I KNOW IT'S MY CIVIC DUTY...

but one shouldn't have to report to jury duty EIGHTY THREE MILES away from home!

It just shouldn't have to be that way.

So I admit, openly, that I went in with a poor attitude! And my actions, once I arrived, may have been just a bit over the top. Just a wee bit. But remember, exaggeration is my middle name! It has a lovely ring to it - don't you all think - Essie Exaggeration!!

But here are the steps I went through - and I'm not saying that anything I specifically DID got me excused. But I'm not going to say it didn't (wink, wink).

1. Arrive at courthouse EIGHTY THREE MILES away from home toting an unusually large picnic basket full of snacks, goodies and required sustenance AND a meeting hall-sized thermos of hot coffee.

2. Carry in an arm load of scrapbooking magazine - dating back at least 4 months.

3. Upon flipping through said magazines, moan quietly while clutching magazine to your bosom - rolling eyes and muttering "OH, now that is yummy!" and "Oh...looks like that ol' pickle is getting bigger and better!"

4. Wildly attach Post-It Notes to almost every single page...saying "Oh, I would KILL FOR THESE...!"

5. And finally, when you read an article by the one-and-only Stacy Julian, in the February issue of Simple Scrapbooks...mentioning one of your fellow Scrap-Mart.com employees


- SCREAM LIKE A BANCHEE on a caffeine induced buzz!

Seriously, I was undignified, unrefined and definitely unladylike!

And five minutes later they told me I was excused for the next two years!

Coincidence? Probably!
Satisfied? Yes indeedy!
Anxious for a summons closer to home? Um-hmmm! Seriously I am!

So with Miss Essie off the hook for civic duty - we'll continue the two-page challenge for another day or two.  WE NEED SOME MORE ENTRIES! Dear Deb did a sweet two page spread, but she's already won one of the challenges. So let's spread the wealth! I'll get mine finished up here in a little while. But I think I need to settle down a bit first. A tad too much coffee flowing through my veins right now!

In other scrappy news - I've heard from Mr. Doss that the January QK releases are en route to the warehouse. They are adorable. Hearts, hearts, hearts and LIPS! Fun lovey-dovey things for the upcoming month! I personally can't wait!

Mr. Doss and I also discussed Scrap-Mart.com's upcoming trip to Orange County in February. He mentioned that he is looking for a few able-bodied scrappers to help staff the company booth...February 15, 16 and 17. If you are local in California, and interested, please email either me (miss.essie@yahoo.com) or the store (admin@scrap-mart.com). Title your email "Orange County Workers" and someone will get in touch with you soon! The folks in the booth work hard, but they sure do have a good time doing it. And what could be more fun than standing around chatting scrapbook supplies all day long?

Finish up your challenges - and post a link to your pages in the comments section here.  It's so much fun when a lot of people play along!

Behave yourselves!