The 2 Pound Prize Winner

Congratulations Maria C, please send us your shipping information so we can send you your prize.

Confessions of a Butter Lover

Here's the honest truth, I am 5' 10" tall in my bare feet. I way 172 pounds and I'm pretty sure 170 of them are on my thighs. My pant size is a 14 and sometimes thats a bit snug. According to the Body Mass Index this does not make me overweight, but I am at the very top of the healthy weight range. In fact, if I gained 4 more pounds I would tip into the overweight range. And, let me assure you that I don't have the "muscle-mass-weighing-more-than-fat" problem! In fact, after trying to do push ups with Eric the other day, I'm pretty sure I don't have any muscle mass at all!

I have been eating well and exercising every day (except Sundays, of course) for a week and I have lost two pounds. I like to think of pounds in measurements of butter. I have lost two boxes of butter!!! I'm not sure from where, but I can guarantee you that it wasn't from my thighs!

So, this is the beginning of my Weigh In Wednesdays (yes, I stole that from Donna). If you would like to join me on Weigh In Wednesdays, today you can post your weight or your goal weight or just some encouragement for the rest of us. Next week join us and post your weight loss. Tomorrow I will draw a winner and have a prize that weighs at least two pounds sent to them.

Maybe the 18 Incher...

OK, today was super busy with orthodontist appointments and other stuff, so just a quick entry. I am considering Martha's 18" album for the "Julie Won't Be A Giant in Japan" album. I never knew what someone would do with such a large album, but it seems so appropriate for this event. However, I don't know that they still sell them and I don't know where I'd keep it although I haven't ruled it out entirely yet.

On another note, you have to check out Donna Downey's blog if you haven't lately. I haven't seen her since the winter show and can I just say WOW, way to go Donna!

Giant Julie in Japan?!?

While we are waiting for Eric to get images and video from the show for me to post, I thought I would tell you all a bit about my current pre-occupation........ aside from Cosmo that is.

At the show, I agreed to go to Japan in November to teach some classes. After I agreed, the reality of what I had just done began to settle in. I hate flying, so there's that. I hate being away from my kids and home, so there's that too. But what worries me most might seem silly to the rest of you. It's the size of the Japanese people.

People who travel might have noticed that size and weight are actually relative. Go to New York from Salt Lake and somehow you will gain twenty pounds during the flight. In fact, just moving from Centerville to Providence has been tough on the old body image. When I moved in, the average size changed from 4 to 6. I have a neighbor that is actually a fitness model for QVC! You know how when you look at magazines you tell yourself that those women aren't real? Well, I hate to break it to you, but they are and they all live in my neighborhood.

When I was scheduled to teach in South Africa last year, I was worried that I would "feel fat" the whole time. At one point before the trip they called to ask my tee shirt size. I suggested a large and when they said they thought for sure a small or medium would be better I knew South Africa was a place I could be happy in.

But, Japan is another story. They are so petite and I am so..... ummmmmmm...... not petite. So, I am starting the Julie will not be Giant in Japan scrapbook and you can join me. I will be posting workout routines, favorite recipes and photos of my changing physique (don't worry, we'll post other stuff too).

We have three months ladies! We can be fit and trim in time to gain it all back over the holidays....... just kidding, I meant in time to show off to all the family and friends we'll see over the holidays!

We're Back

We're back from CHA with a TON of stuff to do. Maybe I'll get some show photos up. Maybe I won't. We'll have to see how it goes!

Here's ten things I learned at the show this year:
1. Don't order the Penne with spinach and ricotta at Basillico's.
2. Super Glue will not hold your shoes together for days on end. Maybe you'll get two days.... at best.
3. Humidity! Great for the skin. Bad for the hair.
4. Two men will argue whenever they are driving and lost. (hidden camera video footage to be posted soon.)
5. The girl at Potbelly's has a great memory. When I ordered my sandwich she said, "Is your name Julie? Do you own a company named "Cricket"?" I was amazed and we took her a bunch of scrapbook stuff.
6. I can't sleep in pajamas.
7. Fireflies are really cool and I wish we had them in Utah.
8. Locusts are really freaky and I'm glad we don't have them in Utah.
9. Gino's East is the best place for pizza.
10. The nice bathrooms are outside of the convention show floor. Go to the halls where the presentation rooms are and you'll be all alone in a nice, posh, powder room.

Ooooops..... Again!!!

Those of you that know us here at Cosmo Cricket, might also know that we are notorious for typos, misprints and other little errors. Well, it's happened again. We sent our catalog to print and unfortunately the pricing on our stamps and rub-ons was incorrect. It's actually too high! We are sorry for any inconvenience this may cause and although that was the advertised price, we will not honor it. We absolutely refuse. You are just going to have to pay the lower price and that's all there is to it. This is one time that we won't agree with you, even though you are the customer. So, don't even think about complaining that you will be charged less. We won't hear it!

The rub-ons are MSRP $6.99 and the stamps are MSRP $9.99.

And That's Not All...

Introducing five new project kits. These kits come packaged with everything you need to make fabulous projects, including the instructions. Perfect for classes and/or quick gifts with price points for everyone!

But Wait, There's More!!!

We have a whole set of 6" x 13" stickers that are full of fun phrasing, with really cool borders and other stuff! And, retailers can now buy our new velvet scalloped ribbons and printed twill ribbons on spools so that you can purchase them by the yard in the amounts you need.

Hey, we're just doing our part to put a smile on your face!

Introducing The Cosmo Design Team

First we want to offer a huge thank you and congratulations to all the twelve finalists!!! Every single one of them is amazingly talented, ambitious and creative. We wish we had a budget that allowed us to work with each of them because we would be honored to have ALL of them on our team. This has been one of the hardest decisions I've ever had to make and so, this is the most bitter-sweet blog posting ever! Although we wanted all twelve, we are super excited to get to work with the six we chose!

Here they are:

Leah Killian

Debbie Olsen

Yukari Takanashi

Danielle Layton

Maren Benedict

Natasja Verbeek

They will be posting projects with the new lines soon, so keep your eyes out. Also, give a huge congratulations to anyone you know who put themselves out there for this call...... that takes a lot of guts! We appreciate everyone's ambition.

Let's Really See Some Paper

ONE LITTLE MONKEY JUMPING ON THE BED. His mama snapped a photo and then she said, “I should be angry but instead, I’m gonna scrap this moment on yellow, green, blue and red.” One little monkey swinging in the tree. The mama snapped a photo for all to see. Jack’s World will be perfect, you will agree for all of the mama’s and their little monkeys.





HELLO MUDDAH, HELLO FADDAH scrap your memories from Camp Granada. They’ll look
lovely on this paper embellished with scalloped scissors and your stapler. Add some
Blackboard for dimension and we have stamps now, we’d like to mention. Clear a space then, why are you waiting? When it comes to Mr. Campy there’s no hesitating.







ONCE UPON A MIDNIGHT DREARY, while I pondered weak and weary, over many a quaint and curious photo of Halloween lore. With Haunted I sat happily scrapping, when suddenly there came a tapping as if someone gently rapping, rapping at my scraproom door. “Tis the UPS man,” I noticed with rub ons, blackboard and something more.