Stacy's Scraps & Other Stuff

Check out my friend's blog for a giveaway!

2012-01-26T08:46:00.000-06:00

Hi everyone :) I hadn't planned on blogging today...although I'm WAAAAY overdue for a blog post. But I'm over here trying not to hack up a lung (groan...this crud won't go away), so I'm going to make this short and sweet :)

A friend of mine is having a fantastic giveaway over on her blog...so if you'd like a chance to win some books, head on over to Mommy's Shoes and enter!

I'll try to pop back on later this week...I have holiday photos and guest CT fun to share!

Guesting!

2011-12-22T11:05:00.000-06:00

Like many of you, we have had a busy, busy December! I've been volunteering at two school libraries, planning Christmas activities, enjoying my ladies class at church, and doing the wife & mommy thing (which is full-time in and of itself!) I am so looking forward to Christmas and New Year's this year...this has been a hard year for our family, but we have come through it, and I am ready to celebrate!

Aside from the hustle and bustle of holiday activities, I've also been enjoying two wonderful guest spots with a few of my absolute favorite designers, Connie Prince and Meg Mullens. And of course my most favorite designer of all, Tracy of Trixie Scraps, has been cranking out some GORGEOUS Christmas kits. And since I've got some down time, I'm going to show you some of the layouts I've been able to create this month.

A Thankful Heart by Trixie Scraps (I'm not generally a cluster sort of scrapper, so this page tickled me with how it turned out!)

Wrapped in Ribbons by North Meets South Studios (aka Trixie Scraps & Connie Prince)

I Heart Christmas by Connie Prince

31 Days Has December by Trixie Scraps

Give Thanks by Connie Prince

The Big Guy by Connie Prince

Happy to my Toes by Connie Prince

Christmas Countdown by Meg Mullens & Traci Reed

All Year Long--May

Blue Christmas by Trixie Scraps (one of THE most beautiful kits!)

My Everything by Connie Prince

Frosted Windowpanes by Trixie Scraps

Remember Bethlehem by Trixie Scraps

Our Home by Connie Prince

In the Moment by Meg Mullens, and December 2012 Templatetopia by North Meets South Studios

New Year, New Me by North Meets South Studios

Frostbitten--For Him by Meg Mullens & Traci Reed

Frostbitten--For Her by Meg Mullens & Traci Reed (I might have loved this kit just a little bit LOL)

I have so many snow pictures from the past two winters...so far, none this year. We've had snow in the state (blizzards to our west, in fact), but at our house, we've had nothing but rain. As much as I'd like to see some of the fluffy white stuff on the ground, I will not complain about the rain. After more than a year of drought, it has been a blessing. With that, I'm going to sign off...we've got friends coming over this evening, and I need to clean up the house and bake some sand tarts. Merry Christmas, friends!

What are you reading right now?

2011-09-19T17:09:00.000-05:00

Moms don't have enough time in the day. At least I don't know any mom who does. I actually thought that once Rachel started school full-time, I'd have a lot of free time to myself. Well, I DO get some free time, but more often than not, I'm busy with one activity or another. One of the things I'm doing is volunteering at the school library...it gets me out of the house and I really enjoy helping out. And wouldn't you know it...I told the librarian that I had a listing of my favorite books on my blog, and promptly gave her my blog address. But....I forgot that when I re-did the blog over the summer, I took down the list and replaced it with my Goodreads sidebar widget. Boo on me! So that realization has prompted me to post today.

About that quiet time that I get every so often...I have been enjoying being able to read books that were actually written for adults! And okay, I've enjoyed some young adult novels as well. Since I read fairly quickly, I've gotten quite a few books off of my to-read list finished. I've been browsing Goodreads for some new things, and I keep track of my to-read list there (thank goodness for their app...I can check it while I'm at the library!) If you're not familiar with Goodreads, I have a link to my Goodreads page in the sidebar...feel free to check it out. It's basically a Facebook for us bookworms! And of course, I love hearing what my friends are reading. Any recommendations out there?

I scrapped a layout about some of my favorite books...actually it was a fun little All About Me page, and it just made sense to add my books to it. And yes, I have noticed that one book made the list twice...just goes to show that proofreading is so important!

If you can't read the text, the books are as follows:

1. Edge of Eternity, Randy Alcorn

2. Home Before Morning, Lynda Van DeVanter

3. Plain Truth, Jodi Picoult

4. The Hunger Games, Suzanne Collins

5. Winter Garden, Kristin Hannah

6. The Egg & I, Betty MacDonald

7. The Pact, Jodi Picoult

8. Anne of Green Gables, Lucy Maud Montgomery

9. Safely Home, Randy Alcorn

10. Ride the Wind, Lucia St. Clair Robson

11. The Stand, Stephen King

12. Centennial, James Michener

13. House Rules, Jodi Picoult

14. The Body Farm, Patricia Cornwell

15. Canterbury Tales, Geoffrey Chaucer

16. The Hidden Hand, E.D.E.N. Southworth

17. The Lovely Bones, Alice Sebold

18. Where the Sidewalk Ends, Shel Silverstein

19. The Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, Jamie Ford

20. A Random Act, Cindi Broaddus

21. The Lord of the Rings, J.R.R. Tolkien

22. Lord Foulgrin's Letters, Randy Alcorn

23. She Said Yes, Misty Bernall

24. Bloody Jack, L.A. Meyer

25. Magic Hour, Kristin Hannah (this was supposed to be on the list!)

A few notes about the above list...it was made last year, and while all of these books would still make my list, I've got some new additions :)

26. Rawhide Down, Del Quentin Wilber

27. Saving Max, Antoinette van Heugten

28. Inconceivable, Carolyn Savage---if you read this book and love it, make sure to check out their blog and/or Facebook page. This family has had a wonderful update recently!

And for those of you who loved the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants and its three sequels, Ann Brasheres has recently released Sisterhood Everlasting, which is the story of Lena, Tibby, Carmen, and Bee as they are approaching thirty. It's been years since I read the original books, and while this new book didn't have the feel of the original, it was still a good read, and if you enjoyed the first, you'll want to read this to find out what direction each of the girls took in their lives.

Another book that I read over the summer was Jaycee Dugard's book, A Stolen Life. After watching Diane Sawyer's interview with Jaycee, I really wanted to like this book. I really did. But I didn't. I tried to, but I couldn't. It was an easy read in terms of the reading level; however, the book as a whole left me feeling very unsettled, and I felt like I was missing something.

And now for a few books that are on my to-read list...

Bloody Jack is on my list of favorites. To date, there are SEVEN sequels. And the eighth sequel, The Mark of the Golden Dragon, is due to release in just a few weeks. I loved the original. I loved the second book. I enjoyed the third and fourth. But by now, I am growing tired of the series. And I have heard that this is not the last book. It's growing tired, but I do want to see some resolution to Jacky's story. And so I haven't quite given up on her...yet. I do hope that we either see a big change in personalities, or we see the end of this series SOON.

Another book that I am looking forward to getting my hands on is Shel Silverstein's Every Thing On It. I'm not a big fan of poetry, but I have always loved Shel's works. When he passed away, it made me sad to think we'd have no more of his poetry to enjoy. Thankfully I was wrong, and a book of his previously unreleased poems is due to hit the shelves this month.

I hope that you will be encouraged to pick up a good book, whether it's reading a picture book to the kids or enjoying a book for yourself :)

I'll be back later on this week (I hope) with my list of favorite books for kids :) And yes, I think I have at least one layout on that topic to share. Have a blessed week, friends!

DST Chat with Trixie Scraps tonight!

2011-09-17T16:58:00.000-05:00

Join us tonight at DST for Trixie's Spotlight Chat!

Choo Choo...It's a Blog Train!

2011-09-04T07:00:00.003-05:00

Welcome to my little corner of the digiverse, scrapping friends! Have you heard that my sweet friend Tracy, aka Trixie Scraps, is this month's Featured Designer at Digishoptalk? She has created a gorgeous kit for all of the DST Gold/Diamond members! Check it out!!! You can head on over to DST to read her interview and download the kit if you are a Gold/Diamond member!

In celebration of her month in the spotlight, Trixie is having an awesome 30% in her store...head on over and check out some of her amazing products! She's got lots of fun things planned for this month, and we hope you'll take part!

Finally...the reason you are here! We, the Scrap Stars, have gotten together to share with you some Quick Pages created from Natural Beauty, and we're offering them to you for free!

You may download my quick page here.

You should have come here from Jamie B's blog. Your next stop is Erica's blog. If you get lost along the way, no worries...just head back to the Trixie Scraps blog for the full line-up! Have a blessed week, and happy scrapping!

Back to school

2011-08-31T20:58:00.000-05:00

Well, we have made it through two weeks of kindergarten, and I'm happy to say that Rachel is thoroughly enjoying herself.

She was disappointed that her two best friends were in other classes, and I journaled about that after we got back from meet-the-teacher night. I used Trixie Scraps' Adoption Day (love the little kids in that kit) to scrap my thoughts.

Thankfully, she did have a few old friends in her class, and she has met a few new ones as well.

I scrapped a layout of her first day of school using All About Me: The Littles by Trixie Scraps. It's not a traditional school kit, but right now, I am loving these bright colors!

She's been a good listener, according to her teacher. She did come home on Monday and told us that she had to move her stick to yellow...we told her that it was alright, because we all have bad days. She was encouraged, and reminded us several times that she'd start back in green the next day. On Tuesday afternoon, when I asked her what the best part of the day was, she told me it was "staying on green." My sweet girl might not mind pushing buttons at home, but she really does try to be on her best behavior at school.

With that, I'm signing off for now. I'll be back in the not-too-distant future with a little somethin' for you!

Anybody thirsty?

2011-08-12T19:57:00.000-05:00

When it's hot outside (like it generally is here at this time of year), I love a cold glass of lemonade. Personally, Chick-Fil-A is my favorite, but now they have some competition, in the form of my daughter. LOL. Rachel came out of her room yesterday announcing that she had an idea for a lemonade stand, and so off we went to the kitchen to mix up a small pitcher.
Now, she didn't set up shop on the sidewalk...she sold the lemonade in the living room. Suffice it to say, she only had two customers, but we did give her repeat business. And upon NiNi's request, I had Rachel share her recipe, and decided to scrap it for myself.
I used Kristin Cronin-Barrow's Freshly Squeezed; I ran a sepia filter on the photo and then did some customizing on the color.

I will definitely be back next week...Little Missymeets her teacher, goes back to dance, and starts kindergarten...I will be taking lots of photos!

A coupon and a giggle for you :)

2011-08-01T11:09:00.000-05:00

Hi everyone...I can't believe that I'm actually posting again...what is going on here?!! Today is just a quick post to let you know that Tracy (aka Trixie) has a guest shop opening up at Polka Dot Plum today. She is adding some of her best kits to their site, and she is sharing a coupon with you!

And now for a bit of a giggle...today a friend shared this on Facebook, and my hubby and I both cracked up. I haven't watched Family Feud in ages, but I might have to start watching again!

And if you haven't checked out Glozell before...this makes me laugh so hard that I cry...

With that, I'm off to clean house (or waste time on Facebook more than likely). Have a wonderful week!

Who wants to dive Under the Sea?

2011-07-30T13:24:00.000-05:00

This week, I was tickled pink to be chosen to work with the ADORABLE Under the Sea kit by Kristi W. Designs! It was the first time I'd ever applied for a one kit call (which I have to say...when I see 'OKC' in the forums of DST, I immediately think Oklahoma City!). This kit was filled with a large variety of unique elements; the colors are perfect for scrapping your little ones; and the mermaids are just the cutest! I love that there are multicultural mermaids in this kit...this kit will work for anyone with no need to recolor the skin!

I scrapped a few layouts with it last night after getting the kit, and I know I'll be using it again and again!

Thank you to Kristi W. for allowing me to work with her fabulous kit! If you haven't checked out her store, I highly recommend it! She's got some darling kits and fantastic CU items! After browsing through her store, I've found several things that will be going on my wish list...check out how cute these are!

I could list a lot more, but I'll let you go browse her store instead! For now, happy scrapping, and have a blessed weekend!

Boy kits....

2011-07-29T08:35:00.000-05:00

Penny Springmann and Kristin Cronin-Barrow have collabed on a new boy kit that is releasing tomorrow at Sweet Shoppe. Well, Penny is giving one copy away, hence this blog post :) If you want a chance to win this kit for yourself, head over to My Digital Stash and enter! Here's the peek:

You might wonder what I, the mother of a girl, want with a boy kit. I've got to say that some of my favorite Rachel layouts have been created with kits that are considered 'boy kits'. While the word art pieces and male figures might not fit, the basics almost always do, and the colors are usually fantastic (and judging from this peek, they are definitely right up my alley!) And when you have a tomboy, sometimes those boy kit elements work perfectly for your princess! See what I mean?

*using Rambunctious by Julie Billingsley

*using Revolution by Julie Billingsley

*using Fly Catchin' by Traci Reed

The Long Hot Summer

2011-07-28T16:17:00.000-05:00

Are you counting down the days until autumn arrives? I know I am! We are having another 100+ temperature day here in the heartland, and I'll be honest when I say I am getting really tired of it! There are so many things I'd love to do with Rachel this summer, but it's just too hot to do them. Our zoo pass is burning a hole in my purse!

But oh well, we are managing to find some free indoor activities...and in just three more weeks...my girl will be starting kindergarten! I am seriously tickled about this! We've been picking up school supplies (who doesn't love a brand new box of Crayolas?), and hopefully we'll hit the outlet mall next week for a back-to-school outfit. The Outlet Shoppes here in OKC will officially open on August 5, and we'll definitely be checking out the Disney Store Outlet! Between that and The Children's Place outlet, I'm hoping we can find a cute and affordable outfit for her.

Last month saw the end of Rachel's first t-ball season. The Butterflies didn't win most of their games, but they played hard and I think it was a great experience for all of the girls. They received trophies at an awards ceremony a few weeks ago, and it was great to see their beaming smiles! Sadly, my dear little camera was ruined at our very first t-ball practice...it's been so dry that the field was just dirt...and the wind blew so hard that it totally mucked up my camera. The lens will no longer extend out of the body, so there's no taking pictures with it. I was intending to take it to a camera shop for repairs (if it can even be fixed), but that same day, my hubby was hospitalized and has been on disability ever since. Obviously camera repairs aren't on the top of my priority list. For now, I'm using his cheapo (actually freebie) Kodak P&S. I'm hoping that once he gets back to work, we can get my camera fixed.

I'm going to end this post with a few layouts...I haven't done a lot of scrapping this summer, but I love the pages that I have gotten done. And who knows...I might get on a big scrapping binge once school starts!

*using Great Escape by Kristin Cronin-Barrow

*using I DO Believe in Fairies by Traci Reed

*using Beautiful Tonight by Julie Billingsley and Jady Day Studio

*using Boho Chic by Kristin Cronin-Barrow

*using On the Loose by Dani Mogstad and Shawna Clingerman

*using Summer Lovin' by Trixie Scraps

*using Riding with Girls by Trixie Scraps

*using All About Me: The Littles by Trixie Scraps

*using Fishy Friends by Trixie Scraps

*using Softball Stars by Trixie Scraps

*using Summer Lovin' by Trixie Scraps

*using Saffron Blues by Trixie Scraps and Bella Gypsy; A Mother's Love by Trixie Scraps and Litabells Designs; and Spring in the Meadow by Trixie Scraps ( I rarely combine kits so I was very pleased with how this one came together)

I still need to scrap photos of t-ball awards and the team pool party, as well as some early morning trips to the park. It's my goal to be caught up before school starts, because I'm sure I'll be taking lots of photos then, as well as doing my volunteer work. So with that, I'm off, friends! God blessings to you, and enjoy each and every day!

Pardon the mess...

2011-07-14T17:30:00.003-05:00

Hi everyone. Yikes I am a horrible blogger! But I'm feeling inspired by my friend Rebecca, who is currently working on her blog...so here I am. I'm in the midst of changing my blogwear from Trixie Scraps' You're a Star to Roots & Branches, so if you're reading this and thinking things look a bit off, it's because I'm not finished working!

A Christmas Survey

2010-12-01T08:51:00.003-06:00

OK, I read this on Darcy's blog, and thought, I should do this too. And then I moved on to the SSD forum to check in for the morning (BTW, they are starting Cookies for Kids today if you haven't been over there!!)...and I see that Darcy has tagged everybody. So here I am :) Thanks, Darcy, for getting me back on my own blog!

Here we go...

1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate? Hot Chocolate, definitely. Egg nog is gross, nasty, ick, whatever term you prefer. And LOL, I wasn't trying to steal your answer, Darcy...or Janet's for that matter...but I guess your term stuck in my brain. And also, yeah, it is gross.

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree? If I had my way, neither. I am not a Santa fan...why give a fictional character glory when you should be celebrating the glory of the King of Kings? I will read Santa, Are You for Real? to Rachel...but I don't want to push the idea of Santa any further than society itself does. But I'm not the only one in the house, and hubby likes to do the Santa thing. So in our house, he brings one gift, and it gets stuck under the tree (and yes, it is wrapped). And whenever she asks me the big question about S.C., she will hear the truth.

3. Colored lights or white lights on the tree/house? Personally, I prefer little white lights on the tree and house, but hubby likes multi-colored lights, so that's what we went with. We've got big multi colored lights on the house (or we will this weekend LOL), and a big new tree (yay!) with a bunch of multi-colored lights...I love our tree!

4. Do you hang mistletoe? Nope, I let God do that. It grows here naturally (and used to be the state flower); in fact, we had some growing in tree right outside our front door, until hubby cut that branch down.

5. When do you put your decorations up? The week of Thanksgiving...usually Thanksgiving Day or the day after.

6. What is your favorite holiday dish? I LOVE smoked turkey. That and the traditional apricot balls that I grew up with...but I don't make them now because hubby's not a fan and I don't need them.

7. Favorite Christmas memory as a child? Probably waking up VERY early, piling all the gifts into the back of the station wagon, and heading to the country for the family Christmas get-together.

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? I was 3, and the Santas in the stores scared me. So mom told me the truth...it was just a man wearing a costume...and I was fine after that. Dad's family got MAD at her, and wanted to know who I'd think gave me any gifts...she told them, "people who love her"...which sounds better to me than a fat guy sneaking into my house in the middle of the night.

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas eve? Nope, never understood the point of opening gifts early. Didn't do it as a kid, don't do it now.

10. How do you decorate your Christmas tree? I put it up (pre-lit, thank goodness!), and then start hanging ornaments. I've collected Hallmark ornaments for years, so most of mine are Hallmark. Now we're starting to get a collection of things that Rachel has made as well.

11. Snow...love it or dread it? Love the snow, so long as it doesn't stay around too long. Last year's foot+ stayed around more than three weeks and we had to dig our way to the front door...not fun.

12. Can you ice skate? Don't know...never tried. Would like to, but expect to wind up on my butt more than once.

13. Do you remember your favorite gift? No. I'm sure I've had favorites over the years, but none really stand out...gifts that I get are a bonus, but not the main event for me.

14. What's the most important thing about Christmas for you? We celebrate Christmas for a reason. I want to stay focused on the birth of Christ...and I also want to remember that the tree was cut down to make a cross...and that baby came here to die and rise again. We'll be having a birthday party for Jesus next week, and the gifts will be groceries for the church food pantry and hats, scarfs, mittens, etc for needy children in our area.

15. What is your favorite Christmas dessert? Not sure that I have one. I have a fondness for baked apples...they feel Christmasy to me...but hubby isn't a huge fan. I usually make a cheesecake...it's gooooood...but not so Christmasy to me.

16. What is your favorite Christmas tradition? I love listening to holiday music on the radio, and sipping cocoa while we enjoy the holiday light displays around town.

17. What tops your tree? Right now, nothing. There will be a star up there as soon as I can figure out how to make it stay on top of the tree!

18. Which do you prefer---giving or receiving? Giving, definitely. I love watching Rachel's face as she opens her gifts, and I love giving somebody something that I think will be meaningful to them. My favorite ever...giving my mom oranges, apples, peppermint, and nuts...the same things she used to get in her stocking every year as a girl. She cried happy tears :)

19. What is your favorite Christmas song? Goodness, can I make a list?

O Holy Night--Josh Groban or Martina McBride

Mary Did You Know?--Kathy Mattea

Do You Hear What I Hear?---Whitney Houston

Holly Jolly Christmas--Burl Ives

All I Want for Christmas is You--Vince Vance and the Valiants

20. Candy Canes---yuck or yum? Yuck. I don't like mint.

21. Favorite Christmas show? Now, probably A Charlie Brown Christmas. As a kid, Nestor, the Long-Eared Christmas Donkey. If we're talking full-length movies, then A Christmas Story.

22. Saddest Christmas song? Christmas Shoes by Alabama

23. What's your wish for Christmas? Safety and security for each and every innocent life on this planet. Children today are subjected to so many horrors, and I wish that I could protect each and every one of them. And because it is so fitting, I'll copy Darcy's answer as well: that the world will recognize the Savior in the tiny baby we celebrate at Christmas.

And with that, friends, I wish you a very merry and blessed holiday season!

Want to win a pink princess chair?

2010-08-27T12:09:00.003-05:00

Well, I'd love to! Not for me, mind you...but for the girly girl in my house :) TotalClassCreative Blog is giving away a pink princess chair...signs-ups are through the end of August. Hop on over there if you'd like a chance to win this...

And wow, I didn't realize when I posted yesterday that I would be back...so soon!

While I'm here, let me tell you...Trixie Scraps has some incredible new kits out today at Scrap Matters and Gotta Pixel.
This was scrapped with the Trixie/Connie Prince collab, Take Me Away.

With Trixie's new Tea Time with Teddy kit:

Finally, Colie has a cute new back-to-school kit at Gotta Pixel and Digitals. You can snag Off to School, the matching word art, and a new For Starters Template set...perfect for those school photos!

Wishing you all a happy weekend!

sigh

2010-08-26T19:14:00.015-05:00

Confession time. I am not the world's best blogger. LOL. Every time I post, I think, I'll be back soon...and then life intervenes! I get caught up with other things and my little blog falls by the wayside. Then I'll post for a few days catching you up on my boring life...and then I disappear again. But you know what? I guess that's just who I am! Sorry I'm not more exciting, but I won't promise again to update soon...because I've learned my lesson!

The last time I posted about life, we were in the deep freeze, so it's been quite awhile. We are just now starting to experience the first winds of autumn approaching...YAY...it's very welcome after a few weeks of scorching heat.

So here's a slice of life since I last shared:

The new children's zoo opened, and we bought a zoo membership. This has been one of the best purchases we've made...it's so nice to head off to the zoo on a whim!

We celebrated Easter at home, and then went off to church:

Rachel was invited to a friend's princess birthday party...what a hoot...have you ever seen a princess mow the lawn? I have!

Rachel had her first dance recital! Here are some photos from rehearsal (note: photos were not taken by me)

NiNi, Nanny, and Aunt Peggy came into town to watch Rachel perform. While they were here, Rachel stayed with them and had slumber parties at their hotel each night. She had a GREAT time, and it was kind of nice to have a little break :)

We went to the air show at TAFB. My favorite moment...Rachel getting to sit in a mini B-1 Stealth bomber :)

I made a tutu for the first time...easy and cheap, so we'll definitely by making more of them :)

And lastly, Rachel has begun school! I am tickled to say that so far, so good...she is having a great time!

So now you're caught up on life here...nothing earth-shattering, but eventful for us anyway! Until next time, may the Lord bless you :)

Do you want to be a Scrap Star?

2010-07-20T15:44:00.002-05:00

Well, digi friends, Trixie is having a call, and trust me, you don't want to miss this one! I am happy to say that the Trixie Scrap Stars team is the friendliest bunch I have ever been with in digi-dom...we are definitely a family. Here's the info you need:

Get those apps in, and good luck!!!

Christmas in July sale

2010-07-07T08:33:00.002-05:00

There's a big sale going on! If you're like me and wanting a break from the heat, why not lose yourself in some Christmas kits while they are on sale at Scrap Matters?

Sneak Peek!!!

2010-04-22T14:18:00.000-05:00

Trixie Scraps has a new collab kit coming out tomorrow that is just super, super cute!! Want a sneak peek?? You're in luck, I have one for you!!

Would you like a chance to win this kit? All you need to do is visit Trixie's blog and guess who she collabed with on this adorable kit. Leave a comment with your guess and your email address and Trixie will randomly choose a winner tomorrow. Also, don't forget today is Challenge Thursday on the Trixie Scraps Stars blog - you can download a freebie template from Pam and play along with our challenge. PLUS! Trixie played along with the challenge this week and used her new kit for the layout - so you'll get another advance sneak peek if you head on over and check it out! Happy Scrapping!

New look!

2010-02-18T13:45:00.011-06:00

Well, it's been a LONG time since I posted just for fun, but I've been stuck inside for awhile due to the cold and now MY cold, so why not? Winter has hit full-force in Oklahoma...we've had about 20" of snow since Christmas Eve. I have to say that it's beautiful, but after a few days, it gets old. But I know that come July and August, I'll probably be wishing for some cold days again. Here are some pics from our winter.

In other news, it's been a busy 2010 so far. Our year started out with Rachel bouncing OFF of my bed and fracturing her wrist. She spent nearly three weeks in a cast and is all better now.

Mom showed up on our doorstep a few days before my birthday...surprise! It was nice to have her here for a few days. I'll admit I was hoping she'd stay longer, but that's okay...hopefully we'll be visiting her soon.

For my digi friends, if you are looking for some fun challenges, I encourage you to head over to Sweet Shoppe Designs and check our their monthly Scrappers Portfolio challenge. On the first of each month, they give between 30 and 40 page prompts, and one hybrid project. The more of these that you complete, the bigger discount to their shoppe you earn. The full info is here. The portfolio has definitely helped me get some scrapping done this year; my wonderful CT designers have helped out too by creating some fantastic new goodies!

And then there's ADSR...the race started up on February 7th and Sharon Kay and I are off on a race through Digi-Dom! Our first stop was at NDISB itself. They gave us an easy start-up challenge. Here's my layout for challenge 1...I had to lift one of Sharon's pages and tell something (anything) about her. I'll admit I had a giggle interviewing her for this page.

Full credits here.

Then it was off to DSAG for challenge 2, which was all about the number five...not so easy for this girl who usually only scraps one or two pics on a page!

Full credits here.

Challenge 3 was at Ripal's new Scrappers Online, and it was to use selective coloring in a layout. I used one of DeDe Smith's new Mini KitZ to scrap this pic of mom and Rachel.

Full credits here.

Our most recent challenge was hosted at Digitals, and it was to make 2 ATC cards...one about our partner, and one about something or someone that I love. These little cards are the size of a business card, and I thought they were fun to make. Here are my two.

Full credits (and Sharon's cards) are here.
There are 8 more challenges to come in the next 4 weeks, and I can't wait to get to them!

And finally, I have to point out the new blogwear I'm sporting today! I snagged this fun fun set from Trixie Scraps. You can pick up the You're a Star Blogwear Set at Scrap Matters.

Thanks for stopping by, and happy scrapping!

Sneak Peek time!

2010-02-18T09:49:00.002-06:00

Gotta show you this super cute peek for a fab new collab kit from Trixie Scraps and simply.scraps! Be on the lookout for this kit tomorrow at Scrap Matters!

On the sixth day of Christmas....

2009-12-17T20:41:00.008-06:00

Hi everyone! Thanks for stopping by the blog today! The Trixie Scrap Stars have been celebrating the Christmas season by offering you 12 days of goodies. If you are just now jumping on board this holiday train, you can head on back to Trixie Scraps' blog to see where the stops are.

Today I have a QP for you, made with the Trixie Scraps/Ellie Lash collab kit A Rainbow Promise.

The QP is 12x12, and the white space for the photo is for preview purposes only; the QP itself has a cutout for the photo.

You can download the QP here.
Thanks for stopping by, and don't forget to head back to Trixie Scraps' blog tomorrow to see where the next goodie will be!
I wish you all a very blessed Christmas season!

New blog look

2009-11-23T16:15:00.003-06:00

Just had to pop in and say yay! I have wanted to get some blogwear for quite a while, and so I'm doing a little happy dance! If you like this festive blogwear that I'm wearing, you can find it here in Trixie Scraps' store at Scrap Matters.

It wasn't all that difficult...if I can do it, then just about anybody can!

iNDSD Blog Train

2009-11-06T20:22:00.002-06:00

Valarie Ostrom's team decided to get together and make templates out of some of our favorite layouts, and we are offering them to you in celebration of iNDSD.
In case you get lost along the way, here's a list of all the stops:
Train Order:
Agnieszka:
Stacy <----YOU ARE HERE
Sugar n Spice
Dalis
Amy
Julie
Sarah
Valarie

You can grab the template here.

Have a fantastic weekend, and happy scrapping!!!

Happy iNDSD!!

2009-11-06T19:39:00.010-06:00

(if you're here and you aren't a scrapper...today is (inter)National Digital Scrapbooking Day.)
It's a day for those of us who are addicted to digi to get some fantastic deals, hopefully some freebies, and attend some chats and crops.
Are you broke yet? LOL, I started out that way, so I'm not shopping this weekend, but I am looking forward to some chats and fun challenges this weekend.
There is ALOT going out there in digi-dom this weekend.

Scrap Matters is having a big sale, and the designers have put together some very tempting grab bags. Here's a peek at Trixie Scraps' bag:

And some of my pages with it:

Trixie Scraps also released Girls Day Out on Friday.

A few pages from me...

Full credits for all of the above layouts can be found in my Scrap Matters gallery, which is linked in the sidebar.

In other news, I made LOTD at Gotta Pixel today! I was thrilled, and it was a layout that I had alot of fun working on.

The kit is 4 Little Monsters by Colie's Corner; template from Just a Bit Template Set, also by Colie's Corner. Her entire store is half off in celebration of iNDSD...you can go check out the fabulous deals here.

I'll be back with more later (I hope LOL), but at the moment, I have a house that desperately needs to be cleaned, and a few digi farms to harvest. :)

Another Autumn Quiz

2009-10-22T08:45:00.001-05:00

No long post today...I have class in about an hour and haven't finished my homework yet!

Your Autumn Sense is Sound

You love that autumn is the time that everything starts to quiet down, and you like to sit back and enjoy the silence.

You have cultivated a love for the smaller sounds of fall - a leaf crunching, a fire crackling, or a lone bird chirping.

You enjoy that you can go for a early morning or late evening walk and not hear another soul around.

The best sounds are the ones you have to strain to hear, like the gentleness of trees barely moving in the wind.

What's Your Autumn Sense?

Blogthings: Quizzes and Tests and Memes, Oh My!

Autumn is in the Air!

2009-10-16T12:05:00.006-05:00

I adore autumn...it's my favorite time of year. And therefore, autumn scrap kits are probably my favorite kits of all...they are so hard to resist! I love the rich colors and the elements of an autumn kit (leaves, trees, pumpkins, etc).

A few of my CT designers have put together some darling autumn kits that I want to share with you!
First, my newest CT is Trixie Scraps at Scrap Matters...yay!!! I was so thrilled to be invited to join her team...and what great timing...just in time for new autumn kits, woot!
First off, check out Indian Summer, which released today and is on sale right now!

Here's what I've done with the kit so far...

Last week, Trixie Scraps released another super cute fall kit, Cute Lil' Punkin. I love the non-traditional colors mixed in with the more traditional fall colors...makes this kit alot more versatile!

Here are two of my pages...

I'll be back in a bit with more...I've a sick little one to watch over today. Until later, happy scrapping!

Shopping---yikes!

2009-10-15T08:16:00.002-05:00

What kind of shopper am I? Well, honestly, I used to be the type of person that had finished Christmas shopping before Thanksgiving even rolled around. But then I got married...and all of that changed. My hubby is more of a last-minute shopper, and since he is the one with the money (lol, sometimes anyway), I basically have to adjust. Our budget hasn't allowed for us to shop very early. I'm hoping to NOT wind up shopping on Christmas Eve like last year, but whenever I get it done, I'll manage! :)

Pumpkin Time

2009-10-08T07:24:00.003-05:00

It's autumn and I am SOOOO ready to go to the pumpkin patch! But it's rainy, so that trip will have to wait. I guess until then, this quiz will have to wait...

Ummm....yuk...

You Are a Pumpkin Latte

You are energetic and fun loving. You get into the spirt of every season, but fall is definitely your favorite time.

You are excited for the change of seasons, and you love the spirit and togetherness it brings.

You love to do everything related to fall - whether it's celebrating Halloween and Thanksgiving or going to check out the changing leaves.

You truly immerse yourself in the season. You always miss autumn when it's gone, but you make the most of it while it's here.

What Pumpkin Treat Are You?

The First Rule of Blogthings Is: You Don't Talk About Blogthings

Yay, autumn is here!

2009-10-01T21:50:00.002-05:00

Just popping in to share a bit...the weather has turned SO nice recently! There's a breeze in the air and the temperatures are dropping. I LOVE autumn in Oklahoma! The state fair has come and gone (and we had a great time), and the leaves are starting to change colors. Now, when I lived in Texas, I would have said spring was my favorite time of year...but up here, spring is tornado weather, so that puts a damper on that season. So I'd have to say that fall is definitely my favorite time of year, and here's why:
1. the weather!
2. Rachel's birthday
3. costume time
4. pumpkin patches and hayrides
5. Thanksgiving
6. holiday decorations

Rock on

2009-09-24T05:11:00.001-05:00

Just a quick post...I'm heading out of town so no chit chatting this morning...

Your Rockstar Name Is: Candi Stardust

Rock on!

What's Your Rockstar Name?

Blogthings: If Quizzes Are Outlawed, Only Outlaws Will Take Quizzes

The Rain in Spain...

2009-09-17T09:28:00.004-05:00

...falls mainly in Oklahoma, during the State Fair. No, wait, that's not how the song goes, is it? But it feels like it at times LOL. Our State Fair opens TODAY!!! YAY...and of course, it's been raining for a good 12 hours straight, with a good chance of it continuing through Saturday. Ah well. With the fairgrounds only a few miles down the street from the house, it's easy for us just to decide to go at the last minute when the weather turns for the better. We're headed to the fair this weekend, with tentative plans to take in the Disney on Ice show. Rachel and I will also go once or twice next week. It's one of my favorite times of year!

Here's the fair last year...

The Rain in Spain...

2009-09-17T09:28:00.001-05:00

Sports Rant

2009-09-10T09:02:00.003-05:00

Well, I don't think Jen would really like my post, considering her favorite team is the Sooners...but ah well...I'm going to be honest.
First, a few notes about myself:
*I'm not really a sports fan. I watch the Olympics, but that's about it.
*Every once in awhile, I'll watch a baseball or basketball game...I used to be big fans of both MLB and NBA, but that's been years ago. I consider myself a Houston fan, but that's mostly for nostalgic reasons.
But sports....especially college sports...I have an unpopular opinion. Here in Oklahoma for the past month, the local news crews have been going ga-ga over the upcoming college football season. OU, OSU, and their overpaid coaches are all over the news and the newspaper. Well, the rabidity of fans here has been a turn-off for me since I moved here. And this past Friday and Saturday morning, it was OU OU OU OU, with some OSU thrown in as well. But then...OU lost to BYU. Boo-hoo. Their star QB was injured. Now, I'm sorry he got hurt. But then I hear newscasters and even people at church talking about it in this fashion....'Isn't it awful that he got hurt? He made the decision to come back for one more year, and then he gets hurt. What if he can't play anymore---he's lost his future career....blah blah blah.'
Well, here comes my rant...the guy is supposed to be in college to get an EDUCATION. He shouldn't be there just to get some college football experience so that he can jump to the pros. It seriously disgusts me to see athletes get athletic scholarships, and then turn pro without getting their diplomas. There are so many out there who want to be teachers....doctors...engineers, etc who can't afford a college degree; then we have these glorified jocks get courted, get scholarships, and all so they can try to play ball with the big boys for a living (and get paid millions of dollars for playing a game for a living).
And I could go on and on about pro athletes now...about how it is absurd that people get paid millions of dollars for playing a game...and about how the love of the game seems overshadowed by the love of money and huge over-inflated egos (kind of like a college coach?). Of course I feel the same way about entertainers...seriously, was Cameron Diaz's voicing of Princess Fiona in Shrek 3 worth $20 million to you? Because that is what she was paid.
OK, back to me. In terms of OU/OSU in particular (because they are the big local teams)...I had never given them a second thought until I moved to Oklahoma. But then I move here from Houston and see vehicle after vehicle with upside down longhorn stickers on them. I go out to eat to a local BBQ joint whose walls are covered in license plates from all over. Only thing is, all of the Texas plates are upside-down. Things like that just offend me. I'm not a UT fan either...I didn't go to school there, and as I said, I'm not a sports fan, so I could care less. But the whole bashing Texas thing here gets old fast. It didn't take me long to decide that Oklahoma must have some kind of inferiority complex. Because seriously, I DO know sports fans in Texas (quite a few of them), and none of them have ever voiced anything about Oklahoma or its sports teams. They basically could not care less about Oklahoma one way or the other. And while I've come to like this state where I now live, that's basically how I feel about its sports teams...and thankfully so does my husband, so our family is void of all of the rabid sports fever that is infecting those around us.

What about you?

2009-09-03T08:25:00.003-05:00

Here are todays quick and quirky questions:
1. Do you wash your own car or do you go to a car wash?
LOL, neither...hubby takes our truck to the car wash...I just ride along.
2. Are you wearing socks right now?
nope
3. Where were you 3 hours ago?
in bed asleep
4. Do you have laundry waiting to be done?
always
5. Can you pick objects up with your toes?
yes...apparently I do it all the time (and so does Rachel

FOB2Y

2009-08-27T07:01:00.002-05:00

Hi friends!
I've got my best buddy Sharon Kay here with me for another hour or so...we have had a great 3 days, and I'm going to be worn out for awhile!! But while I have a quiet minute (before Rachel wakes up), let me post my FOB2Y challenge...
Exercise...what kind of exercise do I enjoy doing on a regular basis...
Definitely walking the dog. We live within walking distance of the lake, and have a 50+ pound dog who likes long walks, so taking him out is my favorite regular exercise. I'll admit we don't always go, depending on the weather (too icy or too hot or too rainy)...can't wait for fall so we can go daily again!

Firsts

2009-08-25T17:57:00.002-05:00

From DeDe's blog, to mine, to yours (hopefully!)

You've been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with the Firsts for YOU. At the end, choose 26 people to be tagged. This was from Facebook, but I'm just going to do it here and if any of you want to do it too - GREAT! LOL
1. Where was your FIRST vacation? The first one I remember is going to Carlsbad Caverns when I was about 5.
2. Do you still talk to your FIRST love? yes, I'm married to him!
3. What was your FIRST job? babysitting
4. What was your FIRST car? '85 Ford Tempo
5. Who was the FIRST person to text you today? I don't text
6. Who is the FIRST person you thought of this morning? Rachel
7. Who was your FIRST grade teacher? Mrs. Goin
8. Where did you go on your FIRST ride on an airplane? Honolulu via LA
9. Who was your FIRST best friend & do you still talk? Karen Earls I think, and no
10. Where was your FIRST sleepover? probably a cousin's house
11. Who was the FIRST person you talked to today? Rachel
12. Whose wedding were you in the FIRST time? only been in my own!
13. What was the FIRST thing you did this morning? got out of bed
14. What was the FIRST concert you ever went to? KC & the Sunshine Band @ the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo
15. FIRST tattoo? None
16. FIRST piercing? ears
17. FIRST foreign country you've been to? Mexico
18. FIRST movie you remember seeing in the theater? Star Wars
19. FIRST Detention you had? I never had detention.
20. What was the FIRST state you lived in? Texas
21. If you had one wish. What would it be? To have enough money to get us out of debt, have a nice car and own a house.
22. What is something you would learn if you had the chance? To play a musical instrument
23. Who do you think will be the next person to post this? nobody LOL

Summer is winding down...

2009-08-20T09:18:00.003-05:00

It's been raining all week here, and for that I am SO grateful. We have really needed the rain. I would, however, like it to stop next week while my bestest friend Sharon and her boys are in town. I've got stuff planned, and rain would not be welcome. Once they go home, it can start back up again. LOL.
Seriously, summer is not my favorite time of year. I'm not a hot weather fan, so I definitely look forward to autumn's approach.
But before I revel in the changing leaves, the sights and smells of the state fair, and the crisp breezes, let's take a look back at the summer that has been....
At the zoo...

At the park...

At NiNi's pool...

Waiting for fireworks to start...

Playing in the sprinkler...

Block Party!

2009-08-15T17:18:00.006-05:00

Hi everyone! Welcome to my stop on Valarie's Block Party! I hope that you make your way over to the Block Party forum to say hello and check out the challenges. I'm hosting the template challenge and would love to have you participate. You can head over here to snag this template:

In conjunction with the Block Party, Val is releasing several new kits and a new set of Kwik Scraps templates. One of her new kits is entitled Prissy Princess...geez...do I know anyone like that? Here's a layout I created with her new Prissy Princess kit and one of the new Kwik Scraps templates:

And finally, freebie time! I hope you will enjoy this QP made with Val's Girl Talk kit. You can snag it here.

Now it's off to Larissa's blog where I'm sure she has a fab goodie waiting for you!
BLOGS:
Valarie
Agraf
LadyV
Julie
Kate
Johanna
Sugar & Spice
YOU ARE HERE:Stacy
Larissa
Bohunka
Nicole
Heather
Sarah

Happy scrapping everyone!

Woohoo, big news!

2009-08-14T21:44:00.004-05:00

I am so excited to announce that DeDe Smith has invited me to become a part of her TearZ Crew! DeDe has some of the most unique kits in digi-dom...if you're not familiar with her kits, you should head over to her blog and check them out. She sells both on her blog and in several stores...links to her stores are in her sidebar.
I'd like to share with you the layout I submitted for her CT competition.

This page was done with her Fairest of All kit, and the fonts are Vivaldi and Perpetua. This kit is one in a series of Disney-inspired kits, and I am so looking forward to working with them!

In other news, there's something coming up this weekend...I can't tell you details right now...but if you come back on Sunday, there'll be a little sumpin' sumpin' for ya!

Happy scrapping!

Whatcha listening to?

2009-08-13T08:18:00.002-05:00

Well, at the moment, I'm hearing Kailan sing some inane song on Nickelodeon. LOL. Nick Jr has some new CDs out and I know Rachel would love them, but I hear enough of them on TV during the day.
OK...enough of that little ramble! The reason for the title question comes from today's FOB2Y question, which is all about what songs we are 'into' right now. I don't know that my post will help Teresa out much, because I don't generally listen to current releases and hits. In general, I only listen to radio when I'm in the truck, and for the most part, I keep the XM tuned to Family Talk 170 or Fox News 168.
In the event that I'm in the mood for song, I tend to gravitate towards the 80s station, the pop stations that play 80-90s stuff, or the hair band stations. So these are the songs that I do enjoy...although they are not the songs that I am 'into' right now, because I am not 'into' any songs at all!
How about 10 pieces of music that I love....
1. anything by Def Leppard (can't pick just one LOL)
2. Rock Star by Nickelback
3. Independence Day by Martina McBride
4. It's Raining Men by The WeatherGirls
5. Why? by Nicole Nordeman
6. Enter Sandman by Metallica
7. Country Ain't Country Anymore by Travis Tritt
8. Canon in D by Pachelbel
9. Amazing Grace by Chris Tomlin
10. Unwritten by Natasha Beddingfield

Oh, the Places You'll Go (or have been)...FOB2Y style

2009-08-06T08:34:00.003-05:00

Hi there scrappy friends! Today Andrea over at the SSD blog has been nice enough to give a pretty easy FOB2Y challenge...to post on your blog a photo of somewhere you've been in the past month. Well, I'm going to post a few photos...here goes:
We went to Houston in early July...

And on the way home, we stopped at Woody's in Centerville, TX...if you are ever travelling on I-45 between Houston and Dallas, this is a MUST!

Drove across Lake Texoma on the way home...

And lastly, a trip to the zoo in mid-July...

I'll be back later to share some pages...time to go finish cooking breakfast for my crew!

MMM-MMM Good....

2009-07-30T08:19:00.009-05:00

It's National Cheesecake Day...so to celebrate, the Sweet Shoppe FOB2Y is all about cheesecake. I'll admit I don't like cheese...but cheesecake isn't really cheese, right? LOL. Cheesecake would be mine and hubby's favorite...in fact, my bridal cake was a DELICIOUS three layer cheesecake.

As far as favorite cheesecakes go, I'd probably have to say just a plain cheesecake, with a sour cream topping. I have an easy recipe for one (scrapped with Sherri Tierney's Cookin Up Some Love)

Now, if we're at The Cheesecake Factory (who has 1/2 price slices today only BTW), then I generally get classic light, turtle, or Snickers cheesecake. Wonder if Rachel would like it LOL...we could stop by for a piece and check out our new Lego store in one trip out today.
OK, enough of fattening, artery-hardening, cholesterol-raising talk...I've got some layouts to share!

Garden of Weedin' Page Kit by Kristmess

Good Day Sunshine by Christy Lyle & ScrapKitchen; SDD July Mega kit template by AmyM Designs

Puddles of Sunshine by Eva Kipler; Aimee's Style by AmyM Designs

Berry Sweet by Kristin Cronin-Barrow; Charmers by AmyM Designs

Nature Walk by Verena Karolyi; Aimee's Style by AmyM Designs

Got Spirit? by Heather Roselli; Social Hangups by Julie Billingsley

PJ Girls by Lliella

Tangy by Sherri Tierney

Spoonful by Isabel Mendez; template by Connie Prince

Happy Dance by Eva Kipler

Candyland by Stacy Carlson

Shabby Cottage by Shabby Pickle team

Sea Wonders by Isabel Mendez and Kristin Aagard

Squeaky Clean by Heather Roselli

BuziBugs Birthday by Lori Davison

Life's a Picnic by Connie Prince; Social Hangups by Julie Billingsley

Sunshine and Rainbows by Julie Bullock

Lil Sailor by Kristin Cronin-Barrow

Walkin on Sunshine by Traci Reed

Rain Rain by Krystal Hartley and mle Card

Sweet Dreams by Isabel Mendez

The Name Game

2009-07-23T10:09:00.001-05:00

Ohhhh, I like this quiz!!! I agree...I hate trendy, cutesy, oddball names.

You Like Names that Are Retro and Fashionable

You like names that are from the past but becoming modern again.

Names with a strong history are very appealing to you.

You're a big believer in giving children very adult sounding names.

You're not a fan of nicknames or newfangled spellings.

Some female names you might like: Audrey, Emma, Fiona, Georgia, Isabelle, Naomi, Rosemary, and Veronica

Some male names you might like: Brendan, Colin, Ethan, Jared, Kenneth, Martin, and Nathaniel

What Kind of Names Do You Like?

It's too early!

2009-07-16T08:12:00.003-05:00

I should still be asleep, but since I'm not, I'm popping in to share my FOB2Y post for the week.

You Should Spend Your Summer at the Beach

You're a free spirit who is always thinking of new ways to have fun.

And you don't just love summer... you live for it.

So, you really should blow off your responsibilities and head to the beach!

Where Should You Spend Your Summer?

***this isn't really me...I love the beach, but I don't swim and I don't tan. A Pacific Northwest beach, with forests and mountains, sure. A tropical beach (ie Caribbean, Mexico, etc) does not appeal in the least.

Hot Hot Hot

2009-07-13T16:26:00.003-05:00

What's gone on lately...it's hot. My laptop was lost and then found by the Geeks at our local Best Buy. It's hot. The RAM on the laptop was corrupt, and when I went to reload everything from the EHD back onto the laptop, I found that the EHD was dead. So I've lost alot of stuff, even though I backed it up. And it's hot. Did I mention it was hot?
Hot means 108 degrees, and an air conditioner that broke sometime Saturday night. The repairman didn't get here until about 8pm on Sunday, and it was probably 2 or 3 in the morning until the house was cooled off again. Seriously, I don't know how people manage without air conditioning! We were miserable, but I am so grateful that we are cool again.

And yay, I'm back to scrapping again...although I'm missing all of my photoshop goodies (bummer), and my sweet rewards will probably go to waste this month (another bummer). This is what I just finished...a layout of Rachel's first night in her big girl bed, using Robin, Fee, and Zoe's Twitter kit.

I'm tired...

2009-07-01T23:42:00.001-05:00

It's late, and I need to go to bed, but since the FOB2Y is posted, I'm going to go ahead and get it done. So......

You Are a Banana Smoothie

You are friendly and popular without even trying to be. People just like you.

You are easy to be around and never offend everyone. You're quite mild.

You have a warm demeanor, and many people find you to be inviting.

You are sympathetic and kind. You have a soft spot in your heart for everyone.

What Flavor Smoothie Are You?

Can I say EWWW? I love bananas, but not in smoothie form!

Swimsuit Season

2009-06-25T20:57:00.002-05:00

Summer is definitely here...it's about 100 degrees here. Icky, yucky...I do not enjoy summer weather. It's just too hot to get out and do anything.
But for those who enjoy getting out during the hot weather, this week's FOB2Y quiz is all about swimsuits...

You Are a One Piece Swimsuit

You are a bit conservative and traditional.

And you are not at the beach to put your body on display!

You are a low maintenance person. You like to look good, but you're not vain.

Your taste tends to be sophisticated. You always opt for classy over trashy.

What Kind of Swimsuit Are You?

I Be Smart...

2009-06-18T08:55:00.001-05:00

Actually, people who know me consider me to be very intelligent, and who am I to argue?

Your Gift is Intellect

You are a big thinker, and you're always playing with new ideas.

You are curious about the world. You enjoy learning and developing new theories.

You enjoy researching, analyzing, and solving problems. Thinking hard feels good!

You're the type of person who finds most mental tasks to be easy. You love to stretch your brain.

What's Your Gift?

This and that

2009-06-11T09:51:00.006-05:00

Hi again! Thank you SSD...if it wasn't for FOB2Y, I'd never get this blog updated!
Here is this week's quiz...

You Are Bitter

You aren't bitter at the world, even though you have a strong personality.

Instead, you are sophisticated and cultured. You appreciate acquired tastes.

You are very powerful. You have the ability to change a room's energy.

While some may find you disagreeable, your points of view are intelligent and interesting.

What Taste Are You?

And now some scrapbook layouts from the past week or two...

Cherry Sweet by Kristin Cronin-Barrow

Grinalicious by Melissa Bennett & Lauren Grier

All-American Girl by Robin Carlton & Misty Cato (I won kirstiegai's template challenge @SOA with this entry)

Armina's Black Beauty

All-American Girl by Robin Carlton & Misty Cato

Cherry Sweet by Kristin Cronin-Barrow

I Sea by Eva Kipler & Amanda Heimann

Belly Flop by Traci Reed

Precious Mei by Armina

Seaside by Kristin Cronin-Barrow

Top Notch Templates by AmyM Designs

You and Me Baby by Lauren Grier & Shawna Clingerman

PB&J by Pamela Donnis
Remind Me Templates by AmyM Designs

Carefree by Heather Roselli & Tracey Howard
Remind Me Templates by AmyM Designs

Fly Away by Heather Roselli

template by AmyM Designs for Scrappity-Doo-Dah challenge

Chunky Monkey by Robin Carlton & MandaBean

1 Liners Templates by AmyM Designs

The Littlest Bake Shop by Dani Mogstad, Fee Jardine, and MandaBean

1 Liners Templates by AmyM Designs

Storybook Princess by Julie Billingsley

Zoo Day!

2009-06-04T08:45:00.003-05:00

Well, it's not technically zoo day here, but I do love the zoo! I missed out on buying the discounted Family pass, so I guess I'll have to shell out the full price, because I'd love to be able to take Rachel all year long.

At our zoo, my favorite animals are the twin grizzlies. They were brought here from Alaska (I think) after their mother was killed. We generally go to the zoo when it's not too hot, and we ususally get to see these two being active and playful.

Here Comes Summer!

2009-05-28T09:36:00.002-05:00

Can you believe it! June is just days away...time goes by faster and faster each year. As we head into the summer months, kids are getting out of school and some people are planning getaways. As a SAHM to a 3yr old, my whole life is summer vacation! Actually, summer is my least favorite time of year because I hate the heat. I definitely prefer spring and fall. Ah well.
This summer, I'm hoping to get out with Rachel more, and let her fave some fun here in the city. She's old enough to enjoy going to the movies, so we are definitely going to see Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs...they've changed the book, of course, but it still looks cute.
I'm also planning to take her to the Crystal Bridge (our botanical gardens). They are opening a new exhibit with fairies, pirates, and such.
We're going to be getting her big-girl bed in June...so we shall be getting rid of the crib/toddler bed. I've got her room painted and I bought her new bedding...so all we need is the bed and another side rail (my girl tosses and turns ALOT).
We're going to take a quick trip to visit Mom, and I'm HOPING HOPING HOPING to get up to Kansas City to visit Sharon Kay. Since hubby is talking about going to the Branson area for our family vacation, I might just take Rachel to KC for a few days of girl time. And we are also hoping that Sharon makes it down here, either this summer or early fall.
Enough of my boring life...I have been on a scrapping spree this week...take a peek!

For a template challenge at Stamping Out Alzheimer's

For a scraplift challenge at Stamping out Alzheimer's

Sweet Shoppe Cookie Challenge

SAL challenge at Stamping out Alzheimer's

Kit challenge at Stamping Out Alzheimer's

The Details template by AmyM Designs @ Scrappity-Doo-Dah; Boy Trouble & Preppy Boy by Sherri Tierney @ Elemental Scraps

One word challenge at Stamping Out Alzheimer's; The Details template by AmyM Designs @ Scrappity-Doo-Dah

May in Review

2009-05-23T18:53:00.007-05:00

Can you believe that we are nearing the end of May already??? Time has flown by. It's been a much better month than April was...not perfect, but definitely better.
Some highlights:
1. Mom came to visit!
2. Mother's Day trip to the Zoo
3. Becoming a part of Amy's CT
4. Getting my scrapping mojo back
5. Finding the library movie that we thought we had lost (yay)
6. Rachel enjoying getting postcards in the mail from Sharon Kay at DisneyWorld
7. Reading 3 books, just for fun

Let me share some CT pages using AmyM Designs' templates with you guys!

AmyM's 3's No Crowd:

AmyM's Sassy:

AmyM's Top Notch:

On the not fun note...
more dental problems. To make a hideously long story sorta short, I had a crown put on a molar last year. The incompetent dentist (seriously...4 of the teeth she worked on had to be totally redone) didn't put the crown on properly, because the new dentist found that there is a gap, and bacteria are getting inside. I thought that the tooth was abcessing...starting to have a swelling. They gave me antibiotics, but after a few days, it's becoming obvious that this swelling is rock hard...or should I say bone hard. My wisdom tooth...blech...seems to have moved from where it was, and now there is a super hard bulge above the tooth that needs its crown replaced.

Off to take some meds and get Rachel to bed. Happy scrapping!

Drumroll please.....

2009-05-18T19:20:00.009-05:00

Well, the proverbial cat is out of the bag, so I am thrilled to be able to share my news! I was invited to join AmyM Designs' Creative Team, and believe me I jumped at the chance! I am a HUGE template fan, and hers are fantastic!! I love all of the details on her templates. I've been on the team for not quite a week, and have already gotten several layouts done. That exciting news was enough for me to get my mojo flowing again. Here are some of the pages that I've done this week using Amy's templates...the first two are from her Jump-Spin pack, and the second two are from Here's the Story.

If you want to snag some of these fab templates for yourself, Amy's having a sale tomorrow...each of these packs will only be $1.00USD each! Go check them out at www.scrappity-doo-dah.com.

And if you're needing even more templates, she'll be having a Memorial Day sale in her store...50% off of everything! Woot woot! Just use coupon code AMDmemday50 at checkout.

I have more to share, but I'll have to make that another post, because it would appear that my daughter is about to trash my living room...gotta run!! Happy scrapping everyone!!!

WOOT!

2009-05-14T08:40:00.002-05:00

I got some exciting news this week...I just can't share it with you yet! Suffice it to say that as soon as I get the green light, I'll fill y'all in.

Do you remember when it seemed like the entire planet had Star Wars fever? I was only 6 when the original came out (hard to imagine)...it was the only movie that I ever watched from the balcony of Houston's old Alabama theater. I remember my aunt telling me about Han being frozen in carbonite BEFORE I saw Empire Strikes Back, and then I'm sure I bugged my mom to go see the movie myself. I remember waiting in line for 3 or 4 hours to see The Return of the Jedi on it's opening weekend...I HAD to find out what happened to Han (he was my first movie crush). The newer trilogy...well, I've seen all three, but they just don't hold my interest like the originals did.
All of this talk is thanks to Lizzy (oh, and Happy Birthday George Lucas LOL). Here are the results of my FOB2Y for the week:

Your Star Wars Name Is Staco Alhou

Your Star Wars Title Is Notcin of Lehcar

What Is Your Star Wars Name and Title?

FOB2Y

2009-05-07T07:24:00.002-05:00

Well, it's been awhile...things were awful around here in April and I had no mojo so to speak. But I'm back on the scrapping wagon now. I'm now awake enough to fool with posting pics though LOL...maybe later.
Here's my FOB2Y quiz of the week...the results are pretty close to the mark this time!

You Are Chirping Birds

You are a very caring person. You especially feel for innocent beings, like animals and children.

You are keyed in to the world and very peaceful. You believe that everyone is connected.

You remain focused and in the moment. You are not easily distracted.

You have a good memory, especially for things that you hear. You listen carefully.

What Part of Spring Are You?

TV and other stuffies

2009-04-02T16:33:00.002-05:00

First off, OUCH, I just burned myself on the George Foreman Grill, YIKES! Now back to our regularly scheduled programming!

Today's FOB2Y question is about TV:
Simply blog about 5 TV shows that you have seen EVERY episode of. If you haven’t seen every episode of any then list 5 that you wish to see in their entirety.

Well, let's see...shows that I HAVE (as far as I know) seen every episode of:
1. Spongebob Squarepants
2. Dora the Explorer
3. Nihao Kailan
4. Wow Wow Wubbzy
5. The Wonder Pets
I'm sorry to say that I have seen these episodes MORE than once LOL

As far as shows for ME that I've seen all or most of the episodes...
1. King of the Hill (I want to live in Arlen LOL)
2. Criminal Minds
3. CSI: Miami
4. Seinfeld (ok, the last season was hard to watch, and the last episode STUNK)
5. Everybody Loves Raymond

Now on to some pictures...I've definitely had the blahs lately, but I've done a few pages. I'm really ready for a change of scenery or some fun festivals or events to break me out of the day-to-day routine.

I am loving Pet Society and FarmTown on Facebook. I scrapped this page about PS with Sherri Tierney's Canine Cuties.

These pics from the Weather Festival were scrapped with Lauren Grier's Stormy Weather.

This page of Bear in the bluebonnets was scrapped with one of my go-to favorites, Blue Skies & Flutterbyes by Traci Reed.

These pics were in my to-be-redone stash, and I LOVE how this turned out! I used Kristin Cronin-Barrow's Lil Sailor & add-on for this layout.

I just did this page yesterday for the new TOTM challenge @ SSD. I used the Fresh & Festive collab (LOVE the colors).

Another photo from the same series as the previous layout, scrapped with Valarie Ostrom's Sweet Nothings.

That's all for now...need to go check on the chicken again (hopefully without burning myself this time!)

Spring or Winter, and a short quiz

2009-03-26T10:05:00.003-05:00

Well, I am doing my weekly FOB2Y post, but first, I just have to say that the weather must be bipolar or something. We've had days that were near 90 degrees in the past several weeks. However, this weekend, the forecast is for 3-6 inches of snow!!! I know that I was kind of bummed that we didn't really get any snow this year, so Rachel couldn't get out and play in it. But to be honest, I wasn't looking for any at this point. Just when we're breaking out the springy clothes and planning outdoor activities, we get this. Oh well.

On to the quiz.

You Are Facebook

You are social, outgoing, and excited to connect to your friends.

You are interested in your friends' lives, and you enjoy adding your opinion to the mix.

While you enjoy sharing online, you don't want everyone to know your business.

You value your privacy. Your life is an open book to those you know but not to strangers.

Are You Facebook, MySpace, or Twitter?

I'm pleased with my results. I don't Twitter...see no point in it...and I don't do MySpace. But I've recently become a Facebooker, and really enjoy it. So yay for good quiz results!

Are you chocolate or vanilla?

2009-03-19T09:11:00.002-05:00

Yum...now I want an ice cream soda LOL. Today's SSD FOB2Y post is meant to make us ruin diets, I think!

You Are Vanilla

You are a delightful, friendly person. You are optimistic about life and people.

You are enthusiastic and energetic. You enjoy everything you do.

You are cooperative and flexible. You get along with people from many walks of life.

You're not a show off. Instead, you're more likely to help other people shine.

Are You Chocolate or Vanilla?

Cookie time, and Happy Birthday!

2009-03-12T11:39:00.003-05:00

I have to start this post with a big happy birthday to that plastic blonde icon, Barbie, who turned 50 this week. Have you seen the reproductions of some very popular versions of the past? I really really want to snag one or two that are repro's of dolls that I had as a child...Superstar Barbie (with snazzy pink glittery boa LOL) and Malibu Barbie with a hideous looking tan. They're a bit pricey so I will probably pass though.
Also, my dear hubby's birthday is tomorrow...and he's oh so thrilled to realize that he is even older than Barbie. We've gotten a gift for him from Rachel, but I haven't gotten him anything from me yet...I was going to take care of that today, but it's been sleeting and snowing all day, so it might have to wait until tomorrow.
I've not felt super scrappy lately...the weather has been blah and that's pretty much how I've felt, but I've done a handful of pages.

Rachel at the zoo, scrapped with Sherri Tierney's X's and O's

Scrapped with Lauren Grier & Heather Roselli's You Make the World Go Round

With Heather Roselli's Squeaky Clean

With Connie Prince & Lisa West's Star Struck

Two pages with Connie Prince's Easy Breezy

And now, what you've all been waiting for...girl scout cookie time! Um, do people really look forward to this time of year? LOL. I haven't bought them in several years, but I do recall at one time liking Samoas/Caramel deLites...although the last time I tried one, I thought that they were too sweet for my liking. If I had to buy any now, I'd probably go for the Peanut Butter Patties or Do-Si-Dos.

Is it springtime yet?

2009-03-05T08:44:00.002-06:00

I have to wonder...yesterday morning is was downright cold and very windy here. Today it's supposed to be 88 degrees...this weekend we're going to be in the 60s and next week will be in the 40s again. I'm bummed that we didn't get any snow to speak of, but oh well. Springtime's coming...I'm looking forward to seeing leaves on the trees and flowers blooming. We definitely need rain though...I welcome the thunderstorms but NOT the tornadoes.

Along the same line of thinking, SSD's FOB2Y challenge is all about flowers today...I'm supposed to choose my favorite bunch of flowers...

Your Daisies Say You're Very Resilient

You have a spirt of pure optimism. Your view of the world is eternally cheerful.

You are bold and vibrant. Incredibly striking, you always stand out in a crowd.

You are adaptable and flexible. You can thrive in almost any situation.

You are often under estimated. Your critics and enemies are in for a surprise.

What Do The Flowers You Pick Say About You?

*SNORT* this is WAY WAY WAY off base LOL!!!

My IRL favorite flowers weren't an option, so I'm going to show them to you myself.

Farewell to the birthday bash

2009-02-26T09:49:00.003-06:00

Well, hard to imagine, but February is coming to a close. And with it comes the end of Sweet Shoppe's birthday celebration. I was thrilled to win MandaBean's birthday contest, and be a runner-up in Traci Reed's contest as well. There are a few more contests still going on, so head on over and check them out this week while you still have a chance to win.
I can't believe how warm it's getting...today our high is supposed to be 80! I guess Rachel can wear shorts today LOL. Seriously, this girl is growing so fast that we are running out of clothes for her. Earlier this week, we played 'dress-up'...and had her try on all of her clothes. Nearly half of them have been tossed, along with most of her shoes. I'm so glad that the JBF sales are coming up in a few weeks, and neighborhood garage sales should start popping up around here within the next month as well.
We went for very belated Christmas and Valentine's portraits last week, and picked them us this week.

ADSR4 is now OFFICIALLY over...we are just waiting on the prize drawings. I had SUCH a wonderful time in the race, and I am looking forward to another go-round. I just wish I didn't have to wait another year for it! There was a 13th challenge that would up being optional. I completed it, and I'd love to show it to you, but I apparently don't have it saved on this computer!
OK, on to LOs that I actually DO have to show you...

Scrapped with Growing Up Boy by Sweet Digi Scraps & Valarie Ostrom, available at BTST and Gotta Pixel:

For the current Cookie challenge at SSD, scrapped with La & MandaBean's Bumble Bee Mine:

For SSD's One Word challenge, scrapped with KCB's Love is in the Air...and no, I didn't misspell 'valentine'...I used Rachel's pronunciation:

And finally, for Tracy Blankenship's template/project 52 challenge at FPD, scrapped using Lliella's CNY kit:

And now, on to the FOB2Y challenge...a random fact about birthdays...
In the U.S.A., the most common birth date is October 5 and the least common is May 22. Our family has lots of May birthdays...a few in Octobner...so maybe we're odd ducks LOL.

Hogwash...

2009-02-18T23:08:00.004-06:00

or as Spongebob might say, what a load of barnacles.

You Are a Tycoon

Watch out Donald Trump! You've got a head for business and money.

You'll make it rich some day, even if you haven't figured out how yet.

A supreme individualist, you shouldn't get stuck in a corporate job.

Instead, make your own way - so that you can be the boss.

Your strength: Your undying determination

Your weakness: You require an opulent lifestyle

Your power color: Plum

Your power symbol: Dollar sign

Your power month: August

What Does Your Birth Date Mean?

I will take this time to say that every single thing about this is absolutely wrong...which doesn't surprise me in the least. I am so glad that this is NOT the kind of person that I am.

The End. Word.

2009-02-12T08:16:00.002-06:00

Well, we're at the end of the ADSR. I've completed my portion of number 12, and even did the bonus challenge. I've gotten in the habit of sharing my pages with you here, but this is just a quick post today, as I have to leave for the dentist's office in about 20 minutes. So for now, here are my quiz results for today's blog challenge at SSD.

Your Word is "Love"

You see life as possibility to form deep connections with a few people.

Relationships are the center of your world, and you always take time to bond with those you love.

You are caring and giving. You enjoy helping those you love.

And when it comes to romantic love, you feel passionately ... even in a very long term relationship.

What's Your Word?

I have to laugh...I took this quiz a couple of weeks ago, and I must have given different answers, because I got a different result!

Birthdays and we're also to the finish line.....

2009-02-06T21:17:00.003-06:00

Well, time for an ADSR update. I'm bummed...just one more week to go. Challenge 9 was hosted by KB and Friends, and it was a generation challenge. Here's my take on the challenge, using ScrapKitchen and Shabby Miss Jenn's beautiful Flower Stand kit:

I was all set for challenge #10, but it was a roadblock, and I wasn't able to do the layout (I wanted to though LOL...I get SO inspired with the race challenges!) However, I did get to participate, and Sharon Kay had to interview me and then make a layout based on my answers. I told her I might go ahead and interview her too LOL, so that I can make a page too! I know I'll be kind of down when the race is over, and hope that I can participate again.

The sample challenge page for the Generations challenge at KB and Friends showed baby pictures of three generations of women, and I guess that really stuck with me, because I found myself doing that same sort of page today! Here's what I did with Valarie Ostrom's Simple Inspirations 5 Mini kit from BTST:

One of my layouts was selected as a Gallery Standout at Gotta Pixel this week...I was thrilled, because this page was not my norm, and I wasn't sure if others would like it as much as I did! I used Elka Romero's Green Earth-Worms' Tale (huge and fun kit!)

I've started re-scrapping some of the pages that I lost when my computer crashed, as well as redoing those crappy early pages that alot of us digiscrappers claim to have (I know I have quite a few LOL). These photos are some of our favorites, and when I saw this kit in ES's dollar sale a few weeks ago, I had to have it. I'm a sucker for ladybugs LOL. The kit is Lil Lady Revisited by Mandy Mystique.

And finally, woohoo, I found an adorable outfit for Rachel this week! I was so thrilled to try it on her today...it was a perfect fit! The kit is Heather Roselli's Got Spirit, which I was thrilled to win in one of her blog contests.

OK, down to the main reason for posting LOL...I need my SSD point! This week's topic...birthdays...how appropriate considering the fact that mine is 2 days away!
I'll be honest...I'm not a birthday fan. I don't mind getting a year older; as a matter of fact, I look at birthdays the same way I look at New Years...it's just another day. I'm no different today than I was yesterday. Of course, as a child, things can be a bit different. Of course I loved getting birthday presents, but to share my favorite birthday or favorite present or party...that's darn near impossible. Honestly, I don't remember any birthday presents...I know I got them, but I couldn't tell you anything that I got (with the exception of a couple of things that I was really disappointed by). Parties...I had parties when I was younger...my last party was in the 5th grade when my mom planned a surprise party for me. I am NOT a party person...I am a shy introvert by nature, and I did not have alot of friends. I was SO angry with my mom for throwing that party; I actually locked myself in the bathroom and it took quite a while to get me to come out. That's really about all there is to tell...we don't do much for my birthday now...DH will go out and get me something, and we'll probably go out to dinner (but we usually go out on the weekend LOL), but there's no party or cake or anything.

I guess that's pretty much it...I'll catch up with you all next week, a week older, but probably not alot wiser ROTFL!

Week 4...

2009-01-29T09:11:00.002-06:00

ADSR is rolling on, with just two more weeks to go. Honestly, I have had such a good time that I will hate to see it end. I finish my challenge and immediately wanting another one LOL.

Challenge 7 was at Sunshine Studios. They provided us a mini kit and we had to use each item in a LO. We could recolor and add other stuff as well. The colors...definitely weren't me...I hate magenta. And the elements weren't really me, but I made them work alright. Honestly, this was the toughest challenge so far...I thought it would be an easy one, but it took a while to get this one done.
Here's how it turned out (with additions of DeDe Smith's bear, Sherri Tierney's bows, Redju's torn paper templates, and Micheline Martin's cardboard rip)

Challenge 8 was at Oscraps, which is one big site that I've never really spent much time at. I might have to now...I was really impressed with what I saw there. Their challenge was to lift someone you consider a 'scrapping idol'....well, I don't do idols, but there are some people whose work I really admire. I'll admit that my first thought was Cindy Schneider, Sugarbabe extraordinaire...but her pages are a bit intimidating to lift w/o help of a template (for me anyway LOL...esp on a time limit). I went through my folder of LOs that I saved for inspiration, and found one of Amanda Resende's pages titled "Happy Girl."
I lifted/flipped her page and came up with this, using La & Shawna's You and Me Baby.

And now some pages just for fun...
Sherri Tierney has a couple of new kits out this week...and one due out this weekend. This page is done with her new Flirty kit...love the fun colors!

I just did this page last night for SSD's cookie challenge. It's one of the pages I'm redoing after my hard drive crashed...bad me for not backing up layouts. I used Robin & MandaBean's Chunky Monkey kit.

And lastly, had to scrap this pictures of Dr. HEE-chel LOL. Heather Roselli RAK'd me with her new Me+U=Love kit last week. Here's a page I made with it:

What a shocker...

2009-01-29T08:55:00.001-06:00

Considering that fact that I'm not into New Year's resolutions, this is no surprise! Actually, alot of the questions on this quiz didn't apply to me...neither answer was appropriate...but the result is pretty much correct...the few times I made resolutions (usually because they were assigned as a class report) I never kept them.

You Probably Won't Keep Your New Year's Resolution

Something isn't quite right with the resolution you've selected. Maybe it's time for a different one?

Will You Keep Your New Year's Resolution?

Sesame Street Lives...

2009-01-26T17:24:00.003-06:00

Ok, I'll admit I always preferred Electric Company to Sesame Street...there's no way that Big Bird was better than the Adventures of Letter Man. But I found this quiz and had to take it (love the pointless trivial things LOL)

Love it...I do recall that Bert was my favorite character. Thank goodness Rachel's not into Sesame Street...she knows who Elmo is but other than that it's not part of our daily life. And alot of this quiz is pretty close to reality...I'll have to share it with some family and see if they think it's me LOL.

You Are Bert

Extremely serious and a little eccentric, people find you lovable - even if you don't love them!

You are usually feeling: Logical - you rarely let your emotions rule you

You are famous for: Being smart, a total neat freak, and maybe just a little evil

How you life your life: With passion, even if your odd passions (like bottle caps and pigeons) are baffling to others

The Sesame Street Personality Quiz

ADSR Week 3 and other random thoughts

2009-01-22T09:00:00.003-06:00

We've completed Week 3 of the ADSR (I think) and are still going strong. Right now Sharon and I are just waiting for our last layout to be checked in...I'm getting antsy!

Challenge 5 was at Anita Stergiou Designs, and it was to make a layout using three frames and NO photos. I used Verena Karolyi's Natural Inspiration and came up with this:

Challenge 6 at Inspiration Lane was a roadblock. One of us had to choose a layout from our partner's gallery, flip it, turn it 45 degrees, and use that as a page sketch. I took Sharon Kay's 'Robotics Kickoff' LO from Sweet Shoppe and came up with this page, using Heather Roselli's Chocolate Cravings.

Some other pages I've done lately...
using the Life is Good collab by Valarie Ostrom and Sweet Digi Scraps:

using Comfort Zone by Mad Scrapper Designs:

and finally, I had LOTD at Gotta Pixel yesterday. I submitted this page using Cherie Shields' Noosa Escape, Noosa Escape Add-on, and Vintage Frames:

And it's Thursday...FOB2Y day. Today I'll keep it short and sweet (pun might or might not be intended LOL). Our prompt today is to talk about our favorite kind of cupcake. Simply put, I don't really like cupcakes. Actually, I'm not a big cake person at all. So as far as favorite cupcakes go, I don't have one. I guess if someone made mini cheesecakes in cupcake form I'd go for them!

Shopping & Money

2009-01-15T11:19:00.003-06:00

Well, my digi shopping has come to halt due to a financial issue here...mainly having a financial company run away like the dish with the spoon...except instead of taking my spoon, they took about $1000 that was due to be paid towards my bills. Needless to say, my digi habit is being put on the back burner. I did buy ONE thing...but it was at the ES dollar sale, and that's it for the month. I'm hoping to get this mess settled soon (but not holding my breath).
Ah well, enough whining. More LOs to share! ADSR is going strong...Sharon and I have completed the first 4 challenges, and are waiting on #5 on Sunday.

Here's my LO for #3, a re-do of one of my first digi layouts (and first ever at GP, who hosted this challenge). Scrapped with Verena Karolyi's 'Sophie' and 'Loving Mommy.' Full credits here.

Challenge #4 at Tangie Baxter Designs was much tougher. The art and soul challenge required the use of altered art/ephemera/art elements and journaling from the soul. I was tempted to use a kit with paint, crayons, etc...but I've wanted to try out some new things, so this is what I came up with:

Most of the stuff here is from Weeds & Wildflowers...full credits here.

And some more LOs, just for fun.

Using Heather Roselli's Chocolate Cravings kit....woohoo, I won a GC from Heather with this LO!

Mom, Nanny, and Rachel made cookies at Christmas...scrapped using KristinCB & Meg Mullens' Cozy Kitchen.

Reading at Christmastime...using Rhyme Thyme by Traci Reed & Meg Mullens

Loving this! One of Rachel's favorite Christmas gifts...her tool bench. Scrapped with Misty Cato's Daddy's Apprentice kit

My little rocker, playing her guitar (another Christmas present). Scrapped with Heather Roselli's Punk Rock Princess.

And my new favorite all-purpose kit would have to be Traci Reed's Blue Skies and Flutterbys...I've used it for several LOs...here are two recent ones:

Now on to the real reason for this post LOL...quiz time!!!

You Are a Reluctant Shopper

You really don't enjoy shopping. For you, it's just another chore.

You approach shopping systematically. You research what you're going to buy and come prepared with a list.

Of all the types, you are the most likely to not buy things you don't need.

You try to de-emphasize stuff in your life. You find shopping and buying things to be a rather empty experience.

What Kind of Shopper Are You?

Ummm...about the results here...this might be true at times (yes, grocery shopping is a chore, but I don't really mind it)...but I love digi shopping! But it's alot more fun when you have money ROTFL!

Happy scrapping and enjoy your weekend!

And we're off!

2009-01-08T10:02:00.004-06:00

Woohoo, ADSR4 is up and running! So far the first 2 challenges have been given, and my awesome BF/racing buddy/chief enabler Sharon Kay and I have completed both of them.

Here's my LO for the first challenge, which was at Hummie's World; the challenge was to use a photo torn into at least 3 pieces, and to have some journaling. I used Amy Leigh Fennell's Sophisticated Chick for this LO.

The second challenge was an intersection...Sharon and I had to work on a layout together, and use 3 photos, 4 papers, 8 unique elements, 3 fonts, and have journaling and a title. Most of the things from this LO come from Rachel Martin & Sherri Tierney's collab Rowan.

And finally, it's FOB2Y Thursday...I love pointless quizzes LOL!!! Actually, they are generally pretty close to the mark, but this one...not.

Your Snow Test Says You're Independent

You feel like something good will happen to you in the next few weeks.

You love to work, especially when work is creative. You have the makings of a successful artist.

You are an independent, individualistic person. You thrive when you're doing your own thing.

Your biggest worry in your life is your health. You tend to be a bit of a hypochondriac.

When it comes time to relax, you really indulge. You are all about your favorite comforts.

The Snow Test

A New Year

2009-01-03T09:39:00.004-06:00

Hi peeps...long time no post. Life has been so hectic and crazy! I have to thank the gals at Sweet Shoppe for the blog challenges LOL...it's about the only time I actually post here anymore. But woohoo, I actually do have some pics to share today.

Rachel on her third birthday...she LOVES her leather skirt!

This dress is the flower girl version of my wedding dress...I found it on Ebay last year and had to get it!

And in her Halloween costume, made by NiNi:

And how I scrapped the princess dress, using Kristin CB's Cherry Blossoms from SSD:

And using Julie Billingsley's Storybook Princess, also at SSD:

And from Rachel's birthday party, using Sarah Meyer's She's a Star and Text Paths: Numbers for PSE from GP:

And with her favorite birthday present, a girly laptop from NiNi, using Good Times by She's Full of Scrap at GP:

We've had several day outings this fall/winter already...thankfully there have been several free festivals around, and we have taken advantage of them.
This photo is from the Open House at the National Weather Center on the OU campus, scrapped using Jennifer Barrette's You Keep Me Warm from GP:

Some of my favorite photos this year have been of Rachel in the pilgrim costume that her NiNi made for her...check them out! The first 2 are scrapped with Sherri Tierney's Pumpkin Pie Spice from ES; the last is scrapped with Verena Karolyi's Natural Inspiration and Sweet September kits from GDS:

I haven't gotten around scrapping many of our Christmas photos yet, but we did take Rachel to see Santa (twice LOL). The Santa at Bass Pro Shops was great...this one is scrapped with Fresh Snow by Randi Oh and Sweet Digi Scraps:

And lastly, for now, Rachel playing with one of her Christmas gifts, a rockin' guitar! Scrapped with Heather Roselli's Punk Rock Princess from SSD:

And speaking of SSD, that brings me back to the reason for this post in the first place...BLOG CHALLENGE! Need that point to earn a big discount to buy more stuff LOL!
Today's challenge...resolutions...well, I really don't make them. However, I do plan ahead, so these are my New Years plans/resolutions!
1. Work towards being debt free (arrgh, should have been finished paying off debts this year, but some crap has hit the fan this week and it might take a bit longer GRRR)...but still will be working towards having NO CREDIT CARD DEBT, period. YAY!
2. Drop at least one dress size...sigh...the weight issue. I have decided that instead of making some grand goal, I'm going to work towards losing one size...then I'll work towards losing another. Fingers crossed on this one.
Those are really the only two that I have...need to get Rachel potty trained this year too...that's going to be a family goal though, not just my own personal one.

That's about it for now, happy new year people!

Jack and PBCups

2008-10-24T14:11:00.000-05:00

Well, I kind of have to laugh at this quiz...the results are NOT me...and if I bought peanut butter cups to hand out at Halloween, we'd probably eat them all ourselves LOL.

What Your Jack-o-Lantern Says

You are a gleeful, exuberant person.

You enjoy a good party, and you even enjoy a good brawl.

This Halloween, there is no question what you should be... a pirate!

The candy you should give out: peanut butter cups

The Jack-o-Lantern Quiz

More Junk Food

2008-10-16T07:53:00.000-05:00

Ok, today's FOB2Y challenge is a Halloween Candy quiz...and guess what? I'm the good stuff! After taking the quiz, I figured it would tell me I was something really bland considering my answers LOL, but I'm happy with what it says...and it's somewhat true to the mark ROTFL.

Halloween Candy Quiz

You are a Chocolate Bar

Like the chocolate bar you are naughty but oh so good

Find out which Halloween Candy you are at Quizopolis.com

Fast Food...Junk Food

2008-10-05T22:06:00.001-05:00

Libby has sprung a question on the Sweet Shoppe blog...what's your favorite fast food, and how often do you eat there? Perfect timing since I'm jumpstarting my diet (hate that word).

My favorite fast food...that's easy, sort of. All-time favorite would have to be Chick-Fil-A...I know that they are not all over like some fast food places, but they are the best. They used to be a mall only kind of place, but we've had drive-ins in Houston for years, and woohoo, we have them one here in OKC now. Not that I go often...maybe every couple of months. I used to go alot more frequently in Houston because it was alot closer to my home. But every now and again I get the craving for their fantabulous nuggets and lemonade (the real stuff, not the nasty Country Time stuff).
I also like the fact that they are a Christian company...and they actually do close on Sundays. They regularly have family events like concerts and theme days. Our local stand-alone had a princess day several months ago and it was really neat. All the little girls were decked out in finery, and they had crafts for the kids. Best of all was the horse-drawn carriage that gave free rides to all of the princesses who came.
And if you are actually taking the time to read all of this babble, here's a tip...if a Chick-fil-A is opening near you, be one of the first to be there on opening day and you will win BIGTIME (a free meal every week for a year was the typical prize last time I heard).
OK, enough of that...we took Rachel on a Day out with Thomas (the tank engine) today. The ride wasn't all that big of a deal, but she's really into choo-choos right now and we enjoyed watching her excitement over the whole thing. Once I get pics uploaded I'll share some. Have a great week!

Update and typing test

2008-09-25T10:43:00.001-05:00

Well, mom has her power back on, yay...but still no hot water. But considering what alot of other people are dealing with, that's not bad.
She's got the fabric for Rachel's Halloween costume, YAY! I need to be on the lookout for some accessories...and I need to get to work on the birthday party...it's hard for me to imagine that the big day is just a month away.
We've been looking at big girl room stuff...and of course, it looks like Wal-Mart...where else LOL? They do have a really sweet purple and pink bedding set with flowers and butterflies...I so do NOT want a roomful of Dora. Between her Dora toys and pillows and blankets, I think that's enough of the clueless explorer and her monkey buddy.
Today's FOB2Y over at Sweet Shoppe is a typing test...I'm on the computer alot, but taking a timed test...yikes...it's been a LONG time since I've done that! Here's how I did:

74 words

Typingtest

And on a pretty cool note, Valarie Ostrom has invited me to be on her CT! She sells at colorlinedesign.com, which has some awesome challenges. If you've never been over there, you should check them out. All you have to do is complete three challenges a month (using any kit), and you receive their MEGA kit for free...and I do mean MEGA...they are HUGE! I missed last month's...life was hectic, but it was a boy-themed kit, so I can deal with it LOL. This month's kit is a darling girly kit, so of course I had to grab it.

I have uploaded some pics from the fair...as soon as I get them on photobucket, I'll share with you guys. Have a blessed day!

Photos of Ike

2008-09-18T18:19:00.001-05:00

Mom sent me some pics that she and a friend took before and after Hurricane Ike blew through Houston. Her area basically saw quite a bit of wind damage.

Aftermath and another quiz

2008-09-18T10:26:00.000-05:00

Well, Ike has come and gone, and good riddance! Thankfully Mom sustained no damage, and the storm didn't even knock out her power. Almost every building in her complex did, and the neighborhood and basically most of the city did, but she did not. However, Centerpoint did turn off her power AFTER the storm so that they could do repairwork. It stayed off until Monday night. She still doesn't have hot water because the complex boiler is in a building without power, but she's doing alot better than alot of people.
Now I need to gripe. OK, I've stayed glued to the local Houston station websites, and have been reading www.chron.com alot...trying to stay informed on what's going on. I am seeing and hearing lots of whining and moaning about FEMA. My 2 cents...

1. At the beginning of hurricane season, the newspaper and local stations always do a special or two about hurricane preparedness. They give a list of the supplies that you need to have on hand, just to be safe. Some stores even let you return the supplies AFTER hurricane season if you didn't end up needing them.
2. When Ike was several days out, the stations and paper were all pressing the need for people to have at least 3 days worth of supplies on hand just in case....and also said that you should have a full tank of gas.
3. When it was apparent that Galveston was going to get hit, the city was evacuating people on buses...so if you didn't have a way of your own off of the island, there were other options.

24 hours AFTER the storm, people are griping (Channel 13 really disgusted me...Miya needs to go!) about not getting assistance. THIS IS WHY EVERYONE WAS TOLD TO HAVE AT LEAST A THREE DAY SUPPLY OF NECESSITIES. It takes time to get roads cleared and to bring in supplies for 5+ million people.
I am disgusted that people are bitching and moaning (pardon my French...this just REALLY ticks me off) about not having ice when there are people who no longer have a home. People managed 100 years ago without ice at hand 24/7. I know that some people supposedly need ice to keep milk cold for their babies/toddlers. I have a 2 yr old who would be miserable w/o her milk. But if these people had used their heads, it would have occured to them that if power goes out, they wouldn't be able to keep milk cold. BUY POWDERED MILK FOR EMERGENCIES PEOPLE!!!!! It might not be the best, but it doesn't have to be refrigerated.
When my mom went to the grocery store right before the storm hit, she saw that people had cleaned out the freezer/refrigerator sections of the store...that makes no sense, unless the only people buying have generators. And from what I'm hearing in interviews, that's not always the case.
OK, enough venting from me. One thing that has impressed me is Channel 2's Frank Billingsley's reporting. He's the head meteorologist and has a home on Galveston Island. Instead of being at the station griping (like certain Channel 13 reporters), Frank was in the Channel 2 helicopter helping people. Viewers who lived in the Galveston area who couldn't get down there to see their homes were able to email Frank. While he was in the chopper, some of those viewers were called back, and Frank and the helicopter pilot would fly over that person's home and take video so that people could see what was left of their homes. It was nice seeing someone trying to help instead of trying to sensationalize a disaster. KUDOS TO FRANK AND CHANNEL 2.
Mom has taken some photos and as soon as I'm able to get them from her, I'll share them here.

Okay, on to my trivial matters. Today's FOB2Y quiz at Sweet Shoppe...it's a Twilight themed quiz. I've not read the books, don't want to read the books, and have no plan to do so. But I want the point LOL, so I'm taking the quiz anyway. Here goes:

You Could Be a Vampire... If You Had To

Like most people, the thought of being a vampire has crossed your mind. But you're not sure if you'd do it, even if you could.

Living forever doesn't sound half bad, if you could live forever with the people you love the most.

But do vampires even love? And would the vampire version of you even be you?

It's all too much to contemplate. Luckily, the chances of you ever becoming a vampire are astronomically low.

What you would like best about being a vampire: Living forever

What you would like least about being a vampire: Blood stained teeth

Could You Be a Vampire?

OK...let's see...living forever...yes, in Heaven with the Lord...but not as a vampire. Blood stained teeth..gross...I would NOT like that. I won't even eat a hamburger if it's the tiniest bit pink inside. So being a vampire or vamp wanna-be is definitely out for this gal.

Go go go Big Ike!

2008-09-11T14:23:00.000-05:00

Today's post is actually a chant that we did at pep rallies in high school...and now there's a big Ike headed towards my hometown, and I want it to go away! Actually, anyone concerned with oil prices should want Ike to head AWAY from the Houston area. But as of right now, it looks at though the Houston/Galveston area is right in the bulls-eye, and I am hoping that Petrochemical Row doesn't take a hard hit. Selfish me, I want to be able to afford to pay all of my bills and to go back home for Thanksgiving.

Enough of my whining. Today's SS blog quiz...how real are you...this one is sort of on the mark...except that I'm not confident about alot of things, and I've never been an optimist (I'm a realist, which means more often than not I sound like a pessimist LOL).

You Are 66% Real

You know who you are, and you're pretty darn comfortable with yourself.

Like everyone, you struggle with the parts of yourself that aren't so great...

But you're good at accepting who you are and not dwelling on your faults.

As a result, you're confident, optimistic, and very real.

How Real Are You?

Spelling Bees

2008-08-28T08:12:00.000-05:00

I took this week's FOB2Y quiz...it's a spelling quiz. It shows that I got one answer wrong, but won't say which one! Here ya go in case you want to check it out:

Your Common Spelling Mistake Score: 95% Correct

Your spelling is excellent.

You don't fall for common spelling pitfalls, and you spell almost everything correctly.

Do You Make Common Spelling Mistakes?

Finally...

2008-08-24T18:02:00.000-05:00

...a quiz that's not exactly on the money!

You Were the Arty Kid

Whether you were a drama freak or an emo poet, you definitely were expressive and unique.

You're probably a little less weird these days - but even more talented!

Who Were You In High School?

I really was not the arty kid...but the choices that this quiz gave for answers...well, most of them didn't apply, so I had to take the next best answer. Maybe that's why this quiz didn't turn out as dead-on as some of the others.

Quiz Day

2008-08-14T13:23:00.000-05:00

OK...another Sweet Shoppe FOBTY quiz (love these!). This quiz is all about what kind of American accent you have...I'm ok with the results I guess...I'm not from the Midland, but I am from a big southern city (Houston), and I generally don't have much of a Texan twang...but get me around a bunch of country folks and it just comes out LOL.

What American accent do you have? Your Result: The Midland "You have a Midland accent" is just another way of saying "you don't have an accent." You probably are from the Midland (Pennsylvania, southern Ohio, southern Indiana, southern Illinois, and Missouri) but then for all we know you could be from Florida or Charleston or one of those big southern cities like Atlanta or Dallas. You have a good voice for TV and radio.
The South
Philadelphia
The Inland North
The West
The Northeast
Boston
North Central
What American accent do you have? Quiz Created on GoToQuiz

50s on the brain...Grease and Happy Days

2008-08-07T21:09:00.000-05:00

Ok, both of those were 70s things, but they were BASED in the 50s (well, Happy Days started that way I THINK).
Anyways...I took the Grease quiz that Libby posted about on the Sweet Shoppe blog, and got a perfect 15 out of 15 woohoo! Which just goes to show that I've seen and listened to the soundtrack WAY too many times over the years ROFL!
And happy days...woohoo, I've started my guest stints with Eva Kipler, ScrapShana, and the Gotta Pixel team (didn't tell yall about that yet, huh?) I'm SO enjoying working with some different designers...it's really helping me to expand my comfort zone and try some different things in my layouts. I'm seeing my style change a bit, and I'm kind of excited about it. SIGH...one of these days, I'll get around to posting LOs to show. I know I know...don't promise what you can't deliver! I can...I just haven't. But I will...maybe! I need to need to need to. I'm hoping that one of these weekends DH will watch Rachel and I can spend a whole day in the office cleaning and posting, etc...and I'll actually post LOs at that point. Keeping my fingers crossed that it happens one day this decade LOL.
Off to bed now, catch up with yall later!

The Most Boring Teenager on Earth?

2008-07-17T11:36:00.000-05:00

LOL, Mimi Kim has posted a challenge on the Sweet Shoppe blog...to tell about your summer jobs or adventures as a teenager. The thing is, I don't know if I had any!
Let's see...I didn't work in the summers...without a car and not living on a bus line, that wasn't happening in Houston. So, let's think about adventures...I really was boring. Much more of a watcher than a doer. Only one of my friends had a car back then, and she did work, so we didn't do alot. I was also the chicken of the group, so I didn't want to try out alot of the things that others did...I was cautious of alot of stuff (and looking back, that was mostly a good thing.) I was always the bookworm who retreated to her bedroom with a stack of books, so about the most adventuresome thing I ever did was check out library books!

Vacation

2008-07-15T18:03:00.000-05:00

Thanks to the gals at Sweet Shoppe, I've got the Go-Gos stuck in my head, but that's ok...always liked the Go-Gos anyway. Last Thursday's blog challenge was to tell about a favorite vacation spot. I kept thinking I'd make this post and show you some LOs and pics of my favorite spots, but I haven't gotten around to doing that, so I suppose I'll just tell you about it.

My favorite vacation spot...definitely the Pacific Northwest. Oregon, Washington, British Columbia...I love them all. Haven't been to Alaska yet, but that's on my list! Being from Houston where flat and hot are the norm, I love going places where it's cool and where I can see mountains.

Some highlights from my 3 trips to OR, WA, and BC:
1. Whale watching at Lime Kiln State Park in Puget Sound
2. Driving the Columbia Gorge Highway and marvelling at the hundreds of waterfalls there
3. Getting caught in the snow on Mt. St. Helens
4. Hiking to remote waterfalls on Mt. Rainier and in Olympic National Park
5. Watching Carolyn fall hip-dip in the snow on Hurricane Ridge
6. Riding the ferry to Victoria, BC
7. Staying cliff-side in Squamish
8. Driving the Sea-to-Sky Highway, which is aptly named
9. Walking through the Hoh Rainforest in Olympic NP
10. Standing on the northwest tip of the continental US, looking out at Tatoosh Island on the Makah Reservation

OK, to other news...I've been blessed with 2 guest CT spots!!! I am doing a major major happy dance here! I am a HUGE Eva Kipler fan, and was thrilled when she offered me a guest spot. YEA HOORAY! About a week after that exciting news, ScrapShana also offered me a guest position on her team, YIPPEE!! I am really excited about working with these two fabulous designers!!!

I have been doing alot of LOs for Sherri Tierney...I am LOVING working with her kits! I seriously need to re-size some LOs to share with you. But until I get some quiet time in the office, that won't be happening. But please hop on over to my galleries and take a peek at what I've been up to.

Blessings to you and yours!

Happy Fourth!

2008-07-03T23:40:00.000-05:00

Happy Independence Day, everyone! This is one of my absolutely favorite days of the year. Another fun little quiz from Sweet Shoppe's blog today...here's who I am LOL...

What Your These Fireworks Say About You

You are focused, single minded, and intense.

You don't let others see your intensity often, and when they do, they are quite surprised.

You burn brightly, but you also burn steadily.

You have the endurance to get the one thing you desire most.

The Fireworks Test

I'm dopey on meds, so I won't spend time chatting right now, but hope to get some LOs posted later this weekend. Be safe!

Blog Me, Part 2

2008-06-25T22:48:00.000-05:00

Well, Blog Me Part 2 is going on right now, and this time, I am in the middle of the list as opposed to the top. We are still working with Wetfish Designs' Ellie and Lucy, available at Divine Digital. This kit was made for Kirsty Wiseman's daughter, and you can read more about this challenge in an earlier post, or head on over to the DD forums. This is the 2nd QP that we've done, and here's what it looks like right now:

Want to see what comes next? Go here.

1. tessthescrapper
blog: tessthescrapper.blogspot.com

2. teddy7
Blog: http://suzee-q-stuff.blogspot.com

3. ciocichar
Blog: http://memorylanecreationsbycharlene.blogspot.com/

4. okekeca
http://fwts.blogspot.com

YOU ARE HERE

6. claysmom
http://claysmommy.blogspot.com/

7. angmag55
http://angmag55.blogspot.com/

8. relocateddixiegirl
http://relocateddixiegir.blogspot.com

9. kiden
http://www.kiden.blogspot.com

My refrigerator is wise, and some great news (for me anyway)

2008-06-20T11:38:00.000-05:00

They've got a quiz link over on the Sweet Shoppe blog, and since I'm a sucker for quizzes, I took it, and this one was pretty much dead on! Have a look at what my refrigerator says about me:

What Your Fridge Says About You

You like to be surrounded by things you love. You aren't exactly greedy, but you can be materialistic at times.

You tend to be a fairly thrifty person. You splurge occasionally, but you're mostly a saver.

You don't tend to be a very adventurous person, but you do surprise everyone now and then. You have a bit of a wild side.

You are responsible, together, and mature. You act like an adult, even when you don't feel like it.

You are likely to be married - and very busy.

What Do the Contents of Your Refrigerator Say About You?

I've been accepted to Sherri Tierney's CT!!! I am so thrilled to have joined this team this past week. She's selling at Elemental Scraps and Purple Paper Flowers, and I love her style! I'd share some layouts with you, but they're on my other computer, but you can take a peek at them in my DST gallery for now.

Also, if you're a member at Digital Scrapn, there's a CT call going on. Check out the forum for details.

I'm scheduled for what I hope will be my last root canal on Monday morning...I am so sick and tired of the dentist. I'll be looking for a new one once I get my crowns in...I have caught them being dishonest, and they do not communicate at all. I could go on, but don't have the heart to go into all of it.

Hope that you have a fun and restful weekend...hope I do too LOL.

Nerds, Geeks, Dweebs, and more

2008-06-06T07:29:00.000-05:00

I ended up at the Sweet Shoppe blog this morning (and forgive me if I have typos...I'm still half asleep), and found a little quiz. I'll admit to being a bit of a quiz junkie...I know they are meaningless, but they're fun.

I'm not really surprised by the test results LOL...I was never a pocket-protecting, tape on glasses nerd, but I've always been more of the bookish, teacher's pet kind of nerd. Or at least was back in my younger years.

Ah well, on to other things. A big YEA...Rachel has used the potty twice in 2 days. I know it may not be a huge deal to others, but she'll be 3 in 4 months and those diapers & pullups aren't cheap.

What else?...I got a wild hair and decided to do some hybrid books. I got some freebie templates during NSD and during Scrap Orchard's SYWBD contest, and figured I'd go ahead and put them to use. So of course I buy an album that I have nothing for. Being new to it, and kind of lazy, I would rather use some templates or pre-made pages for now. Once I get the hang of it, then maybe I'll go ahead and do my own. They were pretty inexpensive...Hobby Lobby has all of their scrapbooks on sale for 1/2 off this week, so the Acrylic Scallop Album I bought ended up being about 5.50, and the Cosmo Cricket Abby album was 2.50. I think I think I think I'll end up getting the According to Kylee album at SSD for the Abby album. Those who know me are aware that I'm one of the most indecisive people around, so I might change my mind.

Are you going to take a vacation this year? Things are definitely getting out of hand price-wise, so if we go anywhere, it'll probably be in the fall and closer to home. I'm looking for things to entertain us around here. We've got a couple of things going on this weekend, and I'm hoping we get to go to one or the other. The Red Earth Festival parade is today, and the festival runs all weekend. Riverfest is also this weekend, and it's free, so that's probably a better option for us right now. And then there's the Chisholm Trail Round-Up...it's ALOT closer to the house, but not as appealing as the other options. But we'll see...it wouldn't surprise me if we did none of the above LOL.

Need to go make breakfast for the crew. Have a fantastic weekend.

Blog Me

2008-06-02T21:57:00.000-05:00

Wetfish Designs at Divine Digital has a really cool challenge going on this month. It's called Blog Me, and the gals who have signed up are taking turns adding pieces to the layouts. It's just started, and lucky me got to start the ball rolling...I added the torn paper in the corner. Take a peek:

Head here to see what happens next: http://angmag55.blogspot.com/

I just sent the page off to the next participant, you can follow us along by checking out the following links:

Blog Me List

www.wetfishscraps.blogspot.com

http://simplyscraps.blogspot.com (you are here)

http://angmag55.blogspot.com/

http://claysmommy.blogspot.com/

http://relocateddixiegirl.blogspot.com

http://fwts.blogspot.com/

http://treasuredreflections.blogspot.com/

http://grandmaspixels.blogspot.com/

http://memorylanecreationsbycharlene.blogspot.com

www.kiden.blogspot.com

I'm loving the colors...although I've never been a pink fan, I've definitely learned to appreciate the girly color since I had a little girl of my own! The kit is called Ellie and Lucy, and here's what the designer has to say about it:

This is a kit designed for Kirsty Wiseman's daughter, Ellie and her pet turtle, Lucy. You can read about Ellie here: http://www.kirstywiseman.com/ellie.html
50% of all the proceeds from this kit will be donated to Ellie's trust fund to help Ellie with her battles in the world of medicine. Ellie actually picked the colors, pink for her and green for her turtle, Lucy. I hope you like it and purchase it since it is for such a good cause. This kit is packed with great stuff. There are 23 papers, each unique and rich in texture and color. Then there are 32 elements, also unique and colorful. And at the heart of it all is Ellie a little girl fighting hard to be a normal teenage girl in Manchester, England and her little turle, Lucy. You can purchase the full kit, "Ellie and Lucy," here: http://divinedigital.com/boutique/product.php?productid=4566&cat=0&page=2

If you're interested in playing along with us, head over to Divine Digital and check out the info here.

I am...

2008-05-29T20:10:00.000-05:00

Well, I took the scrapbook quiz, and apparently, I am glue. Here's what it says about me...
You are the adhesive that keeps things together. You go through life helping others. You stick to people and try to keep people together. You like it best when you are surrounded by people and able to help them. But Glue Beware - in your efforts to keep everyone together and with you, you sometimes overlook yourself and find it hard to keep yourself together. Don't neglect personal time in your overwhelming need to socialize and help others.
I emphasized the part that is defitely WRONG...I'm not a very social person...I like having my immediate family around, but I definitely like my alone time as well. I also think that I keep myself together most of the time...we all have our moments, KWIM? But other than that, it's not too far off base.

Take a quiz

2008-05-29T20:09:00.001-05:00

Tagged

2008-05-25T18:54:00.000-05:00

Well, Sharon Kay got me good...I've been tagged and now I've actually got to think!
Here are the rules if you have been tagged:

1. Link your tagger and list these rules on your blog.
2. Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.
3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs.
4. Let them know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

I don't know if I even KNOW 7 people with blogs, but we'll give it a go, LOL!!!

1. I was one of those people who stood in line for 7 or 8 hours waiting on the midnight release of The Lord of the Rings movies, and I'll more than likely do it all over again when The Hobbit is released in a couple of years...and I might even be in costume...

2. I don't like cheese, but I like cream cheese (well, cheesecake anyway), and I also like nacho cheese Doritos and Cheetos...go figure. But since all of them are banned from my diet, I'm not eating them either.

3. I always keep my nails painted...pink, red, blue, green, whatever.

4. I am WAY behind on printing photos...I probably have 2000+ to print and put in albums. I'm doing much better with layouts than photos!

5. I met my husband online by a complete fluke...I certainly wasn't looking for a hubby at the time.

6. I have a large collection of Hallmark Christmas ornaments, and a tree too small to fit them all on.

7. I love Paul Mitchell's Tea Tree shampoo...it's the one thing that I really splurge on, but don't do it very often.

Okay, none of those are really interesting, but that's as good as it's going to get on 3 hours sleep!!!

Who in the world do I tag....
1. Sharon
2. Kerrie
3. Lori
4. Tammy
5. Shell
6. Rebecca
7. Leslie
(yes I know she's on an internet break but I keep hoping she'll come back soon!)

Muppets

2008-05-22T17:55:00.000-05:00

I loved watching the Muppet Show as a kid...I'm still a big Waldorf and Statler fan.
I took the Muppet Personality test...

You Are Scooter

Brainy and knowledgable, you are the perfect sidekick.

You're always willing to lend a helping hand.

In any big event or party, you're the one who keeps things going.

"15 seconds to showtime!"

The Muppet Personality Test

This one came out pretty much dead on...some of these online quizzes don't, but I can't argue with this one...even the red hair and glasses, lol. At least I didn't end up as Henrietta or one of the Pigs in Space!

Where has the time gone?

2008-05-21T16:39:00.000-05:00

Okay, guys and gals...I know, I stink when it comes to updates. The best laid plans and all that jazz, KWIM? Life has been so crazy lately, and blogging has been below the bottom of my list.
Here's what's going on in my world...
1. Dentist, dentist, dentist. I am so sick of going to the dentist! I got my bridge and crown in February, and was supposed to go back Easter week for work on the rest of my teeth. Well, my appt got cancelled and postponed for 2 weeks...I was in agony the entire time, and having to take pain meds around the clock, which I hate. The permanent crown chipped, the bridge wasn't set properly. Well, appointment day rolls around, and I wind up with an abcessed tooth, so no appointment. I had to wait a week for the antibiotics to kick in, and then wound up with a root canal and 3 temporary crowns. A week and a half later, my mouth stops feeling raw, but the back crown breaks off. I get it fixed that day, only to have it break again the next day...gee, guess that applesauce was too much LOL. A few days later, I finally get it fixed properly, so now it's just a waiting game for the permanent crowns to come in.
2. Vacation. We went to visit my family...not exactly a fantastic vacation, but oh well. Had a fun time at the rodeo, but hubby's not exactly a rodeo kind of guy. Took a tour boat of the ship channel...been there, done that. I was kind of bored, but it was for hubby, since he put up with the rodeo for me. Family...well...by the time I left, I realized I was definitely in a new stage of my life, and I'm really not looking forward to any long family visits in the future. I told hubby on the way home that from now on, we should just do weekends. We probably won't be going back down until the fall or Christmas, depending on gasoline (yikes...who can afford road trips now?)
3. Renaissance Festival. We took the girls to Muskogee for the Renaissance Festival. I definitely prefer the Texas festival, but this one was okay too. Our motel sucked though. We got stuck at America's Best Value Inn...I should have booked more than a month in advance I guess. Their site advertises cribs free upon request, and when we got there, we found out that the site has NO cribs, period. I was beyond ticked. I could go on and on about that place...and I might do so later, but not at the moment.
4. SEASIDE SCRAPS is shutting its doors tomorrow. I've known it was coming, but I'm so bummed. I haven't spend alot of time there the past couple of months, without chats and the forums being pretty quiet. But SSS was my first digihome, it's the one site that I felt really at home. I'm kind of drifting right now. I'm posting layouts for challenges and crops that I go to at other sites, but I'm not really finding a home at any one of them yet. Don't get me wrong, I like the other sites I'm at, but I've not set up home base at any of them yet. I'm probably going to be a wanderer for a while. I DID spend some bucks at the SSS closing sale...I snatched up most of Cheryl's photobooks...I really want to order some Shutterfly books, and it would be nice to have a whole book coordinate! I'm not creative enough to manage a 20 page book using just one kit.
I'm not even going to promise when I'll post next, lol. But God willing, I'll be back at some point!

Template Challenge

2008-03-02T18:36:00.000-06:00

Well, I'm kind of excited about this one! I have a new template freebie, but this one is only available at Digital Scrapn. Make sure that you register in the forum and then check out the March Template Challenge.

Hubby ordered me a copy of PSCS3 for Valentine's, and I've had it for over a week, and really haven't figured much out yet...but haven't had alot of time either. I have ordered Linda Sattgast's PSCS3 training, so hopefully it'll help me out ALOT! I can't wait for it to arrive so I can really start working with this program.

I have alot of other stuff to gab about, but we're expecting some nasty weather to arrive any time, and I want to get the computer shut down, and go watch the weather report. Take care, everybody!!

Happenings...

2008-02-26T19:24:00.000-06:00

Well, there's only a few more days until Leslie's kits are gone. I'm missing her already...she was always fun to chit chat with...and one of the few people that I talk to who is fluent in Noggin, LOL! Leslie, I hope that you are able to have your internet woes solved in the near future!
I've taken some of my older templates down...I was trying to clean out my 4shared account...been trying to clean up the house too! It seems like whenever I manage to get one room cleaned, another gets worse...and then hubby or daughter comes along, and the now clean room becomes a wreck all over again. Oh well, at least I have a home, I shouldn't complain.
Time is flying by...it feels like we just got over Christmas, but here it is almost Easter. I need to get a portrait session scheduled, and I'm hoping that this year we don't have an icy egg hunt. We're planning a week-long visit to my mom's house, and I'm SO looking forward to it.
On the not-so-thrilling front, I've got a doctor's appt next week...I see bloodwork in my near future...and I'm a needle-phobe.
Got to go change a dirty diaper! TTYL

Sniffles

2008-02-21T20:03:00.000-06:00

Well, I had some bummer news this week. Leslie has decided to step down from designing & selling for the time being, so she is putting all of her products at Moo Two Designs and Scrappin Digi Kreations on sale for $1.00 each. This includes COMMERCIAL USE times, kits, paper packs, templates...the whole nine yards. I hate to see her go, but I know that while she is taking this break, she'll be working on her craft, and I'm sure that we'll see her return even bigger and better than before.
So...make sure to go stop by her stores and snag the items that you want before they are gone for good...you have until February 29!

This and that

2008-02-04T11:45:00.000-06:00

Well, it's a new week, a new month, and alot of the same old same old. The weather can't make up its mind, and I'm sick and tired of listening to politicians slam each other.
Rachel got her first bicycle yesterday, a gift from one of her big sisters. She had alot of fun on it yesterday.

I've gotten some scrapping done...lately it seems like I go in spurts. I had a week or two where I just wasn't inspired by anything. I got RAK'd be several people, and joined Digital Scrapn's CT, and finally am feeling those creative juices flowing again. I've also made a few things...and am hoping to get a Bamboo Fun tablet in the near future, and can't wait to work with it.

I had LOTD at Moo Two over the weekend using the Sweet Shoppe kit by Lori Giles @ Digital Scrapn. Here it is:

I made this LO with SeAScrApS' Sleeping Beauty kit @ Scrappin Freestyle. I'm thinking about entering it in Gotta Pixel's cutest baby contest.

I made this LO for my stepdaughter's birthday...I'm making her a scrapbook, since I had no idea what to buy for her. I used SeAScrApS' June's Child kit from Scrappin Freestyle.

This LO is for a very good friend of mine. When she sent me these pics of her kids, I did a double take. I was her daughter's kindergarten teacher, and now the girl's a junior in HS! They grow up way too fast! I love the idea of having the kids hold an old photo of themselves in their portrait. I used SeAScrApS' Siblings kit.

And finally, I just had to share this LO because I LOVE it! I loved the kit, which is Nature's Bounty by Lori Giles @ Digital Scrapn...I've fallen in love with the colors, textures, and patterns in this kit! And the photos are special, as we'll probably never again have a portrait of all of us girls again.

And now for a heads-up...Seaside Scraps is has a beautiful new kit called Summerlovin available free with purchase! Spend $10 in the store, and get this kit for free. I'm seriously thinking about getting some pre-made Shutterfly pages, because I'd love to order a book, and I'd like to have it all coordinated, but I think I'm too lazy to manage. Cheryl Whitesel has 2 available now, one with a sunflower theme, and one using her new Carousel kit. I'm thinking about getting the sunflower one...here's a peek at it:

Cheryl did a beautiful job, as always, and here's a preview of the free with purchase kit:

Digital Scrapn also has a free with purchase collab kit. Spend $8 in the store and get Faithful Hearts for free. It's a beautiful kit with great colors...here are the previews:

Not much else to share today. I've got lots of stuff on my agenda, and hopefully I'll get some goodies posted for yall sometime soon. Have a blessed day!

sigh finally another freebie

2008-01-18T16:14:00.000-06:00

Well, it's another year, but this one feels pretty much the same as the last. But that's how it usually is. We had a great Christmas...except for my hubby coming down with bronchitis on Christmas Eve. He stayed sick for a good 10 days...thankfully nobody caught it from him.
We didn't do anything for New Years other than watch the Rose Parade on HGTV...but that's normal too! I was supposed to go in and have a permanent crown and bridge put in that week, but the dentist had to reschedule me at the last minute. So...I was supposed to go back in today and get everything taken care of, but now the dentist has the stomach flu and can't come in to work. Hopefully it can finally get taken care of next week.

Last week, we were looking forward to a trip to the zoo, but Rachel started throwing up, so that was a no-go. Thankfully it was only a 24 hour bug...unfortunately, I caught it from her. We're in the midst of a diaper war...she keeps ripping them off at night and wetting (or worse) all over the bed. We've had to start wrapping duct tape around the diaper to keep her from pulling them off. I'll be SO glad when she is finally potty trained! At this point, she still has no interest in it at all.

I've been doing the 40 Days of Scrapping Purpose over at Divine Digital...boy is it a challenge! I'm behind...I've only gotten through about one third of the daily challenges, but I'm working on it. This is a LO I did for it...I used Jenny Cereal's Girls are Geeks 2.0 kit.

You can snag the template here.
Here are a few LOs I've done...I thought that these pics were too cute! Rachel has this nightly ritual of running around in a big circle and singing at the top of her lungs about half an hour before bedtime...I have no idea why she does it, but it's a hoot.
These LOs are both made with Leslie H.'s Template 2 collection (@ Moo Two), JanniScrapDesigns' Kutey Patootie kit, and Love Letters font.

I got these templates from Rebecca Myers @ Seaside Scraps...I love multi photo templates! Mainly because I have a hard time figuring out how I can fit lots of pics in one layout! These are scrapped with Rebecca's Photostrip templates...I used one for my bridal portraits, and another for pictures from the Centennial Parade.

This layout is also done with one of Rebecca's Photostrip Templates, and also with her Merry Christmoose kit.

Sorry to have not been an active blogger lately...with all of the busyness of the holidays, and then us being sick, it just wasn't a priority. I'll also admit that I've been doing some reading over at DST, and the negativity of some of the things I was reading just really got me down, and I wasn't feeling all that enthusiastic about posting much of anything anywhere. But that's over with, I hope!

I'm working on a kit at the moment, and when it's finally finished, I'll post and let yall know how to get it (for free, of course). Take care, and God bless!

I've been tagged!

2007-12-14T13:45:00.000-06:00

I've been tagged by Leslie...here are the questions and my answers:

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags?
Wrapping paper for people who live in my house; gift bags for everyone else. Mainly because I've got tons of gift bags, and am trying to get rid of them!

2. Real or Artificial tree?
Artificial, because I like to have the tree up a long time, and don't have to worry about it drying out or the cats clawing at it and peeing on it.

3. When do you put up the tree?
Usually Thanksgiving week, but I haven't done it yet this year...I'm dreading the toddler vs. the tree antics that are bound to ensue. Putting it up this weekend though.

4. When do you take the tree down?
A couple of days after Christmas...it looks so sad with nothing underneath.

5. Do you like Eggnog?
NO.

6. Favorite Gift you received as a child?
Hmmm...that's a tough one. I remember being thrilled with a record player (the old kind that came in a case and played 78s, 45s, and 33s)...I think I was about 5 years old when I got that.

7. Do you have a nativity scene?
Several...the one we had when I was growing up, a Fisher Price set for Rachel to play with, and an animated one that I don't have out yet.

8. Hardest person to buy for?
Usually I'd say my stepdaughters, but they actually gave us a wish list this year.

9. Easiest person to buy for?
Definitely Rachel...she's too young to be picky.

10. Worst Christmas gift ever received?
Oh, that would probably have to be a case of toilet paper from my grandma...she likes to give practical gifts.

I'm tagging Sharon and Sharon, LOL!

Stacy's Scraps & Other Stuff

Check out my friend's blog for a giveaway!

Guesting!

What are you reading right now?

DST Chat with Trixie Scraps tonight!

Choo Choo...It's a Blog Train!

Back to school

Anybody thirsty?

A coupon and a giggle for you :)

Who wants to dive Under the Sea?

Boy kits....

The Long Hot Summer

Pardon the mess...

A Christmas Survey

Want to win a pink princess chair?

*sigh*

Do you want to be a Scrap Star?

Christmas in July sale

Sneak Peek!!!

New look!

Sneak Peek time!

On the sixth day of Christmas....

New blog look

iNDSD Blog Train

Happy iNDSD!!

Another Autumn Quiz

Autumn is in the Air!

Shopping---yikes!

Pumpkin Time

Yay, autumn is here!

Rock on

The Rain in Spain...

The Rain in Spain...

Sports Rant

What about you?

FOB2Y

Firsts

Summer is winding down...

Block Party!

Woohoo, big news!

Whatcha listening to?

Oh, the Places You'll Go (or have been)...FOB2Y style

MMM-MMM Good....

The Name Game

It's too early!

Hot Hot Hot

I'm tired...

Swimsuit Season

I Be Smart...

This and that

Zoo Day!

Here Comes Summer!

May in Review

Drumroll please.....

WOOT!

FOB2Y

TV and other stuffies

Spring or Winter, and a short quiz

Are you chocolate or vanilla?

Cookie time, and Happy Birthday!

Is it springtime yet?

Farewell to the birthday bash

Hogwash...

The End. Word.

Birthdays and we're also to the finish line.....

Week 4...

What a shocker...

Sesame Street Lives...

ADSR Week 3 and other random thoughts

Shopping & Money

And we're off!

A New Year

Jack and PBCups

More Junk Food

Fast Food...Junk Food

Update and typing test

Photos of Ike

Aftermath and another quiz

Go go go Big Ike!

Spelling Bees

sigh

Sniffles

sigh finally another freebie