A fun Monday!

My stampin friend Paula (www.prbloom.typepad.com/my_weblog) came over today for coffee - she just bought a bunch of new hanna stamps - and made the most adorable cards (gotta have 'em!). She gave me some "photographing" tips so maybe we'll see a change for the better in my future pictures! It made for a lovely morning! The kids and I spent the afternoon at the waterpark here, which we all love! Happy Birthday to Emma - we celebrated her birthday there and her and Hannah are the best of friends - and so cute together!

Here's a card I made for my daughter's friends birthday. I used the Numbers CB folder, and used dazzling diamonds on the age (5). The set is the new one from MFT - Here's the Scoop. I of course used my copics! I wanted to use some crystal effects, but for the life of me, I can't seem to find it! I ordered some more, so until then I just used some stickles.

Check back for another card I made using this set - I'd post it tonight but there's something I wanted to try that Paula suggested - we'll see what a difference it makes!

Gone Fishin'

Although I'm not a fisher-woman, wouldn't it be nice to just escape for awhile? It seems like it's just crazy all the time. I do love the Rileys and did you see the new Hanna release "things riley would say?" I think I thought that a set like that would be great - and here it is! It's on my big wish list that I have...

And I thought I'd finish with pictures of what I deal with all day! The funny part is, when I look at the pictures, they make me laugh...so I guess for all the craziness, in the end, I wouldn't change it for the world (and yes, Isaac is missing - he's so busy nowadays that he doesn't stay in one place for long!).

Friends

I'm feeling a little low in the energy department today. Maybe it's this heat! Anyways - I'm sharing tonight a wonderful gift from a friend. I remember a quote I read once - "blessed are the children of quiltmakers, as they shall inherit the quilts." The bad thing when you're "crafty" - it doesn't seem like you get the crafty gifts made by others. This bag was made for me by my wonderful friend Gretchen (http://www.in2stamping.blogspot.com/). She used one of my favorite collections 'freshly squeezed' and look at the wonderful bag! LOVE IT LOVE IT LOVE IT! She even started to like the material (she's not a yellow and orange person) - and I think she's making herself one! Isn't it wonderful? I am thrilled to have it! Now what to use it for - I don't want to use it for anything kid related because it's MINE! Thank you Gretchen - you're a dear and wonderful friend!

A Customer at last!

I received an email last week, wanting to know if I could make a Dr. Suess themed birthday invite. I was a little worried about what I'd do, but I started playing, and LOVE LOVE LOVE the results. I used the nestabilities and it really brought the whole thing together. When I first read the email, I immediately thought of a book. So I wanted to make an invite resembling a book. I went looking for a Dr. Suess image - and although copying off of the internet gives poor quality, my handy dandy copics made it all ok. Have I said that I LOVE those copics?! I am proud of the end of result! I hope my "customer" likes them!

My oldest two started a summer camp today. It was the first time my 3 year old has been left like that. Last night we talked about making sure to listen to the teacher, if he has to potty to ask and not go in his pants, etc. etc. I figured it would be good since he'd be there with his older sister who sort of knows the ropes. We got to the school, and Joseph walks in and says "hi teacher, my name is Joe and I'm three." He then put his lunch in a cubby, and said "bye mommy, I love you!" with a big smile on his face as he walked with the teacher inside the room. As I was walking back to the car, I started to cry. I was totally not expecting that, but I guess it shows how much those little people are tied to our hearts. Of course, they both had a fun day!

Thanks for looking!

Friday at last

I'm not sure why I care that it's Friday - my weekends aren't "free time" from a work week. One of those stay-at-home mom things - it's 24/7...ALL THE TIME! I was proud of my two oldest kiddos - they've been timid to go under water. We went in the blow up pool in our backyard today and they were going nuts diving under water. Maybe their next round of swimming lessons will get them real close to swimming.

I'm sharing a bunch of cards using a My Favorite Things stamp set Rain or Shine. These headless gals are growing on me. I love this set, along with the sentiments. I paper pieced the raincoat, boots, and dog's sweater. Adorable! And I used the pin dot cb folder - that always adds the right touch!

Only three days left of my 21 day detox diet...I'm only two pounds away from my wedding day weight. I'm going to have to stop wearing my wedding rings as they are falling off way too easy now! The only bad thing with all this is that all my clothes, even my swim suit, are too big. I can't afford my hobbies, and a new wardrobe! But I guess there are worse things to complain about!

Thanks for looking!

A Notre Dame Scrapbook

I made the Notre Dame themed scrapbook last night and today. I think whoever gets this will be lucky - the end result is great. It's hard to photograph a scrapbook but I thought I'd share a few images.

A little surgical update - Jacob's surgery went well. He did not have to have his adenoids out which makes recovery a breeze. The nurses all fell in love with him and talked about how beautiful he is...and he ate it up!

I'm almost through day 16 of my 21 day detox. It's scarey and amazing how much better you feel by not eating the junk we normally do. I am tired of salad, carots, and apples, but the scale shows I'm only a couple pounds away from my wedding day weight - yeah!!!

Thanks for looking!

Go Irish!

My husband asked if I could make a Notre Dame themed scrapbook and baby quilt for their upcoming Kick-off party. I finished the quilt and I really like the way it turned out. It's hard to come up with retail prices on these things...there's a lot of different materials used, and I used the more expensive stuff. Then there's the thread, batting, and quilting. In the end, a quilt like this is up near 200$ when all is said and done. But I think it's definitely worth it and I hope it makes a lot of money for their scholarship drive. The scrapbook is still a work in progress but will get done in the coming week.

That gets me to thinking - how can you make some extra money doing all these hobbies? I've tried etsy for a few of my items and am debating about doing some cards over there. I wonder if people just don't realize the cost it takes to make things (yes, you can get a quilt in the store for cheaper but the quality isn't near what this is). So, does ebay work, or are people, especially in this day and age, just trying to find a deal? If that's the case, my hobbies are definately not a good idea for making any money!

Just another Monday

I hope you all had a good weekend. Ours seemed busy - yesterday we went to my friend Gretchen's house for a bbq. They have a lovely backyard and pool. The kids were in heaven! Sometimes (ok so all the time), I worry about bringing my kids to some place new, especially when there's no kids, or even just one. I don't think my kids are bad, but with four kids, it can scare some people. Ok - so even though they're good, we scare almost everyone! There is a lot of "chaos" but it's a fun chaos. I felt bad as I think we may have scared them off! But I told Gretchen that when they're ready for kids, I can bring them over and they'll see what needs "childproofing." The kids had fun! And I got to see another good stampin friend too - which is always a treat!

Gretchen and I have been working on a lot of sewing projects and it's so fun to get time to do it all! I'll hopefully have those to share soon! In the meantime, I thought I'd share some more of my Riley's - these are the tractor Rileys. SOOOO Cute...I found some stickers at the dollar bin at Target that would look cute with this card - I'll try those next time. This cuttlebug folder seems to work well the more masculine cards. And of course - nothing like my copics to color!

It's off to a doctor's appointment to see if Jacob will be able to have his surgery on Wednesday.

A Sketch and Gardenia Gardenthumb

The sketch challenge (SC180) over on SCS (http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/) was perfect for my Gardenia Gardenthumb. Yes, I do love the chichiboulie line - and in my shopping cart I have three more that I'd like to oder. Notice I said "like to" - I am putting a break on anything new for awhile, just to get some use out of all the goodies I've accumulated. I'm also using Basic Grey's newest paper, Euphoria. I'm not sure if you can even find it out there yet - my friend picked it up for me at The Great American Scrapbook Convention last weekend. Isn't it great to have friends to share your passion with?! Anyways, here are three cards that are just a different color scheme but love 'em! And I think I'm getting better at these copics. They are the best!









Thanks for looking!

Some more father's day cards

Here are my last few Father's Day creations. I really like this set from SU - it's so hard to find masculine cards and these are perfect. I love using my copics on these images too - love it!

My friend Gretchen came over last night and we sewed!!! It was so much fun! We have the start of a new quilt that I think is going to be so much fun (no pun intended). I went to the quilt store today and bought us the material we needed. I'm so excited!!!

Day 10 of detox - I'm doing great. Not hungry at all but getting tired of fruits and veggies! but I feel the best I have in a long time. I'm now in phase 2 of the detox so let's see what happens! And the boys - well, I'm still running a hospital here but they're fine...

Mommy Juice, anyone?

Quick update on why I need mommy juice - took the boys to get their tubes. Isaac, the baby, got the tubes. His ears were horrible the doctor said, so hopefully he'll get to feeling better. They wouldn't do Jacob because his lungs were sounding horrible. I took him to the pediatrician, who sent him to the hospital - long story short - I'm waiting to hear if the chest x-ray shows pneumonia, and I'll be doing breathing treatments every 2 hours for the coming days. I feel like a bad mom. Funny thing is - I'm waiting to hear from the doctor to see if I should bring Joseph in since he's been coughing for a few weeks, and just not himself. SO - mommy juice, anyone?

I made some Father's Day cards last night. I thought I'd try Jen Del Muro's SFYTT (http://www.iheart2stamp.com/). I love this set For Father from Stampin Up. Plus, it's masculine for birthdays or any occasion. I played with my nestabilities as well, so it was a fun night!

I've got lots to share this week, so check back as I'll be needing my blog break from my hospital duties!

So many toys, so little time...

My friend Gretchen went to the scrapbook convention on Friday and picked up the nestabilities for me - I only bought the rectangles and ovals, but YEAH!!! She then flew home and went to a quilting show for hours! We have so many fun projects to do! So little time...I think we all need more "me retreats" - don't we?! If only...

(I published a post with the pictures from the other day - oops! maybe I need some sleep!) Here is a card I made with another MFT set. I love this set and have made a handful of these - I'll post the others later but here's one to show you!

I need to figure out how I can sell my cards. I am getting quite a large inventory!

The boys go in for their surgeries in the morning. Things should go fine, but keep them in your thoughts! And I've got lots to share so check back soon!

10 in 5

It's the beginning of day 5 of my detox and I've lost 10 pounds. I'm going to meet up with the hubby and go to his high school reunion family picnic and guess what?!!!? I'm wearing shorts - and I actually feel good in them. Anyone who knows me knows this is a big step! I looked in the mirror and just felt like I looked "better" - not necessarily thinner, but better. And I'm feeling better too! I havven't strayed at all - which is a huge accomplishment, and I AM feeling better - no caffeine, no medications, nothing! WOW! I hope this keeps going!

Anyways, I was so happy that I got to play some last night and I have lots to share over the next week. I surfed the blogs and found some sketches. This first one is from Jen Del Muro http://iheart2stamp.com/ (it's the sketch on May 17th post). Anyways, I ordered this set after having to have the MFT headless wonders grow on me a bit and I LOVE IT! I used the liquid pearls in the coffee to give it that latte feel. The colors are wild wasabi, tempting turquoise, and some dp that I pulled out of my scraps. (Also a thank you to Jen - I picked up the Brilliance graphite black ink pad and LOVE it - the images are wonderful, and the copics don't bleed into it).

This second card is using the Splitcoast Sketch SC176. Simple, yet perfect. I used the liquid applique on this latte - so much fun. I added the SU jeweled brads on one, just to give it some bling.

I'm excited for a friend - she's at a quilt show now, and I'm oh so envious! I wish I could be there but I'm going to try and work out going to the big one in Houston. Anyways, she picked me up the nestabilities at the big scrapbook convention - just the rectangles and ovals, but I can't wait to play!!!!

Georgina Glamourpuss

I just love the new line of stamps from Stampinb Bella (http://www.stampingbella.com/). Of course, I could spend hundreds on all the different bellas but the Chichiboulie line is awesome! I've also soooo enjoyed using my copics to color them. I'm getting better with them...slowly but surely. Here are three cards with just a little different flare on each. LOVE 'EM! I used the rhinestones on the diamond ring - so so cute!





As for the detox, I stepped on the scale this morning and I'm down 7 pounds. It's day three today - and the cravings are supposed to stop. I'm feeling good though - not hungry - and eating a ton of fruits and vegetables. The problem with it is that I'm a picky eater so I eat apples, bananas, broccoli, salad, carrots, v8 juice (with the shakes). But I am feeling better and I feel like I"m losing that "bloat."

Day One

Ok - so day one of my 21 day detox/cleanse. I've eaten my share of apples and carrots - and the shakes are a lot to stomach. But I did well - and there were many temptations and times I 'd like to grab something snacky but I stuck to it! I do have a headache but who knows if that's the detox or the stress of day.

I'm finally going to share the "flirty skirts" from the QUilts and More Summer 2008 magazine. I still didn't get a real good picture but you'll get the idea. These are real easy to make (I don't really enjoy making clothes), only take 1/2 yard of two fabrics, some elastic, and about 2hours of time. Hannah said she was only going to wear these two skirts for the summer. In a way, I think she does enjoy the things I make her...

Tomorrow I'll show you some wonderful bella cards - stay tuned!

Manic Monday

What a day! But the kids are in their rooms (no - not asleep but at least one step closer). I finished up a gift that I'm giving Hannah's ballet teacher tomorrow. Thanks to my friend Gretchen, we came up with a really fun and memorable gift. I altered the frame by adding ribbon, flowers, and dew drops. I used the en pointe set from Stampin Up - such a beautiful ballet set. And of course the class photo in the bottom right. I had a hard time getting a good picture of this, but it is so elegant in real life. And like I say a lot - I'd love it as a gift!!!

I'm starting a 21 day detox tomorrow. I'll still be eating but trying to rid those toxins, and get myself eating like I should. I need something to kick the weight loss into high gear, and make myself get out of this funk and feel better. We met with the ENT surgeon and my third, Jacob, will have his tubes redone, and his adenoids possibly removed. The baby will have tubes as well - his ears are still horrible - and he is acting like he's in pain. Poor guy! When they checked his hearing, he didn't hear a thing out of the right so the fluid must be bad!

Here's a couple pictures from a benefit my husband and I went to a few weeks ago - it was at Gilly's for Dallas Heritage Village. His firm sponsored the event so we got to hang out with Mark Chestnut. In a way, I feel bad for those guys - they have to take pictures with all these strangers...and for why? And I couldn't really say "oh yeah, I remember my mom listening to your music when I was little." But he seemed like a humble, nice guy and it was a fun night.