February Reveal @ The ScrapRoom!!

WOW!! This month's ScrapRoom kit has a little of something for every scrapper! I love the mixture of fun, fancy, and sweetness of this selection:


PINK PAISLEE SWEETNESS (upper left):
1 sheet Pretty Lace (2-sided)
1 sheet Sweetest Day (2-sided)
1 sheet Love Blooms (2-sided)
2 sheets Bazzill Cardstock
(1) Sweetness Canvas Border (varies)
(1) Jenni Bowlin Yellow Vellum Butterfly (varies)
(1) Sweetness Badge (varies)

MY MIND'S EYE TRUE BLUE (upper right):
1 sheet Snazzy (2-sided)
1 sheet Keen (2-sided)
1 sheet Dapper (2-sided)
2 sheets Bazzill Blue Spruce Cardstock
(6) Pink Paislee Queen Bee Gem Brads
approx. 1 yard Lt. Green Baker's Twine

MY MIND'S EYE LOST & FOUND (bottom left):
1 sheet Union Square "Home Sweet Home" Love (2-sided)
1 sheet Union Square "Home Sweet Home" Collage (2-sided)
2 sheets Bazzill Black Prismatic Cardstock
1/2 pkg. MME Lost & Found Decorative Brads (varies)
(3) Jenni Bowlin Valentine Chpboard Buttons (varies)

ECHO PARK PAPER LITTLE BOY (bottom right):
1 sheet Cool Stripe (2-sided)
1 sheet Rad Plaid (2-sided)
1 sheet Rock Star (2-sided)
2 sheets Bazzill Red Devil
(1) KI Memories Poppy Clip Art Button Clip (varies)
(2) White Shipping Tags
1 roll Pebbles Red Ribbon (varies)

Join the "Flavors of the Month Club" and receive this kit automatically each month with a specially selected flavored coffee sampler for only $21.95/month! Remember, skips are allowed, but membership guarantees you a kit!!

Online Crop @ The ScrapRoom

Last weekend we had another fun filled weekend of inspiration, games, and great chit chat over at The ScrapRoom. I love the online crops because it gives you a chance to just pop in when you can, whether its first thing in the morning or at midnight, the ideas are there and you can complete them at will.

I was able to get only one accomplished since I work weekends, but I love how this turned out! It was offered by Melanie Call of the TSR Design Team and it was a Die Cut Challenge. I traced and cut mine out by hand using the Crate Paper Snow Days line we received in our December TSR kits.


Here's one of the challenges I offered, a Layout BINGO Challenge. Using the grid below, they needed to make a BINGO going down, across, or diagonal:


I did third row down for my sample layout:


My final offering was a Cupcake Toppers Make & Take. Quick and easy, can be made for any occasion, with or without stamps, pattern paper or have the kids color their own and punch out. I would like to thank my Darling Assistant, Makayla, for helping me with this little project. :-)


Hope you can get some inspiration from the few items I've shown here today and if you do, link me up in the comments section, I'd LOVE to see what you've done! Happy Scrapping!!

Godspeed

Haaaaappy Day! Haaaaaaappy Day!!

That's exactly how Ruby says it and it just brightens those dreary moments in your life! She is such a sweetheart, loves to snuggle, and sit on your lap and just chatter up a storm, then squeal like she just said the funniest thing! Love her to pieces!!

I had the absolute pleasure of taking Ruby this morning so her Mommy & Daddy could start getting phone calls made, inquire about the company who'll be selling their house, appointments set up for the movers, and just overall stuff to get them started in their process. It all seems so unreal that its happening so quickly after waiting what seemed like forever for them to get this promotion.

All I can say is thank goodness for computers with web cams, Skype, and unlimited phone calls with Verizon Wireless. Technology can be a curse in some instances, but for our situation, it'll be a blessing.

Haaaaappy Day! Haaaaaaappy Day!! :-)

Godspeed

Highs & lows

What a day today has been! We made an appointment for a realtor to come by and see about putting our house up for sale. The way the market is today, we were SHOCKED at how low we'd have to price it just to have people want to take a gander at it, let alone want to purchase it! Needless to say, I'm still in extreme sticker shock.....

On the flip side we are flying high that Greg got his promotion and will be on his way up! Only one tiny little problem, they have to go to New Mexico for at least two years. Now if we could only talk them into leaving those two darling grandbabies of ours here with us, all would be golden!

This will be the first time we are all separated and although its not the end of the world, its sure gonna change it quite a bit! No more popping in to say hi, no more spur of the moment dinners, no more keeping the girls while they do date night, no more dropping them off to run to the grocery store.....this list could go on forever! Why does life have to be so freakin' hard?!?

My day has been one of extremes, and I think its time to call it a night.

Godspeed

Baby steps

That's how we're doing it, in little baby steps!

Today it was the bedroom closet's turn. I removed so many items of clothing that we haven't worn in at least a year and so many of them haven't seen daylight in almost two years! I stopped counting at 60 and just started stuffing the piles into bags and labeled them his and hers and decided a buck apiece was fair enough, although I could probably get four times that, I just want to see it go so I don't have to haul it off.

I've sealed up our extra blankets, sheets, and other bedding in those Space Bags. Man those things are so freakin' cool! Can't get over how much I can stuff into one of those things and presto, flat as flat can get! Yes, I was doing the "happy dance" when I finished that up. :-)

And do you ever keep things that you later go "WHY?" Um, yeah, boxes for things I don't even own anymore! Some people hoard scrapbooking supplies, I hoard boxes.....

Tomorrow, its onto our dressers. But for now, I shall reward myself by doing a layout. :-)

Godspeed

SIMPLIFY

We have so much clutter around us in our daily lives that we push aside, step over, or just completely ignore and this year that's about to change for us. We have decided to SIMPLIFY our lives and rid ourselves of "the stuff" that we just had to have, garage sale it, and put that money in the bank.

Yesterday was a good start since my mother-in-law bought us some dishes for Christmas and while washing and changing the old with the new, we also cleared the cabinets of misc. cups and what-not that we have "collected" over the years. Granted, this is just a tiny little start to a much larger picture, but it is a start and done in those tiny steps, might actually get done!

Decided to box things up with notes on each one for an estimated asking price and contents to make the final prep for the actual garage much easier. I tell ya, SIMPLIFY!! And when will this take place? We anticipate the first one in early spring and depending on well it does and how much more we find after that, probably the end of summer for the second, and the final one just before we move.

Yes, I said move! We can no longer hold onto the dream of trying to keep this place and hoping the economy improves. We're done, we give in, and we have decided to downsize. We're not looking at it as a bad thing, just a step in a different direction that keeps Butch home and we can finally live life as a "real married couple" and not a part time one.

Over the road trucking is very hard on a marriage and a three day visit once a month is getting old. Its time for us to enjoy each other's company and start living our lives together instead of long distance.

Okay, break over! Time to move on to the next area to SIMPLIFY!

Godspeed

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Okay, so its actually 12:27am on the second, but since I haven't been to bed yet, its still the first day of the new year to me! This year I will make a list of 100 things I'd like to accomplish in 2011. I'll be back later with said list, until then......

Godspeed

Happy Birthday to ME!!

December 30, 1956 I came into this world ....

I celebrated this day with my wonderful little family who I love so very much! We may not have much, but the love we have for each other is by far worth so much more than money can buy. And because of that, I know in my heart that I am truly the luckiest person alive!

One year has come to a close, but a new chapter has just begun. Here's to #54 being a year of much better health and more of the same happiness! Cheers!

Godspeed

From Our House to Yours.....

Godspeed

200th post!

When I started this blog, I never thought I'd make it past three or four posts, but now I find myself doing my 200th post! Actually in all reality I should have been waaaay past this point by now, but stuff happens, life keeps on rolling, and if I'm not careful I'll miss alot of stuff by hanging out on this computer. So although I do like my visitors here at my blog, I do have to give my attention to other minor details of my life. (I think I just rambled there....)

So, in the past eleven days, things have kinda fallen apart and a few splinters have started to show up. First, my health insurance has been cancelled. YEP! Someone didn't do their job properly, so now I have no insurance and I'm not even receiving a paycheck! Okay, if I were to do my job in this manner, I'd be gone in a heartbeat. Nuff said...... It was suppose to be taken care of today, but nope! I am constantly being told it will all work itself out, but come on folks, its just a matter of putting your fingertips on the keyboard, reversing the mess they created, and presto, all is good. And my paycheck, HELLOOOOOO!! Again, nuff said......

And as I type this to you tonight, Butch is sleeping in a motel somewhere in Tennessee getting repair work done on the Big Rig. GREAT! Been told the estimate is another four figure job and should be out tomorrow afternoon. I'm trying to be positive here but the last time we were told low four figure amount, it ended up being very close to a low five figure amount!! And since I'm not receiving a paycheck at the moment, I think you can see my dismay.

I have always believed that God tests us and only gives us what we can handle, well, I'm begining to think this time around, I may fail the test miserably!! I'm trying my best to be a Good Soldier, but .......

Now I'm going to settle into bed for the night. I hope and pray that tomorrow I will get the answers that I need from my employer and the mechanics have completed the task Butch presented them tonight with the total monies being what was estimated.

Good Night All and I really wish that my 200th post could have been a tad bit more upbeat. Sorry......

Godspeed

My reward!

After getting all my kits organized, my Holiday Memories album assembled with all the papers, I rewarded myself with some creating. Sometimes its the simple things we love the most and I love how this came out!


Now I have to get serious about some Christmas cards!

Godspeed

Holiday Memories

This year I decided to record the daily doings of our Holiday Season. Most people start with Dec. 1st, but I felt that Thanksgiving is just as important because we have been Blessed with so much in our daily lives this past year, and overcome some obstacles that tried to get in our way. Notice I said "tried"!!

Since this was my first attempt at this, I wanted to keep it simple. Too overwhelming and it gets left undone and that is not what I wanted to happen. I gathered up my Christmas papers from previous kits that I had lying around and ordered some of these page protectors from WRMK that did the trick. And in wanting to keep it as inexpensive as possible I am using whatever embellies, chipboard, stickers, etc. that I already have.


I started with Nov. 24th since that is when our family was able to come together and share our Thanksgiving meal. I decided that since embellies create bulk in those page protectors, to put them on the outside. Besides, it gives me more of a chance to be creative in my placement.




As for the journaling, I will type up some onto the paper, hand write directly on the paper, use word strips, or use journaling spots. Whatever I think of first is probably what I'll use. :-)

My album cover is still in the decision making process. Couldn't locate what I wanted to use, so I'm devising a plan to create one out of cardboard. I told ya, FRUGAL!! Now off to continue on this quest. :-)

Godspeed

Well......

.... today the doctor extended by medical leave from work till after the first of the year. She said since I work retail and I need to avoid stress, that until we know exactly what we're dealing with, I need to take care of me and find something that will help me relax. Well, well, well! As most of us know, that means creating and that's exactly what I plan on doing. After all, it's doctor's orders!! :-)

I'm presently working on sifting thru and sorting my kits I've received for the past 3 1/2 yrs. I'm holding nothing back and getting all those plastic bags outta here, or most all of them anyways. If I have used the kit, it got torn apart. If I didn't, which is VERY few, then they stayed intact with papers and cardstock, but the embellies were all sorted and put with the others.

I proceeded to sort the embellies in the following manner and stored them in those large ziploc bags:

1. packaged flowers
2. all packaged chipboard and loose pieces (there was TONS of this!)
3. rubons

These are now hung on an over the door coat hanger thingie individually with each bag having its own skirt hanger cause they were so HEAVY!!


In their color coordinated jars went all the buttons, ribbons, and loose flowers. All metal pieces went in the appropriate containers, and then I reorganized my rolling cart and now I can find things and they'll actually get used!



And yes, four of the drawers are just like this! LOVE IKEA!!!


to top it all off, I found the very first shipment I ever received and still had a complete kit in it. I loved those papers then and I still love them and find it hard to cut them apart. Obsessed you say?!? Probably!

And since I had a clean scrap table to work on, I decided to make a card while watching Private Practice. Oh the joys of creating with your hands!

Godspeed

December kits @ The ScrapRoom!

WOW!! I am very excited to be able to get my hands on these kits! What an awesome combinations of papers for just about every feeling that Christmas brings to our lives. Its traditional, its festive, its humorous, and its vintage all mixed together.


BASIC GREY JOVIAL (top left):
1 sheet Button Nose (2-sided)
1 sheet Coal (2-sided)
1 sheet Pomegranate (2-sided)
2 sheets American Crafts Brown Sugar Cardstock
1 sheet Jovial Chip Stickers (varies)
(3) Jovial Pieces (varies)

CRATE PAPER SNOW DAY (top right):
1 sheet Festive (2-sided)
1 sheet Candy (2-sided)
1 sheet Melt (2-sided)
2 sheets Sea Glass Bazzill Cardstock
5-6 pieces Snow Day LAYERED Chipboard (varies)

JILLIBEAN SOUP CHRISTMAS SOUP (bottom left):
1 sheet Turkish Bay Leaf (Kraft background)
1 sheet White Sugar (Kraft background)
1 sheet Sweet Christmas (Kraft background)
2 sheets American Crafts White Cardstock
(3) Melissa Frances Chenille Candy Canes
(1) Melissa Frances Paper Bag & Tag (varies)
approx. 1 yard Red Striped Bakers Twine

GIRLS PAPERIE TINSEL & TWIG (bottom right):
1 sheet Tinsel & Twig (2-sided)
1 sheet Festive Brocade (2-sided)
1 sheet Holly Berry Floral (2-sided)
2 sheets American Crafts Black Cardstock
(1) 6"x 12" Tinsel & Twig Alphabet Sticker Sheet (varies)
(1) 6"x 12" Tinsel & Twig Elements Sticker Sheet (varies)
1/3 sheet Tinsel & Twig Tiny Words Sticker Sheet (varies)

Interested in one for yourself? They're available at The ScrapRoom now! Subscription cost is $21.95 per month or if you want to just try out a kit for a month its $25.00. Shipping either way is a flat rate of $7.50. Don't delay, these are going fast!

Godspeed

The Tree Elves!

Love, love, love this time of year! The wonderful smells of cookies baking, sampling the sweet goodness of handmade candies, the outdoor lights with all those decorations, and the TREE!! We decided years ago to get an artificial tree since we love having it up for over a month - I know, most people think we're nuts! And then there are others who claim that its not a Christmas tree without the smell of freshly cut pine engulfing your home. Well, we fixed that problem too. We found these candles at Bath & Body Works that smell so delicious! The scent is called Fresh Balsam and they will burn forever. YUMMY!!

Yesterday we were just wanting a relaxing day of getting the tree up, lights on, and watching the girls decorate the tree. Well, the tree went up without a hitch, but.............. why is it every year there's at least one strand of lights that won't work - did the year before! - or is only half lite!? Lucky us, we had not one, not two, but THREE strands go bonkers on us! GRRRRR! After four hours, we finally had the lights on the tree and well into decorating. In the end, we had a great time watching Makayla put on one ornament, while Ruby was taking off two! Definitely more fun than we've ever had! :-)


Now today, I will assemble my pages for my Holiday Memories album. I decided to make mine start at Thanksgiving because that is just as important a Holiday for us because we truly do have so much to be thankful for. And before I forget what I wanted to journal for the past couple days, I better get to it.

Godspeed

SNOW!!

It's rare for snow to show up this early around these parts, hasn't happened in seven years! So yesterday, SURPRISE!! And since this is Ruby's first snowfall to "play in" I couldn't help but snap a pic. Poor kiddo can't even move in all those clothes!! :-)


Today, the forcast is for more snow - up to 3" - and VERY COLD temps - high teens/low twenties!! BRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!! I'll be sure to come back with those photos if the forcast comes true!

Godspeed

Lilly Bee - layout #1

I've decided to move onto the Lilly Bee Catching Fall for this next layout. I've been a bit preoccupied, and my own creativity was absent, so I decided to use a sketch from Allison Davis' Sketches For Scrapbooking Vol. 4 to create yet another layout from our annual visit to the pumpkin patch.

What is it about the pumpkin patch that makes it such a special treat for the whole family? We absolutely love it and spend the entire day doing a wide array of fun activities. Here is my son and his little family on the hunt for that perfect pumpkin!


Onto the next one!

Godspeed

One more!

It's been a long time since I received a kit that I had to absolutely destroy before moving onto another! This Bo Bunny Olivia was just too stinkin' adorable to just tuck in with the rest of my stash. Here is my fourth and final layout using those papers. Ruby & Makayla in their Halloween costumes before heading out for trick or treating.


And the remnants of such a fun kit:


Now I HAVE to find another kit to dive in to! Until next time....

Godspeed

Easy sketch!

When I get caught in a rut for a design for certain photos that I know I want to scrap, I pull out my sketches for inspiration. Here is a layout I created using more of the Bo Bunny Olivia line. Check out Valerie Salmon on the Scrapbooks Etc. blog where you'll find the sketch that I used for this layout that can be flipped and made into three different looks. I love when I can use the same sketch over and over, and hers are so versatile and easy to accommodate my needs. :-)


Ruby has discovered her big sister's crayola window markers and is just having a blast. The expressions on her face are priceless!!

Off to decide what I can do with these scraps I have left over, or maybe move onto another kit from my ScrapRoom goodie box for November. :-)

Godspeed

Bo Bunny kit!

When I saw the sneak peek of the Bo Bunny Olivia line, I wasn't sure it was my cup of tea. Now that its in my hands, well, WOW!! I just LOVE the colors and chipboard that is included and went right to work last night. Here are two layouts I have created so far:

Our little Ruby has got to have the most infectious giggle that I've ever heard from a baby! You can be in the most rotten of moods, but once she starts to giggle, its all that's on your mind and you're instantly cheered up and joining in with her!


Here we are carving pumpkins and since this was Ruby's first Halloween, we wanted to see how she reacted to the "pumpkin guts", as Makayla so graciously calls them. :-) She did not hesitate one second to dive right in and help her Daddy! She kept going back for more and more, and even did a taste test that I'm sure she won't want to do again!


I still have plenty of paper left for more layouts, so onward and upward! Back to the scrap table......

Godspeed

it's here!!

I received a rather heavy box today from The ScrapRoom!! I ordered some of the past kits in their Cherry Picker Sale! , and the FABULOUS Echo Park's A Walk In The Park line. LOVE, LOVE my goodie box this month!! Off to play!

Godspeed

oh boy, its a wet one!

Our walk tonight is gonna be a VERY wet one! It has rained all day and no sign of letting up. I think layers are in order for tonight's walk and an investment in long underwear just might be in order after this one - EEK!! Time to dress warm, or at least try to. Wish me luck!

Godspeed

time change

Another summer has passed us by and Autumn is settling in. Our days are getting chilly, the leaves have turned and are falling to the ground, and its time for the semi-annual time change here in the US. I love getting an extra hour of sleep and getting out my warm, comfy sweaters!

Godspeed

starting today......

.... I'm getting on track. Literally! I met up with a small group of friends at the high school track and we did 2.24 miles this evening! It sure feels good, my tailbone is a hurtin' machine, but I have to do this and stick with it this time!

Right now I'm sipping on a teensie glass of red wine while cooking up some yummy stir fry. After dinner, a dip in the hot tub to relax, then veg in front of the tv with my honey. Ahhhhh!

Godspeed

November TSR Reveal!!

It is loaded with lots of fall-like colors and I'm already wishing it were at my doorstep!


LILY BEE CATCHING FALL (upper left):
1 sheet Fall Festival (2-sided)
1 sheet Flannel Sheets (2-sided)
1 sheet Candy Apple (2-sided)
2 sheets Bazzill Blue Spruce Cardstock
1 pkg. Catching Fall Chipboard Stickers

WRMK MAPLE GROVE (upper right):
1 sheet Sycamore (Die-Cut Edge)
1 sheet Elm (2-sided)
1 sheet Aspen (2-sided)
2 sheets American Crafts Butterscotch Cardstock
(2) KI Memories Black Happy Words Scribbles (Word Borders - varies)
(1) WRMK Fall Embossed Die-Cut
(1) WRMK Family Embossed Die-Cut
(1) WRMK Cornucopia Embossed Die-Cut

BOBUNNY OLIVIA (lower left):
1 sheet Oliva Stripe (2-sided)
1 sheet Honeydew (2-sided)
1 sheet Ambrosia (2-sided)
2 sheets American Crafts Coffee Cardstock
(2) Olivia Noteworthy Journal Pages (varies)
(3) Jillibean Soup Green Grid Canvas Flowers
(5) Maya Road Turquoise & Brown Leaf Pins

OCTOBER AFTERNOON CAMPFIRE (lower right)
1 sheet Camp Stripe (2-sided)
1 sheet Animal Tracks (2-sided)
1 sheet Tent Trailer (2-sided)
2 sheets Bazzill Cajun Cardstock
1 sheet Studio Calico Wood Veneer Stars
includes (7) Wood Stars

Coffee Flavor of the Month: APPLE STREUSEL

All this and only $21.95 with membership ! Order yours today.

Godspeed

As I wait.....

.... to see the full reveal at The ScrapRoom, I'll share a few more layouts using the Bella Blvd. One Fall Day papers from October's kit.

While at the Pumpkin Patch we visited the animals at the petting farm. It was fun watching the kids feed the goats and Makayla decided she needs one, and was quite fond of this particular friendly little critter!


They also had a little set-up where the kids could participate in duck races. At first Makayla had trouble getting her little duck to budge, but once she started pumping faster the duck scooted right down the gutter to the end. :-)


And since today is Halloween, here are the cutest two little trick or treaters I know!! DARLING!!


Have a safe and Happy Halloween!

Godspeed

cardmaking

I was surfing my collection of favorite sites on the internet last night and came across this darling sketch at PageMaps.


Just love the mix of orange, pink, and brown for my girlie all occasion card.....


.....and I know exactly who I'm sending it to and she'll find out in a few days, too!!

Have a great day!

Godspeed

Fall/Halloween Crop!

This past weekend we had a crop over at The ScrapRoom and there was lots to do, but so little time as usual. One of these weekends I won't have to work and get sidetracked so I can actually get more done! But, until that miracle happens, I'll show you what I did manage to get finished.

Here is a Make & Take Halloween banner that I presented for the board members. It was easy to do and I was able to keep costs to a minimum using supplies I already had on hand. I'm already in the planning stages to make for the Christmas Holiday!


Gab, one of our future MOD Squad team members, served up a challenge that included:
*one cardstock
*two page layout
*three different alpha
*four pattern papers
*five or more photos

I created this layout following her recipe using photos from our trip to the pumpkin patch a few weeks ago.


And a close up of my cute little scarecrow with pumpkins. I have started using pop dots to give dimension to my handmade elements and just lovin' the look!


Thanks for stopping by!

Godspeed

Still waiting......

Still haven't seen any sign of my October kit, but Tammy did inform me that it is on its way! I'll be busy today, but once I print those photos tomorrow, watch out, I'll be a scrapping fool! And to top it off, today we are heading to the Pumpkin Patch so that means even more photos. :-) CRAZINESS!!

In the meantime, I have done a few more two page layouts using the same sketch from Sketches For Scrapbooking, vol. 6 by Allison Davis. I love the versatility of her sketches and how just changing a tad here or there makes it easy to use the same one over and over again.

In this first one, I have scrapped more photos of our Relay For Life event this past August. I used American Crafts Everyday line and kept it pretty clean so I wouldn't distract from the important photos of the day:


And my second one is of my sister Pat and I as we scrapped the night away while we visited the first part of October. That was such a fun time laughing, sharing that bottle of chocolate red wine - yes, chocolate AND wine together, YUM - and irritating our hubbies with Dancing With The Stars on the tube. They didn't have to ask who or why Mike was called "The Situation" after that! :-)

Once again I used American Crafts Everyday line, but added a few handmade felt flowers I created with my Sizzix.


Thanks for stopping by and hopefully my next post will be with my TSR kit in it!

Godspeed

Where, oh where, is my October TSR kit?

Apparently there was a mix up with the stamp set I'm getting this month and Tammy sent it back to have it redone. I love that she looks out for us, but in the meantime all I can do is just look at pictures of my kit over and over and over and......


AMERICAN CRAFTS CITY PARK (top left):
1 sheet Courtland Gardens (Glitter) (2-sided)
1 sheet Lincoln Park (2-sided)
1 sheet Fairmont Gardens (2-sided)
2 sheets American Crafts Mulberry Cardstock
(4) AC Swing Paper Flowers (varies)
(1) AC City Park Tag (varies)

TERESA COLLINS CELEBRATE (top right):
1 sheet Pennants (2-sided)
1 sheet Stars (2-sided)
1 sheet Tags (2-sided)
2 sheets Bazzill Black Prismatic Cardstock
(6) Maya Road Kraft Mini Tickets
1 sheet Teresa Collins Celebrate Library Envelopes
*includes pockets, tags, and tabs

BELLA BLVD. ONE FALL DAY (bottom left):
1 sheet Needle In A Haystack (2-sided)
1 sheet Chance of Rain (2-sided)
1 sheet Country Fields (2-sided)
2 sheets Bazzill Blue Spruce Cardstock
(1) Azzurra Bella Bloom (layered fabric flower w/brad center)

CRATE PAPER RESTORATION (bottom right):
1 sheet Slipcover (2-sided)
1 sheet Fringe (2-sided)
1 sheet Refinish (2-sided)
2 sheets American Crafts Sunflower Cardstock
(1) American Crafts Dear Lizzy Hyacinth Layered Embellishment (varies)
(2) American Crafts Dear Lizzy Charming Metal Embellishments (varies)
approx. 1/2 yard Maya Road Ivory Ruffle Ribbon

If you'd like one of your very own, head on over to The ScrapRoom and order yours today!

Godspeed

Can't wait!

That's right, I can't wait to share the photos and good times we've had while on this road trip! We've had a few dogs for motel rooms, but it makes you appreciate when you hit the jackpot and find a wonderful bed to sleep in for the night!

We are headed into Chicago in the morning, hopefully for the final part of this load, then WESTWARD HO!! Yes, I miss my kids, those grandbabies, and my OWN BED!

Until we get home.....

Godspeed

Buffalo Bound!

Just when you can see and feel the ocean breezes of Jacksonville, FL in your dreams, SMACK! you get woke up only to realize it was all a dream..... Well, not quite that way, but the load fell thru and we have just been kicking back to see where we are actually going. This afternoon it was decided we are still heading east, just in more of a straight line. :-)

It will be a nice "homecoming" of sorts for me. I was raised in a small town just southeast of the Buffalo area and still have family back there. A nice short visit is hopefully on the agenda.

Until then, I must get some sleep. We are leaving before the sun comes up and I don't want to be sitting next to Mr. Grumpy, and he doesn't want to sit next to Mrs. Grumpy either!! Till next posting..........

Godspeed

MOD Squad Blog Hop!

Hello fellow scrappers! This is Barbara, aka {scrappy_granny} and MOD Squad Coordinator here at TSR. The new MOD Squad and I wanted to share this blog hop to kick off the new challenge/inspirational format at The ScrapRoom. We have teams of two who will be sharing their talents with you in three month terms. You'll have the chance to meet your new MOD Squad by visiting each of their blogs as one blog links to the next so you won't miss a single one!

Since Saturday is National Card Making Day, we thought we'd show off our creations and inspire you do make a few of your own. Here's the sketch I created:


I always have way too many scraps left from my kits, but cardmaking helps to use them up. Here I used some paper from Basic Grey Sugared from May 2008!


And this is just the beginning! At The ScrapRoom, we are dedicating the entire month of October to cards! Yes, each and every day a new sketch with samples created by one of the MOD Squad will be posted on the message board. Hope you will join us!

Your next MOD Squad Team Member to visit is Janine. ENJOY!

Godspeed

It's OFFICIAL!!

I'm on vacation for the next 21 days!! The best part, I get to sleep in tomorrow!! I'm usually up at 3am to get ready for work, but not tomorrow!! :)

First on the agenda, a nice cold Mike's hard cranberry lemonade and relaxing on the couch next to my hubbie. ahhhhhh..........

Godspeed

My first day

Makayla was so excited to be starting kindergarten this year, that is until she got there. There was so much going on and so much to process, she was getting a bit worried that this may not have been a good idea afterall! That is until her best friend from the neighborhood pops up around the corner and makes it all better. The miracle of the {{HUG}}


And myself, I still can't believe she's old enough to attend school already! Where has the time gone.....

Godspeed

Apples a plenty.....

Its that time of year again when the orchards are bursting at the seams with apples of all different varieties. Living in the Pacific Northwest where lots and lots of apples are grown, love the choices this time of year offers us. The pretty greens and variations of red in the grocery stores and farmer's market, just seem to put a smile on my face. :)

Soon it will be time to sample homemade cider at the pumpkin patch while we enjoy of an afternoon of activities they offer. Its still a bit too early for gathering those pumpkins, going on a hayride, or exploring the corn field maze, but its never to early to start baking with apples, especially on the cooler fall afternoons!

Apple Muffins
1 egg
3/4 cup milk
1/3 cup cooking oil
1 3/4 cups flour
1/4 cup sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 large unpeeled apple cored and chopped into 1/4" chunks - the chunkier, the better

Slightly beat together egg, milk, and cooking oil in small bowl, set aside. In larger mixing bowl stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and add egg, milk, & oil mixture. I also add my apples at this point, stir gently just till moistened. Do not over stir!

Spoon into prepared muffin pans ( I use PAM), filling each about 2/3 full. Bake in 400 degree oven for 20 to 25 minutes. Makes 12 cupcake sized muffins or 6 larger muffins.

Before baking - note the chunks of apples!


And here is the final result:


ENJOY!!

Godspeed

Another layout!

This month's The ScrapRoom kit had Sassafrass Lass Indie Girl and it was perfect for some photos of my little grandaughter. She has discovered that since she can now crawl, there are new and exciting things to discover. Here she is maneuvering the beads on the wires and also playing peek-a-boo with me. :)


Just LOVE those chipboard pieces and how each sheet of pattern paper has an edge to use on another project.

Godspeed

September TSR kit

The ScrapRoom has done it again! Tammy has come up with four of the cutest mini kits for your photos to shine:


JILLIBEAN SOUP PASTA FAGIOLI (top left):
* 1 sheet Romano Cheese (2-sided)
* 1 sheet Blended Beans (2-sided)
* 1 sheet Shell Macaroni (2-sided)
* 2 sheets Bazzill Red Cardstock
* (6) JS Pasta Fagioli Journaling Sprouts (varies)
* (3) JS Red Script Canvas Stars (varies)

OCTOBER AFTERNOON SEASIDE (top right):
* 1 sheet On The Shore (2-sided)
* 1 sheet Boardwalk (2-sided)
* 1 sheet Seashells (2-sided)
* 2 sheets American Crafts Sunflower Cardstock
* 1/2 sheet Seaside Label Stickers (varies)
* (2) Seaside Wild Cards (varies)

FANCY PANTS MY FAMILY (bottom left):
* 1 sheet Son (2-sided)
* 1 sheet Uncle (2-sided)
* 1 sheet Aunt (2-sided)
* 2 sheets Bazzill Lily Pad Cardstock
* 1 sheet My Family Cards (2-sided)
* (2) Maya Road Cream/Brown Velvet Pleated Blossoms
* (2) Fancy Pants Artist Edition Safety Pins (varies)
* approx. 1/2 yard FP My Family Woven Ribbon

SASSAFRAS LASS INDIE GIRL (bottom right):
* 1 sheet Pocahontas & Me (2-sided)
* 1 sheet Affection (2-sided)
* 1 sheet Eclectic Elegance (2-sided)
* 2 sheets Bazzill Wheat Cardstock
* 1 sheet SL Garden Bits Blues Self-Adhesive Chipboard (32 pieces) (varies)
* (1) 1-yard roll Pebbles blue ribbon (varies)

Coffee Flavor of the Month: PECAN BERRY SCONE

All this for a one time purchase of $25, or membership price of $21.95 per month. What a DEAL! And for those of you who may want a tad bit more, you may join one of the Add-on clubs for that perfect mix of pattern papers, embellishments, cardstock, and stamps.

Here's just a few samples of what I've created with this kit so far. These two layouts and card came from the Fancy Pants My Family:



For the layout and card, I used an October Afternoon Wild Card and had just the perfect match of felt flower trim and cardstock stickers in my stash that I used on the layout.



I'll be back later today with more. :-)

Godspeed

So glad I went!

My wonderful daughter-in-law had a Stella & Dot trunk party this evening as a favor for a friend of hers that was starting her own business. I'm not a flashy person whatsoever, but decided to go in support of the two girls. Although some of it was, lets say, gaudy, I did find a few things I just had to have. :-)

Check out my Chelsea Necklace. I loved it from the moment I saw it and it had my name all over it! Nothing like a pretty necklace to pull you out of a slump!

Godspeed

Life's Curve Balls

It never fails, just when ya think everything is going the way it should, BAM! It's not that any one thing is devastating, but when all the little stuff adds up and you get bombarded all at the same time, the seams start to separate to the point of I WANT OFF THIS RIDE, NOW!!

And to top it off, my tailbone debacle is really starting to get on my last nerve! I don't get much sleep most of the time from tossing and turning all night long, but when I finally get a good night's sleep, I pay for it dearly in pain the next morning, and into most of that day. This morning is one of them, hence my pity party. :-(

Ok, I'm done. Time for a cup of coffee and a round of exercises to loosen up my spine.....

Godspeed

Holy Smokes!!

I just can't believe what I accomplished in the past few days. Layouts galore just coming out of my stash of papers and piles of photos!! I'm so excited with myself that I think I'll share a few more. :-)

This first one is using Echo Parks Sweet Summertime. Thought the papers fit so perfectly for a layout of our County Fair this August. I used a sketch from Scrapbook Generation's Sketches For Scrapbooking, Vol. 5. Those sketch books are quickly becoming my "go to" for inspiration. Just love the precise measurements and all around clean look of the finished layout!


This next one is my two darling grandbabies one day while visiting. I just love the way they play and interact with each other and like it says, we hope it stays this way! ;-) I used Sassafras Lass' Cherry Delicious , a hint of bling, and some handmade felt flowers. Love the color combination!


Thats it for tonight. Thank you for visiting.

Godspeed