell Metal Icons all through Creative Imaginations.
I'd Rather Be Traveling
I made a sign for a co-worker today. Somedays we just have those crazy days at work where we would rather be someplace else. Well, yesterday I made a sign for the nurse I work with (but I didn't scan it). She's has a new grand daughter (her first), so days that are crazy she says "I'd Rather Be Changing Diapers"--that is what her sign said. The one pictured here is for the health aid in my office--she loves to travel, so I made a suitcase for her to hang on her cork board behind her.
I think mine will say...I'd Rather Be At The Beach or In the Garden.
(Wow, two posts in one day I must have a fever or something)
The 90/10 Principle
I heard a part of this quote from a friend this past weekend "life is 10% what happens and 90% of how we react". My friend is a Vice Principle in a High School, so loving what she said I looked into it more and found the 90/10 Principle which could be derived from this quote or perhaps the other way around--who knows. I only know it makes a lot of sense. So, I printed out the quote and posted it in my Nurse's Office in my High School and I am also sharing it with all of you. This is how I try to live my life each and every day. A positive attitude goes a LONG way!
“The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, the education, the money, than circumstances, than failure, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company... a church... a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past... we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it. And so it is with you... we are in charge of our Attitudes.”
Charles R. Swindoll
The 90/10 Principle (By Stephen Covey)
WHAT is the 90/10 Principle? It means that 10 percent of life is made up of
what happens to you; 90 percent of life is decided by how you react.
What does this mean? We really have no control over 10 percent of what happens to us.
For instance, we cannot stop the car from breaking down, the plane from
arriving late, which throws our whole schedule off. We have no control
over this 10 percent. The other 90 percent is different. You can control
the 90 percent.
How? By your reaction.
Let’s use an example.
You are eating breakfast with your family. Your daughter knocks over a cup
of coffee onto your business shirt. You have no control over what has just
happened. What happens next will be determined by how you react. You curse.
You harshly scold your daughter for knocking the cup over. She breaks down
in tears. After scolding her, you turn to your spouse and criticize her for
placing the cup too close to the edge of the table.
A short verbal battle follows. you storm upstairs and change your shirt.
Back downstairs, you find your daughter has been too busy crying to finish
breakfast and get ready for school. She misses the bus.Your spouse must
leave immediately for work. You rush to the car and drive your daughter to
school. Because you are late, you drive 40 miles an hour in a 30 mph speed
limit. After a 15-minute delay and throwing $60 (traffic fine) away, you
arrive at school.
Your daughter runs into the building without saying goodbye.
After arriving at the office 20 minutes late, you find you forgot your
briefcase. Your day has started terrible. As it continues, it seems to get
worse and worse. You look forward to coming home. When you arrive home, you
find small wedge in your relationship with your spouse and daughter.
Why?
Because of your reaction that morning. Why did you have a bad day?
A) Did the coffee cause it?
B) Did your daughter cause it?
C) Did the policeman cause it?
D) Did you cause it?
The answer is D.
You had no control over what happened with the coffee. How you reacted in
those 5 seconds is what caused your bad day.
Here is what could have been done and should have happened. Coffee splashes
over you. Your daughter is about to cry. You gently say, “It’s OK honey,
you just need to be more careful next time.” Grabbing a towel you rush
upstairs. After pulling out a new shirt and your briefcase, you come back
down in time to look through the window and see your child getting on the
bus. She turns and waves. You and your spouse kiss before you go to work.
You arrive 5 minutes early and cheerfully greet the staff.
Notice the difference?
Two different scenarios.
Both started the same.
Both ended different.
Why?
Because of how you REACTED.
Apply the 90/10 principle. It will change your life - at least the way you
react to situations.
Quick Blogging
Just sharing a project I had to do for a fundraiser. It is a poster for the ITFD Ladies Auxillary Bunny Breakfast--this is a poster of last years raffle winners.
My Husband, the Hero!
Here is an article about my husband who went into a burning building to save a nun. You can find it in the Times Beacon Record. I am so proud of him!
January 22, 2009 | 09:52 AM By Jennifer Choi
Two St. Charles Hospital security guards risked their lives Jan. 11 to rescue a nun from a fire at the Daughters of Wisdom convent on the grounds of the Port Jefferson hospital.
Thomas Connors of Islip Terrace and Eric Surbito of Lake Ronkonkoma arrived at the scene to find one of the sisters in front of the convent, which was partially engulfed in flames. Then they entered the burning building to rescue the second nun trapped on the second floor.
After knocking down the front door, which was locked from the inside, the guards were "hit by heavy smoke," according to Surbito, who is also a New York City firefighter. Even though he was trained to get low and crawl in such situations, the smoke prevented him from doing so, he said. This rescue was also unlike any other, he added, because he didn't have the proper equipment or gear.
"We couldn't see our hands in front of our faces" due to the heavy smoke, said Connors, a retired New York City police officer who is also a volunteer firefighter for the Islip Terrace Fire Department. The sister, who was sleeping in her room when the fire started, "was calling to us, 'Help me, I'm upstairs. Help me,'" he recalled, crediting the intense training provided by the fire department for enabling the guards to work together before firefighters from the Port Jefferson and Terryville fire departments arrived.
Connors, however, added that he has "mixed feelings" about having the opportunity to utilize his skills because even though he was excited to put his training to the test, he wouldn't want anyone to experience that terrible scenario.
After reaching the top of the stairs, Surbito was able to open a window for fresh air, which according to Connors, was a "blessing" because he didn't want to become "another victim for the fire department." Even though the rescue took only about five minutes, "it seems longer when you're in the moment," Surbito said. "Everybody just worked well together and everything fell into place."
Once the second sister was delivered safely from the burning building with assistance from two Port Jefferson assistant fire chiefs, Jim Makarius Jr. and Dave Williams, the two nuns were transported to Stony Brook University Medical Center. The sister who was upstairs remains in SBUMC's Critical Care Unit, according to St. Charles Hospital officials, while the other was released Jan. 14.
John Geary, director of security at St. Charles Hospital, said Connors and Surbito went "above and beyond" what is expected of any
individual. Geary said. "These weren't words, they were
actions."
According to the security director, who has been working in the Port Jefferson hospital since 1996, there are at least two dozen fire drills per year to prepare hospital employees for emergency
situations.
And while many have praised the brave actions of the security guards, Connors said, "It's just part of the job. ... We're just happy to be in the right spot at the right time to help someone."
"It's part of what we do," Surbito added. "Don't think of us as heroes. This is what we do."
Fighting the fire
The fire had been caused when a lighted candle accidentally ignited a Christmas decoration at the Daughters of Wisdom convent on the grounds of St. Charles Hospital in Port Jefferson, according to a Suffolk police press release.
The Port Jefferson Fire Department, led by Chief Fred Leute, responded to an alarm from St. Charles Hospital security personnel and upon arriving, found one of the sisters standing in front of the convent, which was partially engulfed in flames. A second nun was rescued from the first floor, according to the police press release.
Both women were transported to Stony Brook University Medical Center where it was determined that their injuries did not appear to be life threatening.
Leute said hospital security guards Surbito and Connors entered the burning building and brought the nun to the bottom of the stairs where Port Jefferson Fire Department Chiefs Jim Makarius Jr. and Dave Williams removed her to safety.
The Terryville Fire Department ambulance and the Port Jefferson volunteer ambulance company transported the victims to the hospital.
Leute said the damage to an extension of the convent was "almost total," while the main body of the residence sustained "significant but repairable" damage.
Leute estimated a total of 85 volunteers responded to the scene, including about 45 from the Port Jefferson Fire Department. Terryville and Setauket Fire Departments assisted with firefighters and equipment, while Stony Brook FD covered the Port Jefferson district by stationing a fully staffed engine at the Maple Place firehouse.
Blogging Without Obligation
My girlfriend Tricia sent me a link to Blogging Without Obligation and told me I need to update my blog. Yes, I know that I have been lacking with keeping up with it, but what can I tell you...life gets in the way and I find no time to write. So I am not going to apologize (as this website tells me not to), I am going with the approach "less is more"--as that is what my blogging has been for the last two months--A LOT OF LESS!
Catching up now...Happy Thanksgiving, Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and Welcome back to school/work!
=) Allison
Class Project
I will be teaching at a few stores come November. I will be using the Bare Elements Brook Peek-A-Book and a combination of my newest line--Poinsettia Collection (just released) by Creative Imaginations.
This is a fun project with many hidden compartments to house LOADS of photos!
Join me at Great Scraps in Millersville, MD 10:00AM-12:00PM. Then I will be at Scrapmania in Hagerstown, MD the same day from 2:30PM-5:30PM. On Sunday, November 16, 2008...follow me to Times to Remember in Hershey, PA from 12:00-2:00PM.
Come on out and join me for a fun filled day of creating, chatting, laughing and I am sure much more!
=) Allison
There is Always Something to Learn!
So, I decided to take an online Digital Scrapping 101 class. I purchased a class by Rhonna Farrer from Scrapbooks, Etc. I have created digital scrapbooking pages before, but I figured it couldn't hurt to learn from a professional. And I am here to report that I did learn somethings that I didn't know before. The kit for the layout is by Rhonna Farrer, it is the Sassy Kit on Two Peas. Here is one layout so far (I only did half the class for now). It feels good to do something creative again...it's been a long time!
