Year End Shares...

We had a wonderful Christmas...

Mac's Angel Program was absolutely darling. It touched our hearts and got us so much in the Christmas spirit! He sang his little heart out and knew every word of all the songs and poems. We were so proud of him!
A visit with Santa was exciting! This year, Elan was the first one on Santa's lap and the last one off. He had a lot to talk about!

Mac asked for Indiana Jones LEGOS, Anna wanted a Zhu Zhu pet and a Leapster 2, and Elan, well, all he wanted was a big, red, fire truck. Santa delivered all that and more!

Christmas Eve was another day full of holiday tradition, family fun and my mom and dad handing out gifts like they were trying out for Santas job.
I truly enjoyed the holiday season. I thought I was more prepared, but wasn't and ended up getting a bit stressed at the end, not being able to finish a few things, but all in all, it was great! Next year is the year I will be prepared in advance! Gifts have already been purchased, notes have been made for gift ideas, and laugh if you will... I have already made 30 Christmas cards to send for 2010. Until then, you want to see my card that was sent this year? Thought so...
I made a pocket card. This is the front...

This is the inside card when you pull it out...I wrote my message on the back of the pulled out card. I only made a few of these and all of them were a bit different. I also sent about a dozen random Christmas cards that included Christmas trees, stockings, presents, etc. The rest (all 80 of them) were photo cards. So, if you didn't get a handmade card, I'm sorry. Next year you will!

I hope you have a wonderful New Year! Blessings in 2010!

Advent Calender

I am ALIVE! I have been working like a dog the past two weeks getting out stationery orders and finally finished a HUGE project I was working on for a client. Now that I made everyone else's Christmas gifts to give and cards to send, it's time for me to do my own! Yay!

So, this past January, I found a Making Memories Advent calender kit on sale at Target. That week, I made it so I would have it for Christmas. I put little treats and notes of fun things to do in each of the little boxes. The kids have loved every minute!

I hope you are enjoying your days before Christmas! Baking and wrapping today!

A Special Card...

Every year, I make only a few extra special cards. Usually, I make them for the people that have touched me in some way. This year, I made a special masterpiece for my Uncle Gene. Uncle Gene is one of my mom's older brothers. He is hilarious, always has a story, a smile on his face, treats my mom and her sister like they are queens, appeals to the boys because he truly is disgusting. He also had a special bond with his mother, my grandmother. In the card below, Uncle Gene is pictured with my grandmother on Christmas Eve (I believe this photo was taken in 1998). This is a special card not only because of the picture on the front, but also because my grandmother was the one that started our holiday Traditions. Christmas Eve begins as our family sings "Silent Night" together and is celebrated with gifts, food, family, stories, pictures and love. Sadly, my grandmother passed away a few years ago this January, on my Uncle Gene's birthday. She is remembered every day, but mostly at Christmas time. She baked, cooked, made gifts (such as crochet afghans and slippers, stuffed animals and little purses), she loved the decorations and lights and was so full of joy, love and tradition. To me, that's what Christmas is all about... Tradition.

Since Grandmommy died, Uncle Gene has sent me a card at Christmas time. The card is usually super funny or gross, but it's what's on the inside that counts. He takes the time to write a special memory of a Christmas past: a story, an old photo of a decorated mantel, a family secret, and so on. I save them, I cherish them, I love them! I look forward to Uncle Gene's card every year... I hope he likes mine!

Meet Lucas Snowflake!

Hey there! Finally feeling better... shew! It was a rough 6 days of nasty cold and cough. It wore me totally out, and had to go to bed at 8:30 a couple nights in a row. But now, woo-hoo! Feelin' great!

So, December has begun... a month full of traditions, magic is in the air and my kids are wound up tighter than a yo-yo! They LOVE Christmas, just like any other child, but they really love it because our friend, Lucas Snowflake arrives the day after Thanksgiving.

That is Lucas Snowflake (our Elf on the Shelf). He watches the children and at night reports back to Santa of our daily events- naughty or nice. A couple of times now, Mac and Anna have left Lucas little notes and presents that they make, which in turn, I stay up after my bed time to reciprocate with a letter of thanks and gratitude. The letters from Lucas are always adorned with snowflakes! They are so excited to get up in the morning to see where he has hid and what he left for them.

I thought it was so cute when I heard Anna and Elan talking to him one morning and Anna said, "Lucas, Elan wants a new pappy for Christmas because his is broken with a hole in it." Mama's gonna get him that new pappy... and I know I shouldn't. 'Tis the season to make wishes come true!

It's a Cold...

My head hurts, my ears are clogged, my nose is running and stopped up. My eyes are watering and I can't stop sneezing. Ugh... not a good start for a Monday.
I have some fun stuff lined up to share for the start of the holiday season... can't wait!
Night, night!

Christmas Card for a Challenge!

I finally got my card finished for the Caardvarks challenge: COLOR! I loved how this card turned out, but it's definitely not one I will be making in bulk to send this year! I used a white, long card (4x9) for my base. Then I stamped the tree (CA Rubber Stamp Co.) on white and matted it on black, glossy paper and attached it to the card base. I used self adhesive borders at the bottom and stickers for the "dec 25". The tree is water colored and then I used glitter and rhinestones to embellish. I wrote "Oh Christmas tree, oh Christmas tree, how lovely are your branches!" all around the border.

I am slowly recovering from Thanksgiving and all the family "togetherness." I did venture out at 4:30 a.m. for the black Friday sales- first time ever. I must say, I got lots of awesome deals, a good head start on Christmas gifts, and had energy for the rest of the day. BUT... the professional black Friday shoppers are C R A Z Y. It was definitely an experience...

Have a nice night and stay cozy before a new week begins!

Happy Thanksgiving

I have so many things to be thankful for... too many to list actually. Mostly, I am thankful for a BIG, happy, supportive, healthy family. A warm, cozy home, three beautiful children, and a wonderful husband that adores me.

At times our own light goes out and is rekindled by the spark from another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lightened the flame with in us. Albert Schweitzer

Happy Thanksgiving everybody! I hope you have loads to be thankful for!

*Quote is from Elizabeth Kartchner's blog... loved it, so I had to use it too!

It's been busy!

Sorry for the absence... I can't believe it's been almost two weeks since my last post. Where on earth did the time go? I have been busier than busy and I'm just now cleaning up glue and glitter and tape from all over my desk and underneath my fingernails, left from this past week!

Temptations was a HUGE success! For those of you that came {thank you!} I hope you enjoyed all the vendors as much as I did. I got a couple of Christmas gifts and I am so in the holiday mood! The show does it to me every year! I decked out my space with homemade paper chains and little Christmas trees. I pre-wrapped some stationery, not only for customers to give as a gift, but also to use as a decoration! A couple pics from the show:

I have a few more BIG projects in the works for the holiday season. I hope to be back tomorrow to share a card that I am making for the Caardvarks challenge... COLOR! Until then, tootles!

Felt is F-U-N!

I love to tell people I can't sew... because my mother is a wonderful seamstress that can make anything from a formal gown, to a coat, to gorgeous window treatments. Whenever I turn on the sewing machine it breaks, or clogs, or tangles, or whatever- it just doesn't work for me. So, I stitch. And felt is the perfect fabric for me to stitch on because all you do is cut and it doesn't ravel, which means no hemming, or sewing pieces together.

I started making these cute felt owls a while back, mainly for scrapbook embellishments, but I took it one step further and stitched one on a t-shirt for Anna. It turned out so cute, I made one for all my nieces in different colors. Here is Anna's:


And then I got the itch to stitch some brooches. So, I put these together:
Full of felt, fabric, tulle, and buttons, they are super cute on denim jackets and beanie style hats. They will be for sale at Temptations and the packaging is as cute as the pin itself- a great gift!

Until next time, may you be as happy as Wrigley with a jar of peanut butter.

The Holidays Are Coming!

Good morning! The holidays are coming up, and I have to say... I'm ready! I decided that this year I would make lots of my gifts and start early to avoid the stress. I kept my word... I have gifts made, cards prepared, tags ready! I have had lots of fun creating new items: framed collages, felt and fabric brooches, appliqued t-shirts, and more! But today, I will share one of my Christmas cards and one of my tags.

I love how this gift turned out: a little glitter, a little tulle, a couple hand cut leaves and ribbon tied it all together. I adore that flocked polka dot paper from Doodlebug Designs. Card base is chartreuse from Waste Not Paper.


I embellished a shipping tag with this pre-printed reindeer tag from Martha Stewart. I added some glitter, leaves and a coordinating corner, then inked the edges of the tag.

So, today, I am going fishing with Stephen and the kids. I am not fishing, but crafting. My job is to keep Elan entertained when he's sick of throwing his line in. ;) I have a basket full of things to do and it's going to be a pretty day, so why not craft outdoors?! Hope you all have a great weekend!

Busy! Busy! Busy!

Hello everybody! Sorry it's been a few days since my last post, but I have been busy with all kinds of holiday projects. Truthfully, this time of year, I will only post every few days. I have lots of holiday orders to fill and a big show coming up that I have to have lots of stock for! However, I know you come here for ideas and inspiration, so without further ado, here are a couple of things to view for some creative delight:

This is the birthday card I made for my dear friend, Emily. She is the friend that you can always count on for anything: to pick up your kids, dinner if you're sick or had a baby, the shoulder you can comfortably cry on, a counselor, a good advice giver, and the friend you can call at 7:00 a.m. I know you're jealous and wish you had a friend just like her! Actually, I hope you do... everybody needs an "EMILY."

The last couple of days, I have been creating Christmas cards. Here are TWO that I made that are instant faves!

I love the bold pink and green color on this card. It's just a bunch of green paper strips to form a tree and a circle and star punch for ornaments. I think the rounded edges makes it interesting.

The Stocking Card! Ooo... love this. Lot's of pretty things to look at! The brown paper is for a "mantle" look. Mom suggested the chocolate ribbon and raspberry trim- they are beautiful together! Thanks, mom!

Both of the cards above will be for sale at the Temptations Holiday Boutique coming up on November 17-18-19 in Louisville, KY. Hope to see some of you locals there!

And, last, but not least, my little chickens on Halloween:

Animal Killer + A Card

I accidentally killed Goldie, Anna's goldfish. I was cleaning her fish bowl this morning, did everything right, put her in and five minutes later, she was floating at the top of the bowl. Why on earth did this have to happen right after I lost Douglas? Good grief... please, don't ask me to babysit any of your pets while you go on vacation!

On a brighter note, I FOUND Douglas... unbelievable, I know. He was in a pile of yellow leaves near a log pile on the side of the house. Anna was so happy! She put him on the deck to play and an hour later, he went missing again. This time, we believe he is under the deck hibernating. Douglas, we hope to see you in the spring!

And, since I haven't shared anything crafty in a couple of days, here's a card I made to go in a package of handmade greetings for the holiday show, Temptations, that I am participating in. This is the Valentine:Supplies: pink card base, KI Memories shimmer heart paper, white stock, border punch, ribbon, and felt (and I love you paper mfg. unknown).

Good Bye, Douglas.

Douglas, the turtle, has been acting funny lately. Not moving much, not eating, keeping his eyes closed, etc. Do turtles hibernate? I thought I would try to lift his spirits today by taking him outside. We had lots of puddles in the driveway and tons of worms wiggling in them from the overnight rain. I thought he would be in heaven, seeing all those worms, but he didn't move much and only one of his eyes opened. I watched and waited for about a half hour. He seemed to have perked up a bit, so I left him out there, checking on him ever so often through the window. Then, doomsday came. I couldn't find Douglas and it was time to go get Anna from preschool. I dreaded telling her, but assured her that we would look some more. An hour of search and rescue, Douglas was not found. I told Anna that he was fine, nature is where he belonged. She cried and said, "I know, but if we find him, I can tell him good bye and then let him go into nature." My little animal lover was crushed... and it was all my fault. I lost Douglas.

I will be purchasing the cutest, softest, stuffed turtle I can find tomorrow. I'm so sorry, Anna.

2 Page Layout-o-rama!

Hello friends! Do you ever find yourself pondering over piles of pictures, trying to decide which ones to scrap, which ones to put in a photo album, which ones to ditch, and so on? Well, I have a couple of remedies for you! I used both ideas this weekend and they worked for me, so they are tried and true! Now, on to the goods...

This LO is of Anna's 5th birthday party. I always have a ton of birthday pictures and I always have a hard time deciding which ones to scrap. So, for this LO, I used the good ole' Walgreen's and had them do the hard part for me. I uploaded my pics, clicked on "collage," chose my format size (8x10), and added all the pics I wanted (up to 15!). I arranged them the way I wanted and for less than $3, I had a group of pics ready for a LO!

Our trip to Dinosaur World was super fun, and again, lots of pics were taken. I scrapped one page, then used a 6 pocket page protector from American Crafts (a pack of 10 costs $5.99 at Archiver's). I used 2 of the slots for a title and journaling spot and the rest of the pockets were filled with pics- ready for the album! I see myself using this technique/form of scrapping with vacation and holiday layouts. Easy peasy!

So, now that you know my two new favorite things to do with scrappin', here are two pages that were done with just wholesome, scrap goodness!

Our trip to Gulf Shores. I used the Snorkel line from Cosmo Cricket and Core'dinations paper. The pics I got on this trip were awful, due to a forgotten battery charger and a disposable camera. So, cutting up the pics was easy for me to do!

And this one of Elan, I have avoided it for over a year now... his first year "Growth Chart." Once I completed it, I felt I had conquered the world! It's pics of him at 1-2-4-6-9-12 months and his stats at the bottom of each. I love that it worked out that he was looking up at the bird holding the tape measure!

Okay... are you inspired? Go make a two page layout! It's not so scary... have a good night!

A Successful Scrap Weekend!

I'm back... the scrap weekend retreat was awesome! Lots of great girls, ideas and creations! It was relaxing and rejuvenating and I got my crafty mojo working! Eleven great LO's, a birthday card, a Christmas card and 2 Christmas gifts made! So... wanna see? I thought so!

The birthday card I made for my nephew, Daniel. He turned 3 on Saturday, but his party is Friday. I got him train themed items, so a train card it is!

A layout about A Typical Tuesday. I want to remember the busy schedule and the daily routines I have with my children. I spend a lot of time in the car, that's where the pic was taken, setting the camera on the dashboard waiting for an oil change!

You may have seen these funny pictures before of Douglas and Wrigley. Seriously, these pics are super hilarious- I had to scrap them! The big glittered turtle is from Jo Ann's in the dollar section. Paper: Studio Calico.

And the last one, Anna and Elan. I love the title "The Protector." Anna was saving Elan from Paw Paw, the tickle monster. She was very serious. This paper from Studio Calico worked perfectly- especially the Red Riding Hood words! That's a big covered chipboard circle in the center.

Sooo much more to show you (except for the Christmas items! ;) tomorrow. Stay tuned for the two page layouts post and some new faves that I want to share with you!

Good night!

Show and Tell

Long time, no see! Happy Friday! Woo-hoo! I'll be leaving in a couple hours for a girls weekend of scrappin'! Three days of pure creative fun, eating, drinking, and girl time!

Today, I wanted to share a few things. First, the wonderfully talented Sammye Jo at 62 Cards made Anna a precious name banner for her birthday. Anna (and I) loved it! It matches her room perfectly and it is so cute and girly! Here's Anna holding it in her festive outfit (she was painted like a cat at her school fall festival!)

Secondly, I was in a card and stamped image swap that Sammy Jo also hosted. I got all my images and cards back and there were lots of cute ones. I thought I would share my faves:

This vintage coffee pot has my name written all over it! I love it and see lots of uses for it... how will I choose? The card swap... lots of darling cards!

It was hard to only choose one fave, so I chose two:

Lastly, I got a Pay It Forward gift from Sammye Jo. Oohhh... So cute... a package of pink letters with polka dots on them and a darling set of handmade buttons! I was so excited! Those buttons are to die for! And, how cute is that pink and green packaging she tucked the buttons into?

That's it for today! I've got to get packing! I hope to have lots more to share when I get back Sunday evening!

Happy Birthday, Anna!

Anna is five today. FIVE. I just can't believe how time flies. She is beautiful inside and out. She is caring, loving, crafty, smart, genuine and a leader. She is stubborn and wants things her way. She can't get "talked into" much of anything. She says "no" alot, but I remind myself that that answer will be a very good answer in the teenage years. I am only looking forward to the future with her, I just hope it goes a little s l o w e r...She wanted a goldfish, so that's what she got. First, she named her "Fancy" then changed it to "Goldie." Elan has stuck his grubby little hands in the bowl more than a few times to "hold" Goldie. Uh oh...And a few pictures of her party:
Her delicious pumpkin cupcakes and all the jewelry Mamaw brought her.
This is funny: the bracelet is from the Vatican in Rome and the necklace is from the casino boat, Caesars! She was telling people that Mamaw brought her a bracelet from the "attic". Needless to say, she loved them both, but mostly because they were from Mamaw.
Anna's best friend, Molly. Molly's shirt says "best friend" and gave Anna the same one for her birthday. That was so cute I almost cried!

And this sweet thing, carefully opening her birthday cards. She absolutely adored each and every handmade card that her friends made for her. This card she is holding is from my niece, Kendall. She made her a birthday card with a turtle (Douglas) on the front. Anna loved it so much she hugged it! They are already carefully tucked away in her special letter box. I love that she appreciates all the handmade items made for her and appreciates the time and effort put into them.

Happy Birthday, Anna! I love you so much and five is going to be great! Love, Mommy.

Anna's Invitation

Good morning, friends! It's going to be a busy weekend, so I thought I better post now, just in case time gets away from me!

Anna turns five on Monday. We are having her party tomorrow. I love it how Anna thinks Halloween is a celebration for her since her birthday is in October! I let her pick her party theme- and it's usually a hodge podge of things all put together! Here is her invitation:
Yesterday, she got to choose her pinata (a pumpkin), paper goods (an orange plate and ghost napkins), goody bag items (witches fingers, eyeball pin pong balls, Chinese yo-yos, candy, etc.), and cupcakes (decorated like pumpkins). The child knows what she wants, and don't try to talk her out of it!

Thankfully, she decided against a rabbit as a gift. She wants a goldfish. Like Elmo's Dorothy. Sounds great! And easy! So, today I will be getting a super cool fish bowl with pink rocks and a plant to put a goldfish in.

I have lots of crafting to do today as well. I hope to post those creations late today or tomorrow morning. So, keep warm, snuggle under a blanket and sip some hot cocoa or coffee and enjoy today.

Blog Awards!

Y'all are too cute! I got two bloggy awards this week!
The first one came from my southern sister, Sammye Jo. Thanks, girl! Love her blog and all her creations! She has always got somethin' crafty cookin' over at 62 Cards! She truly is an Xxtraordinary Blogger- she never misses a beat- seriously! If her husband is in surgery, her little one is sick, in laws in town, that Sammye Jo still has a blog post!

I would like to pass along this award to:

Lucy, Steph Zerbe, Lauren, Heidi and Kathy

The second one came from my blog friend, Diane. Diane is a wonderful crafter and her cards are amazing! She even sent Mac one of her fab creations for choosing her name as a blog candy winner! He was thrilled and it made his day! Thank you, Diane!

I would like to pass along this bloggy award to:

Jenn W., Erin, Sweetie, Scrappin Cricut, and Kayla Renee at Scrap the Girls

Okay... since I got these bloggy awards, I am required to tell you 10 honest things about myself and then, pass it along to 5 others. Here goes:

1.) I vacuum every single day.
2.) I can not leave the house without all the beds being made. Messy bed, messy head!
3.) I try to do at least one crafty thing every day.
4.) I have 3 brothers, parents who are still married, 9 nieces and nephews and 1 on the way!
5.) My best friend is my mom.
6.) I prefer jeans and clogs in the fall/winter and dresses and flip flops in the spring/summer.
7.) My favorite feature about myself is my eyes.
8.) My favorite color changes, but I always love red, pink, green and blue. I don't like purple, but it was my favorite color when I was little!
9.) I am 5'11" and have been since 6th grade. I never minded being the tallest person in the class, or the entire school for that matter!
10.) And the biggest truth of them all... I asked out Stephen almost a dozen times before he finally asked me out himself. I set my eye on him and was determined he was the man I would marry! Seven years, 2 houses, 1 dog, a turtle and three kids, and still going strong!

So, there you have it! I hope you enjoyed some honest tid bits about myself! Thanks to Sammye Jo and Diane for giving me these special bloggy awards!

Embellishment Challenge

The Die Cuts R Us blog has a challenge every Tuesday. This week it is to make your own embellishment. I made several of these stocking embellishments for the upcoming holiday season.

For some reason, this picture looks a bit washed out. It's a little brighter in real life! I also made some with red ball fringe. The stocking measures about 2.5x4 inches and can be used on a card, gift tag, scrapbook page, etc.

Supplies: Both patterned papers are from My Minds Eye, ball fringe, satin ribbon, machine stitching.

Anna's 5th birthday (sniff, sniff...) is coming up on Monday with her party being on Sunday. I can't wait to share her invitation and goody bags! They are a hoot!

Many Thanks...

I had oral surgery yesterday. It wasn't too bad... if you like having your mouth open for 4 hours and numb for 10 hours, having about a zillion stitches, a fainting/seizure spell, and a bit of swelling and pain today. Not my idea of fun, but boy will my mouth be beautiful!

I have plenty of people to thank for helping out with my kiddos, carpools, and the dinners that have been brought- my, oh my! The food has been unbelievable! My family rocks! So, today, I was feeling well enough to get in my craft room for a while. I figured I better get a move on the thank you notes. I made these three thank yous pretty quickly. I used all the same papers (October Afternoon), just different embellishments: This glittery butterfly is from Me & My Big Ideas

This "graffiti flower" was a gift from Sammye Jo at 62 Cards. I had to use it knowing it was going to someone special who would appreciate it! ;)

These 3 fabric flowers are from Trinkets. I received them in a goody bag at a weekend crop a couple of weeks ago. I added the pink button from my stash.

And on another note, I will be mailing out my Pay It Forward gifts tomorrow! So, you girls be watching for a fun package in the mail from me! Lori, you still haven't emailed me your address! I have yours ready when you do! Profumo@bellsouth.net

Off to bed with an ice pack on my face... I'll return tomorrow!