Just a post for fun

Well... spring is in full force around these parts! This means wedding season is in full force, so i'm busy busy with my makeup artistry business, my kids are chomping at the bit all the time to go outside, my husband is busy working more and more and my poor craft time gets neglected.

*sigh* I will get all of my ducks in a row one of these days, right?

I have had some pretty fun jobs this month aside from the weddings (which I do truly love to do!) including a Charter Media/Ford/Nascar commerical and a Heros Among Us story for People Weekly. Fun times!

So unfortunately, with the recent PMS sale and busy with work, I havent had as much time to craft this month. BUT, i did take these pictures this past sunday! We had a family fun day outside in the water. :D Ok, so the boys played in the water and I just took pictures!!!

Gabe discovers the puddle

Gabe discovers the FUN of the puddle

And now both the boys discover the puddle...

Who can get there first?! And can you tell them apart?

Jack gets his turn...

The boys play in the hose to get cleaned off before getting muddy again

Our silly dog that likes to eat the water

And that concludes our fun day in the sun!

Now i actually do have a card for tomorrow.. so be sure to check back in! :D

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My Sweet Baby is 2!

I dont have anything crafty to share today, but i just have to give a shout out to my favorite pint size guy!

I cant believe this little guy is 2 today! Obviously not in the above photo... there he is just 1 week old. Here he is recently... this is from his first day of preschool...

(he must have heard the rumor there was homework in preschool so he's practicing on his computer)

(very proud of his school bag like big brother Jack's)

Told ya he was proud of it, i was asking him to hold it... not hold it up, just hold it!

Here's Gabe and Jack getting ready to head to school!

So yeah.... my baby is 2. I think i'll go cry some more!

but i'll get my act together before my post tomorrow, i promise. :D

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Stop the presses.... i scrapbooked!

Thats right, you read the title correctly, i actually scrapbooked! It doesnt happen often, not NEARLY as often as it should! I'm going to try to work on that! And since i've been added to the Design Team for Scrapnesia, one of my requirements will be to do some layouts for the store! YIPES! THE PRESSURE! I hope i can fulfill my obligations to fullest potential!

Well... my first assignment was to use this new paper collection called Alphabet Soup by My Mind's Eye. I had my own eye on this collection when i saw it at CHA. So i was ecstatic to be assigned it! The papers are BEYOND adorable! So much that i worked on a few layouts! And i'll be using it up on some cards too because it's just SO cute! You'll be seeing a lot of this paper line from me, so i hope you dont get tired of it! ;)

Here's my first layout!

These pictures are from when the boys and I went to the Indianapolis Zoo with my parents this summer. The boys LOVE going to the zoo and the Indy zoo is FAR more spectacular than our zoo (our zoo is adorable, and we can get thru it in about 45 minutes... it's a great treat/reward for the kids... the indy zoo takes all day and you STILL dont see everything! But thats why it's so cool!) Anyhoo - this is gabe at the giraffe exhibit. Be still my mother's heart, giraffe's are her favorite! And apparently gabe's too! He REALLY wanted to get closer as you can see!

I knew i wanted to scrap these pictures, and when i saw the extras in the Alphabet soup collection that had giraffe's i was so excited! All the papers are double sided which of course gives you lots of options. I did happen to use 4 different sheets for this layout. The giraffe cut out and word bubble are from the die cut sheet which i just loved! I dont always like die cut sheets... this one is really great! With lots of stuff you can do with it! You wont be stuck with a bunch of left overs... so it's well worth it! I'll show you other uses for this sheet later!

The giraffe playing card is from the card deck. The deck retails 4.99 BUT there are 2 of every card and there is a card for every letter of the alphabet! So i will cut the deck in half and have 1 half of the deck for crafting and the other half of the deck will be some fun playing flash cards for Gabe. You could also use the cards to play memory! I may just do that with the leftovers (be sure to remove the matching card that you used on a layout or craft project! hahahaha!)

Ok, so thats my SCRAPBOOK LAYOUT! I'm still proud i scrapbooked! And without coloring or stamping! ACK! ;)

On one more note... i am soooooooo close to 100,000 hits! It's exciting for me! I'm going to have a nice BIG blog candy when i get there! So stay tuned!!!!!!

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There's a free digi for you....

I so wanted to have something crafty to post! But i'm still in catch up mode from being out of town and redoing my craft room! I have a friend coming over this afternoon to help me put furniture pieces back, so maybe, just maybe i'll have pictures of my newly done craft room for you soon!

BUT, i did want to let you all in on a freebie from Paper Makeup Stamps!

Check out THIS POST to get the freebie!

But here are some phtoos i promised of my little man in his tux!

(He looks buff! Thats because they didnt have a vest his size and we had to make the part around his waist cinched as tight as it would go to fit him, so the top made him look like "a super hero" (according to HIM!)

(notice he is not wearing any socks, it was the only way i could make a deal with him to wear his shoes!)

So yep, pictures as promised! Now go get that freebie digi! And have a great day!

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A peek into my world... and a friends new blog!

Hey peeps! Nothing crafty to share with you today, BUT a friend of mine from WAAAAAAY back (i'm talking we went to school together from kindergarten thru 8th grade, and we still keep in touch!) started a new blog called CovetLiving. Its all about Coveting the Life you Live.

LOVE IT! The blog is just starting up but i love the design of it and both Steph (my friend) and Karrie (who i know, but not well) are both such fun and amazing women with fantastic energy, this blog is bound to be a good read! So if you are interested in such blogs.... check out

CovetLiving

Now one of the first entries is titled Goodwill Hunting... all about being a recessionista in these crazy times. Love that word! If you scroll down a bit in the post you'll read about finding mismatched frames. I love that picture of the frames behind the bed! I might have to do that too! Karrie did this as well in her recessionista version painting all of the frames black. I love the clean feeling it gives. Here's the thing for our house... it doesnt match our more rugged aesthetic. BUT i do have a slightly different version, leaving a lot of the frames mismatched. But i did do some modifcation to many of them... check out the wall we found boring recently in our living room...

My wall isnt very extreme with pictures... but thats because it's just begun!

My pictures are also mostly in color with a few black and whites. However my friend Jess in LA has her place completely done over in black and white and I love that look too!

There are truly 101 possibilities!

For the most part, our frames are all black. Either because thats the way we got them, or because I made them that way. Dont get a can of black spray paint near me, i go nuts!

There are just a few exceptions to add some color

Yes i know this picture is blurry, but my 4 year old has since "stolen" my camera from when i just took these pictures and is taking pictures of random things all over the house.

This picture is one of my favorites on the wall. It's from when i was pregnant with Gabe and Jack and I were hanging out on the bed during a belly photo session with Jen Rogers Photography. This frame was also a wedding gift and was sadly not in use, so put to use it went!

Here's another favorite. Now i do love that picture of the hubs and I but i LOVE this frame too!

This was a cheap pick up by my hubby from Big Lots.

Then there are the "modified" frames.

This was just one of those super cheapies from Ikea. Plain wood... nothing special. I just painted crackle paint on it and let that set for about 15 minutes (needs less time when you don't paint the first coat) and then painted black acrylic paint over it. Easy peasy! I actually did this to about 3 frames on the wall. You can also use a different color underneath before you paint the crackle if you want a different color popping thru.

And now to show some of the super fun frames! The more personality/meaning the better!

This frame i've had since no joke... the 8th grade! My BF since the womb (the one in the photos with me) put it together for me. And i've kept it. Now since not only it shows some pretty hilarious pictures and is a fun green color, it's actually meant to be a table top frame for it sticks out slightly from the wall. but i think it's fun that way!

This frame back did in school. Hence the not quite perfect paint job. The picture was taken in school as well and then it was wrapped and given to me as a present from jack. So cute huh!

It's definitely a one of a kind frame on the wall!

Last but notleast... is the artwork in the middle. It's a print by Brian Andreas. I LOVE this artist! I have given many of his prints as gifts. If you havent heard of him, check out www.storypeople.com.

He is an artist, writer and well you just have to check it out!

So thats a peek into my world. :D Have a wonderful day!

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just playing...

Well it has been BEYOND gorgeous here! So after a busy work day on thursday, i promised the kiddos that we would have a day of fun on friday! We we went out for ice cream and took the (very busy!) park downtown. I decided, beautiful days are not the days for me to take the boys downtown by myself. At least not if we plan to stop and play as both boys would see something they wanted to check out and it was always at the same time and in opposite directions!

Mama about had a heart attack a few times. But all was well and we had LOADS of fun!

I also am slowly trying to take over my husbands camera. :) My little point-n-shoot is fine and takes pictures just fine, but i want to take some WOW pictures. So very slowly i'm learning this thing. One day i'll just bling it out with rhinestones so that my hubby will never want to touch it again! :) BWAHAHAHAHAA!

here are some photos I took...

Now i realize these aren't professional quality by any means, but I'm having a lot of fun learning the camera and hopefully some day, i'll get there! :D

Be sure to check in tomorrow... i will have not one but 2 posts for you! :)

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It's my little cookie monsters birthday!

My little man is 4 today! I simply can not believe it!

When did he get to be so big?!

He may be crazy, a little bit um, quirky, but he's my little man and i love him to death!

He loves to craft with me. He loves to make people cards (which these days involve less and less stamps and more and more drawing.... perhaps he'll be one of my illustrators one day!)

He loves all things blue, monsters, and anything sweet to eat!

So i made him this card for today!

I used Cookie Man from the february release from Paper Makeup Stamps.

This image so reminds me of Jack! Especially since he's trying to sneak some cookies before anyone catches him! It doesnt matter where i hid them... he will find a way! haha!

Here is a close up of the image...

I probably should have done a little more shading on the cookie jar. Oh well!

Jack has fully learned his numbers and letters and is now learning how to put them together to spell on his own. He can spell his name, mama, and Elle (one of his little girlfriends who's name i taught him for her birthday card... now he spells it all the time!) and he's constantly asking how to spell other things. Its fun, and sad all at the same time since he's growing up!

For his card i knew i needed to have the number 4 on it because after today it will surpass his current favorite number which is 3. I used the Precious alpha set from Close to My Heart. Even though i've done a recent MAJOR cleanout of my stamps (see the for sale up in my tool bar, there is still a ton left) my alpha sets by CTMH were definite keepers. I love the ability to line up clear alpha stamps and the CTMH quality just cant be beat!

Thanks so much to everyone for stopping by! The rest of my day is going to be filled with fun and games, blue cupcakes and Chuck E Cheese! Gotta love a 4 year olds birthday! Time to eat with reckless abandon!

Have a wonderful day everyone!

Stamps:

Cookie Man from Paper Makeup Stamps

Precious Alpha from Close to my Heart

Coloring with Copics:

B21, B24, B28 (spots), E40, E41, E42, E44

Paper:

all from my scrap bin so i dont really have colors for you, sorry!

Tools and Accessories:

Man, minimal card huh! haha!

Circle punches by Creative Memories

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Getting a little R & R

Sorry, i did not drop off the face of the planet! With my recent crazy crafting escapade plus the January release from Paper Makeup Stamps just before that, my hubby decided the family needed a little R & R! Or moreso, that he wanted to go fishing. hahahaha!

So we are at the beach! (My hubby likes to "surf fish"). My in laws are staying in charleston for the cold winter months (they live in Ontario) so we had a beautiful beach condo to stay at for a few days! We left yesterday after jack got out of school and will be heading back home tomorrow, but i just had to do a quick post of the gorgeous view that i get to look at all day today from the balcony of the condo.

Its even better in person, this picture is just from my cell phone!

The weather is supposed to by 66º today so it should be just warm enough (to me) to walk along the beach for a bit! :) I cant wait to get some shells! And i'm sure the boys will love it, so long as i can keep them out of the ocean!

We'll be heading back inland tomorrow, but I'm not sure if i'll have the time/motivation to work on my Makeup 4 the weekend challenge post for tomorrow! hehe. I also have a wedding to do makeup and hair for on saturday, so if you dont see a post until sunday or monday, dont be worried about me!!! :)

Have a wonderful day!!!

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sometimes we do foolish things

Yep... my family made a foolish and rash decision. We probably shouldnt have. But we did. And our rash decision is oh so cute.

Meet the newest addition to our family!

Her name is Maggie and she's a little beagle mix.

We were actually going to the humane society, sort of to see how we could help out during the holiday season. Unfortuantely, as the economy continues to struggle, many cant afford presents this holiday season, or their pets.

We thought... if we do end up getting a dog, we should get an older one. So then how did we end up with this little cutie? I'm just not sure, other than her big eyes catching every single member of our family. Even baby gabe loved her. So she came home with us.

Macy (our 3 year old dog) adores her and they have been playing non stop!

Here's the biggest downside...

puppies need a lot of watching! I kind of forgot about that part! So it's very hard to sneak away to my craft room. I see lots of late nights staying up when everyone is in bed in my future! hahaha! Why did we think this was a good idea when i have so much christmas crafting to do!

But isnt she cute???

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Happy Thanksgiving, Happy Anniversary AND a card! :)

Hello Everyone! I wanted to be sure to wish everyone a fantastic Thanksgiving today! We traveled yesterday and it took 2 hours longer in the car than normal due to a rockslide! No fun. But the boys were great. :)

Today is a double holiday for me! Not only is it Thanksgiving... but it's also my anniversary!

4 years ago today my hubby and i were married! And today we are back in the same town. He says our anniversary landing on Thanksigiving is completely unromatic. I think it's kinda fun that we are in the same town we got married in though (since we were living in LA when we got married, but the wedding was in Indiana where i'm from).

So indeed today I have a lot to be thankful for!

In honor of the day, I wanted to list some other things that I am truly thankful for...

My Family

Our good health

My friends

The success of my new stamp company

the support of the paper crafting world in so many ways

Here is the card I made for my hubby. I also used a technique i've never done (because in order to get anything accomplished in my life, i must double task! I made this card using the Viva La Verve challenge number 2! :)

Using the cracked glass technique... here is my card...

Since Verve has some fantastic clear stamps, i was able to curve the sentiment to go along the oval. I love that you can change the shape of clear stamps!

I really wanted a lovey dovey image, but *GASP* i dont any hearts from verve! So i've heard, i'm going to "heart" the next release from Verve which is TOMORROW, so i see some buying in my future! Since i dont own any heart stamps, i just drew some hearts and colored them in with copics.

BUT, speaking of the Verve release...

Verve is going to be having a super fun blog party tomorrow for their release...

Thanks for stopping by today and perhaps i'll see ya tomorrow!

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My baby is 1!

Time to get back into the swing of things!  The stamp convention went well this weekend (so says Stephanie... i was only there for an hour!).  My Baby's first birthday party was very fun.  Small and sweet... just like my little dude.  :)  Today is the day that he actually turns 1 and i just can't believe it!  It doesnt seem like all that long ago that i was pregnant!!!!  My folks leave today as well (sniff sniff).  But i am itchin' to get crafty after a week of packin' stamps and then birthday celebrating all weekend!  My fingers need to see some ink!!!!

But before that happens, here are some pictures from this weekend!

New birthday present from Gramma and Bopi!

Gabe sittin' in the rocks... a favorite pastime!

One of the less messy cake pictures!

Gabe fell asleep right after his bath from the cake-tastrophe (by the way, i think i was listening to someone's story...not just vacantly looking out in the distance... hahaha)

He's still got those baby cheeks!

After Gabe woke up and discovered his balloon!

Ok, thats all i have for today!  Check back in tomorrow for a special halloween blog hop!

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Paper Makeup Stamps Sneak Peek day 3

happy 4th of July everyone!!!!! I'm so excited about the next release of monsters! They are just everything i would want in a monster! hahaha! Steve (my friend who designs the cute tough guys) has seriously outdone himself this time! And a little sidenote... steve has some little short film animations (you can see a few on his website) and my 3 year old and become obsessed with them. He wants to watch them allllllll the time!

Ok, here's my monster sneak peek card for you!




Isnt he fun! I decided to name him Calder (which means rough water).And i just think he's the cutest thing i've ever seen! My son totally gets that look when he is about to jump in the pool (and then he remembers he loves water!)

Here are


Stamps:
Digi Calder from Paper Makeup Stamps digi line (to be released July 7th)
Sentiment to also be released by Paper Makeup Stamps digi line

Coloring: (markers listed in the order used)
Using Copics
Body: B12, B14, B16
Water Wings: Y15, Y19, Y13, R27
Flippers: G12, G14, G20
Eyes: E99, YR15, T1

Paper:
Patterned Paper is Lime Rickey by Basic Grey
Cardstock is Bazzill

Tools and Accessories
Cat's Eye Chalk ink in Iced Jade
Brads by American Crafts in Carrot


and just because i couldnt resist these pictures i took of "baby" gabe yesterday.... I cant believe how big he's getting! And running all over the place at 9 months!

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