Ladybug Fanatic

Weekend Antiquing

2011-03-29T10:10:00.000-07:00

We had a great weekend and both my son and my niece were absolute angels. Here are a few pics from the trip of the kids with some of my purchases too. Mommy, I need more snacks... Oh no, not another booth... My little niece making funny faces... And now just chilling along for the ride... This is one of my purchases - a towel rack for the guest bathroom... And an old door which will become a headboard for my bed...

And 2 new metals signs for my collection...

Going Antiquing

2011-03-25T07:24:00.000-07:00

This weekend me, hubby and son are joining my sister, hubby and daughter on a day trip to do some antiquing and of course much needed quality time together. We all enjoy this particular antique show and are excited to be going this year. It's sure to be an adventure with my 15 month old son who just started walking and her 6 1/2 month old daughter. I will do split posts from this trip - one over at my family blog, Monkey Tales and the other here with some of our findings so stay tuned :)

Valentine Card Class

2011-03-18T08:44:00.000-07:00

I had the pleasure of attending Jennifer's Valentine Card Class during February. Here are the cards we made at her class. Jennifer's cards always turn out so great and I enjoy them so much!
I gave this one to my hubby...

and of course had plans to send the rest to family members...but time got away from me. At least I'll have them all ready for next year.

Fresh New Fall

2010-10-14T08:23:00.000-07:00

It has been over 6 months since I last posted and it is driving me crazy. I see everyone elses new posts and keep telling myself to get them done. That is my goal beginning next week. I have a family reunion that I help operate this weekend and once it is out of the way, I can get some things done. Look for posts in the next few weeks and hopefully I can get caught up.

Monday Manic Challenge #1

2010-03-22T14:40:00.001-07:00

My color challenge will be slightly different from others mainly because I didn't want to repeat another's challenge exactly. I've seen other demonstrators do sketches and color inspirations, so this is how mine will work: I will post an inspiration photo and choose one main color for the challenge; then I will randomly draw a sentiment that will need to be used in combination with that color for the card. The card does not have to be monochromatic but certainly can if you choose just as long as the challenge color is majority. The sentiment doesn't have to be word for word, it just has to get the same message across; and of course if you do not have the SU! color, then use a color as close as you can.

Challenge #1: Week of March 29th

SU! Color: Melon Mambo

Sentiment: Birthday

I thought these tulips were absolutely gorgeous so they will kick off my challenge as #1. Cards are due by Friday, April 2nd. Please leave a comment on this post with a link to your blog post. I will choose a winner over the weekend and showcase all the entries with a link back to your post on Monday. Good Luck and Thank You for playing along :)

Look for it Next Week

2010-03-22T08:28:00.000-07:00

I have decided to join the other Stampin' Up demonstrators who have card and inspiration challenges and start one of my own. I haven't put all the ideas together yet but it will be pretty low key and simple. I'm going to call it Monday Manic Challenge. I have chosen this name because for most people I know (me included) who work full time in addition to their fun time jobs, Monday is the craziest and busiest day of the week. After the long and busy day, I want to go straight home and start stampin', which for me and some other stampers I know is a form of relaxation and winding down. My oldest uncle passed away this past August; I was his first born niece and during his eulogy, they commented on how he and I would spend hours together singing songs from artists like Joan Jett, Fleetwood Mac, John Cougar and the Bangles. So as I sang the lyrics in my head - "it's just another Manic Monday, I wish it was Sunday" to the Bangles famous hit song, I thought it would be the perfect inspiration for the name of my challenge.

Here is how it will work: I only plan to have a challenge every other week to allow you some time to complete your project and me some time to choose a winner. So with that in mind I will post a challenge every other Monday and give you the entire work week to complete and post your card. Cards will be due by Friday, I will choose the card I like the best over the weekend and post links to the entries (a link back to your blog) and a winner the following Monday. Then once every quarter I will put all the winners names into a drawing for some blog candy. I still have a few more kinks to work out, but am very excited to get started. Look for the first challenge Monday, March 29th.

Back in Business

2010-03-16T11:26:00.001-07:00

After 10 weeks of maternity leave and a week of transition back into work, I am working with my businesses again. If anyone wants to book a Southern Living at HOME party, a Pampered Chef cooking show or a Stampin' Up demonstration, just let me know. I do still take individual orders so if a party, show or demo won't fit into your calendar you can always place an order. I am so excited to be back into a routine and ready to start having some fun with my businesses again so please let me know if I can help you! Anyone who books a party/show/demo with me hosted during the month of April or May will be entered into a drawing - I guess you could call it blog candy, I just haven't decided what I will be giving away yet!

Online catalogs are available with all 3 companies and you will find the catalog covers with a link for each one on the right side bar. Have a great week everyone!

Awesome Blog Candy

2010-03-15T11:23:00.000-07:00

Jennifer over at JJGreeleyPaperDesigns is celebrating an amazing accomplishment - 20,000 hits! Jump over to her blog to post a comment and be entered for a chance at her huge blog candy. Congratulations Jennifer and Good Luck bloggers!

a slight change in plans...

2010-03-09T08:34:00.000-08:00

I still have lots of updates but have decided to take them in a little different direction. My good friend Jennifer started a new blog called Shutters where she showcases neat finds and antiques and different projects she completes which allows her to keep her crafting/business blog seperate. Well, thank you Jennifer for the awesome idea as I have decided to do something very similar.

My new blog will be dedicated to family news and updates and the adventures of my new bundle of joy. The new blog is called Monkey Tales and can be found at www.warrenmonkey.blogspot.com

This blog, ladybug fanatic, will remain the same and be dedicated to crafting, etc. and will include my business updates for Southern Living at HOME, The Pampered Chef and Stampin' Up!

Please be patient as I transition the current blog as well as create the new one :) Have a great day everyone!

I'm still here...with lots of updates!

2010-03-08T11:02:00.000-08:00

As most of you know, my son was born 7 weeks premature and spent 26 days in NICU. Today he is 10 weeks old and it is my first day back at work. Sad to leave him but kinda glad to get back into the swing of things.

I have tons of posts to get caught back up starting with being put on bedrest at my 32 week appt. through the present. My goal is to post every other day in an effort to get current...so check back often :)

Friend's Baby Shower

2009-12-17T07:25:00.000-08:00

I'm pictured here with my good friend Ashley. She is having a little girl and is due 2 weeks before me. We took this picture at her shower; its hard to see my belly because of the dark shirt I was wearing but sizewise her belly is one toilet paper square bigger than me. They played "guess the number of toilet paper squares it will take to wrap around the belly" game so of course we had to measure mine as well just for curiosity sake.

This is the card I made for her...

and this is the banner I made for her. The full view of her name didn't turn out very well, but there are some closeups that look alot better. I used the colors of her nursery and she loved it. I hope she can find a cute place to hang it.
One last note about my friend Ashley...she developed preeclampsia (sp?) and has been put on bed rest for the remainder of her pregnancy. She has to lie down most of the time only sitting upright or standing for about 5 minutes at a time. She has been journaling her pregnancy on a blog, however hasn't updated in a few weeks. You can follow her story here (Ashley's blog). My prayers are with you Ashley as you complete the last 6 weeks of your pregnancy.

Christmas Decor Element Blocks

2009-12-14T12:00:00.000-08:00

Here are few more handmade gifts I made using the decor element blocks. This time I also used some Christmas decor elements in Real Red.

I can't decide which set I like better. My goal for this week is to post a total of 3 times to get some more posts in before the holidays. I hope to post again on Wednesday and Friday so stay tuned :)

1st Baby Shower

2009-12-09T14:24:00.000-08:00

Warning - Picture Overload!!! I had such a wonderful shower this past Saturday in San Antonio. I had a great turnout despite the miserable weather the day before and the below freezing temperatures early that morning. I received so many awesome gifts and can't wait to put them away in the nursery (which should be complete in the next few days). They are currently scattered amongst other rooms of the house :)

Here is a little picture story from the day...

The baby book given to me for memories, etc - it matches the nursery perfectly!

With my two awesome hostesses - best friend on the left and sister on the right.

An awesome two layered marble cake - it was delicious!

Closeup up of a little fondant elephant; there was also a zebra and monkey.

The diaper cake my best friend made - its so cute I don't want to take it apart.

An extra they had made to match the invitations - candy wrappers.

My little helper and niece, Emma. She is an absolute angel. She kept everyone entertained while helping me open my gifts. Check out her excitement and the expressions on her face with every gift I opened.

Helping move opened gifts to another area - I think it might outweigh her.

Her favorite gift we opened, a stuffed elephant!

This was the dining room table at my brother's where I consolidated all the gifts so they could all come home with me.

And last but not least, the front and rear view of my SUV - loaded to the max!

I am so blessed with wonderful friends and family and overwhelmed by the amount of stuff needed to take care of a baby! I am very much looking forward to my 2nd shower in a little over 4 weeks ;)

Decor Element Blocks

2009-12-03T07:57:00.001-08:00

I decided to give alot of handmade Christmas gifts this year - mainly because we are trying to spend less and save more in preparation for our little one's arrival in approximately 10 weeks.

These blocks can be found in the SU! Holiday Mini and will be available in the Occasions Mini in the spring as well. I love them! They are 3" square and super easy to decorate. I bought several sets of these and completed the first set last night. I chose to use the SU! DSP Sweet Always from a previous catalog as I thought it would be perfect for my 2 year old niece. Each block uses the same 4 designs from the DSP assortment as well as chocolate chip cardstock.
I decorated each letter/block with a different element using ribbon on the first letter, the scallop edge punch on the second...

a flower shaped button on the third and both sizes of the corner punch on the last.

I am very pleased with how they turned out. I sure hope she likes them :) Stay tuned for future posts as I continue to make handmade Christmas gifts for friends and family.

29 weeks

2009-11-30T09:01:00.000-08:00

No pics to post, just a short and quick update. I've been pretty busy lately - training a new employee at work so she is ready when I am on maternity leave, cleaning and getting the house ready for a new baby, working steadily on the nursery so it is ready to fill with furniture and baby necessities, and the list goes on and on.

I had another appointment last Wednesday. They did an ultrasound to check on baby's growth. He was weighing in at 3lbs, 2ozs and is right on target in size. I got to have the lovely glucose test where you drink the thick syrupy gunk and I am happy to report I passed!!! I was so excited and thankful for that. This appt was also a little eye opener that this is really happening and we are only 11 weeks away from meeting our son (give or take a little, of course). The doctor told us it was time to start thinking about pediatricians and to get pre-registered at the hospital. He also gave me my official traveling restrictions for the holidays. I won't get to travel to my hometown since it is further away than he wants me to be at that stage - so it looks like most everyone will have to come to me this year. I'm not complaining. I do get tired of the lengthy travels every year.

I have my first baby shower this Saturday and I am super excited! I hope everyone had a blessed Thanksgiving and a wonderful week! I will try to post more often :)

24 weeks, 3 days

2009-10-28T14:18:00.000-07:00

Our son is growing well and kicking up a storm. I had my 24 week appointment today...no ultrasound this time :(. They listened to his heartbeat with the doppler and he actually kicked the doppler while they were doing so. It was pretty funny. The Dr measured my belly and said everything is right on target. My next appointment is in 4 weeks when I will be 28 weeks along. So far things are going great and I am feeling good. Sorry this is a boring post this time with no pics. I just wanted to post an update.

2 years ago today...

2009-10-22T13:10:00.000-07:00

It is so hard to believe it has already been 2 years since hubby hit a cow with my car while driving to work one early morning. It is amazing how quickly time passes by...it sure doesn't seem like it has been 2 years. I posted the story last year - you can see it here.

I look back at the pics from time to time, not really sure why because I will never forget that day and the 12 weeks that followed as hubby's broken neck healed.

Nursery Bedding

2009-10-12T11:58:00.000-07:00

My brother and his family visited us this weekend so we had the nursery set up as a second guest bedroom. Now that this weekend has passed, it is time to start preparing the nursery... so I thought I would share the bedding. The bedroom is already painted yellow so we wanted to stick with that color and add some others to it. Hubby and I agreed on the bedding you see pictured below. He really likes monkeys and we both liked the soft color palette. Unfortunately for us it was discontinued. I searched for days for somewhere that still had it and I got lucky. A kid's bedding store in California or Nevada (can't remember which) had 2 sets left. I was hoping the bedding was something I could have registered for as shower gifts, but I couldn't chance not getting it. I ordered the set and I'm super excited to get home today because it is being delivered. The set includes everything pictured here except the hamper, rug, lamp and of course the random decorations they use...but I'm totally okay with that. Also on it's way is a set of painted wall art and a painted wooden peg rack for hanging towels and coats, etc. The total set is 12 pieces. The nursery furniture is the same honey finish seen in the picture. I can't wait to get started. I will be posting some before and after pics of the room once it is complete. I am currently 22 weeks and have approximately 18 weeks to go :)

It's a Boy!

2009-10-02T10:36:00.000-07:00

We had a level 3 ultrasound yesterday in Austin to check on baby because of some crazy bloodwork results I received. Our appt went great. Our little boy is right on target for my stage in pregnancy and looks awesome. It was so neat to see some features so close up, like his brain and stomach, etc. Technology is awesome and the miracle of life is amazing. We can't wait to welcome our son into this world in February. I am currently 20 weeks, 5 days along! 19 weeks, 2 days to go!!!
Here is the profile...
Here he is waving at us...

And here are his little feet...

Card Sketch Booklets

2009-09-22T08:27:00.000-07:00

Kristina Werner's Make a Card Monday post on September 14th gave a tutorial on how to make these adorable sketch booklets. She designed the templete and has a link to it on that post. I decided to try my hand at making these and I absolutely love them. I have made several so far and can't wait to make more. I will mostly use them for myself and as door prizes at stamp camps, etc. I think they will make great little gifts or giveaways and I just love making them. It is so easy and fun and of course different than a traditional card. These 3 booklets use the leftovers from a Simply Scrappin' kit used at Jennifer's Simply Scrappin' class a few months ago. I was going to use the leftovers to make additional cards and I still might do that, however right now I am loving how they work for these little booklets. I can't wait to make more :)

Here is the first one I made. The word "create" is cut out using my Slice. It works perfect for this project.

These are the second two made using the same concept.

On a more serious note, I'm shouting out a little prayer for our friends. Their 17 year old daughter was hit while riding her bicycle home from work last night. Fortunately, there weren't any broken bones...which they thought for sure she would have based on how bad her leg that was hit by the car looked. She has alot of bruising and soreness, some road rash and some scrapes. I babysat an 8 month old and an 8 year old for them while they were at the hospital awaiting the results of the Xrays. The ironic thing about this incident was it was deemed her fault. They were at an intersection and she was turning onto a cross street 1 block from her house. She did not signal her turn so the car that hit her reported he didn't know which way she was going. However, she didn't know which way he was going either, so she felt it safe to make her turn. It just goes to show you that you can't take anything for granted. Just because someone has their blinker on, doesn't mean they are turning or just because you have a green light doesn't mean its safe to proceed through the intersection.

Have a great rainy day everyone!!!

Dry Goods Decor Elements

2009-09-16T07:28:00.000-07:00

I was so excited when I saw these decor elements in the SU! Holiday Mini as a hostess level 1 reward. I couldn't wait to get them. I ordered them in Chocolate because I thought it would coordinate with my canisters better. These canisters are the Tuscan Canisters from Southern Living at HOME and can be purchased through me as a consultant. The tray they are sitting on is also SLaH and is called the Galveston Tray. This tray can be used for so many things, but was specifically designed for the Tuscan Canisters and the new Cinnabar canisters in the Fall Catalog. I just love how they turned out. Now, family and friends who visit after the birth of our baby will know where to find these dry goods without asking or having to search. I love labeling things...you should see my craft room and bathroom storage. I'm such a nut!!!

10 Little Fingers

2009-09-08T13:47:00.001-07:00

I first want to apologize for my lack of posts during the last 4 weeks. I have been super busy and super exhausted. I will try to do much, much better.

Here are the u/s pics from today. The baby is growing well with a heartrate of 158bpm. The baby is at a size now where it is difficult to see the entire view on the screen and the tech has to look at it in stages. This is why you saw an entire baby in the previous u/s pic at 13 weeks and here we see head and body.

I also had hubby take my first "baby bump" pics. I have been showing at this stage for a few weeks now. I call it my double beer gut. My waistline and along my belly button is not extended to the same level as my upper and lower abdomen. It looks kinda strange right now, more like rolls of fat than a baby...but I know that will change quicker than I think. Don't pay attention to the hair or makeup. It was a super long day, I was exhausted and we were headed to see Jeff Dunham at First Yell.

My next appt is in another 4 weeks. I will be 21 weeks and we should have a better chance of finding out gender. The tech tried today, however baby had it's knees tucked into it's chest and the ankles were crossed. We did get to see it waving at us with distinct little fingers. Such a cute site and an awesome feeling.

Our Little Cupid

2009-08-13T07:54:00.000-07:00

I had another ultrasound yesterday and am very excited that all is well with the remaining twin. The baby is measuring 13weeks, 3days and has a good heartbeat of 160BPM. My doctor says everything looks great and growth is right on track. Our little cupid is due February 14, 2010!

My next appointment is in 4 weeks for another ultrasound to check baby's growth and heartbeat :)

Hello

2009-08-04T08:57:00.000-07:00

I received this adorable Hello card from Jennie. She is moving with her family to San Antonio. This card was a little thank you for alot of different things. We will miss her smiling face and bubbly personality...but we will definitely keep in touch via email and blogland :) Have a safe move. Good luck to your family in your new adventures.

Bittersweet

2009-07-29T09:01:00.000-07:00

I had another ultrasound yesterday. Twin A is doing great with a wonderful heartbeat, good growth and alot of movement. Unfortunately Twin B did not make it. Growth had ceased and there was not a heartbeat :( The Dr has high hopes that Twin A will be just fine and I will be monitored very closely to make sure with another u/s already scheduled in 2 weeks.

Here is an u/s pic of Twin A; such an amazing thing to see! It was moving its arms and legs like crazy. The miracle of life is amazing :)

Here is a view of the heartbeat - 173 BPM

I'm still here...

2009-07-23T09:06:00.000-07:00

I've been pretty busy lately and just haven't had the drive to keep up with blogging and taking pictures so here is a card that my friend Jennifer (anaggiebug) gave me a few weeks ago when she came down to visit. I thought the card was adorable and cute how she did the wording twice...

So back to the busy-ness...we are having a garage sale this weekend and I am not kidding when I say my dining room is floor to ceiling garage sale items and boxes. Some is brother and sister's items but most of it is ours. First of all, I can't believe how much junk has accumulated in our house over the last 5 years and second I can't believe how much I'm willing to get rid of. Preparing for the arrival of 2 little ones is big time motivation. Now, if I can just make it through this garage sale :)

4th of July Weekend - Belated Post

2009-07-14T11:59:00.000-07:00

Our annual Buchanan Dam trip celebrates 4th of July and my Gpa's birthday which is on the 5th. We have been getting together ever since I can remember. Some years are more fun than others...mainly due to some of the guests and the level of the lake.

Dad's girlfriend with her daughter, granddaughter and dog -

this would be the redneck way of hauling a canoe and a paddle boat on one trailer demonstrated by my dad who is driving and my crazy brother-in-law holding the boats in place -Not sure what all 3 of us (sis, bro-in-law and me) are staring at, probably Baby E -

Gpa, his wife and her family -

Baby E playing "fill the water bottle using a large bucket" with my sis -

this would be the terrible two's side of her. she didn't get her nap as usual and was slightly cranky -

Seeing Double

2009-07-01T08:04:00.000-07:00

Wow! I'm not even sure where to begin. Hubby and I have been TTC for the past 2 years. I had two miscarriages in 2007 and since January have had 5 rounds of hormone therapy. Well, several weeks ago, I had a wonderful surprise with a BFP pregnancy test. We only told a few select people because we wanted to see/hear the heartbeats before sharing with everyone. So, the past few weeks we were anxiously awaiting my first ultrasound, which was yesterday. Hubby was working nights and there was no way he was going to be able to make the appointment, so I went alone! I was so nervous and scared. So as I laid there on the table, the ultrasound tech says "Can I tell you something?" I didn't think anything of it until she said...

TWINS

That's right!!! There are two little babies in there. They are doing great. Yesterday, I was 7 weeks 2 days along and the babies were measuring 6 weeks, 1 day and 6 weeks, 2 days and the doctor said that was great! I saw their little heartbeats fluttering on the screen. It was so amazing, exciting and scary all at the same time. My next appointment in 4 weeks will be another ultrasound to hear the heartbeats and check their growth. My projected due date is February 22, 2010 however the doctor said anything after 34 weeks is great. So, now we begin our journey to parenthood x 2 - Yikes!!!

New Paper Trimmer

2009-06-26T07:56:00.000-07:00

I finally did it. I finally broke down and bought a new paper trimmer. I have been using a Cricut trimmer for a long time now and have to change the blades frequently and its not very accurate cutting anything larger than 4" which really doesn't do any good since the most common size card is a 4.25"x5.5". Jennifer and Emily have both used this new trimmer and really like it and their cuts always seem to be real neat...so I splurged. Of course I did use a 40% off coupon which helped alot. My new trimmer is a Memory Makers 12"x12" Precision PaperTrimmer. I haven't used it yet, but plan to do so this weekend. I will keep the Cricut trimmer to use for smaller cutting or on-the-go projects.

Ribbon Storage

2009-06-24T12:11:00.000-07:00

I am constantly looking for ways of creatively storing my scrappin/stampin supplies. My friend Jennifer (anaggiebug) was in town this past weekend and while wasting time after lunch before our movie started, we popped into JoAnn's to look at yarn for the next afghan project and we passed by this adorable crate/drawer storage system. I immediately thought it would be perfect for my ribbon storage. It was unfinished wood so I painted it to coordinate with my craft/guest bedroom and used the SU! Love and Happiness rub ons to decorate the front of the drawers. I love the way it turned out...too bad it still isn't big enough for all my ribbon. My SU! ribbons are still stored in another container. Lesson learned - Do Not Buy more Ribbon until Current collection is Gone!!! Here are some pics of the finished product.

Stay tuned...marker storage will be next.

Father's Day Cards

2009-06-23T09:49:00.000-07:00

I intended to set this one up to auto post on Sunday, but I completely forgot before I left the office on Friday...so here is my belated Father's day cards. The first was made at Jennifer's Forget me not Keeper class and was sent to my dad.

The second is one I recently made at Terri's First Friday Stampin where she showed us how to tie this adorable tie. Since my stepfather used to wear a tie to work everyday, I thought it was fitting for him. Terri's card had 3 ties across the front; I decided to only use one so I could add a Happy Father's day message.Stay tuned for my new ribbon storage.

Happy Birthday Hubby

2009-06-22T08:40:00.000-07:00

Today is hubby's 33rd bday. It marked a special day for him because he was able to return to work today on light duty after 5 1/2 weeks of being on leave due to his motorcycle accident. He is not completely healed and has to take it easy but he is happy to be back.

I used a card idea from one of Jennifer's make and takes, however I chose more masculine colors. The one we made at the make and take was bold, bright colors which I will use in August for baby E's bday. For hubby's card, I used pacific point, baja breeze and yoyo yellow.

Happy birthday hubby. I hope you have a great first day back at work! (he never reads blogs, so he will never actually see this post)

Little Notes

2009-06-18T08:55:00.001-07:00

I decided to try using some of the remaining supplies from the Simply Scrappin' class at Jennifer's a few weeks ago. This first pic is her version that we made at the class... and this second pic is the two I made...
I'm trying but sometimes my creativity is just not there. I have made a few others that I am more proud of and will post later as I get them complete. I'm so excited about the new SU! catalog. I hope I can get my copy tonight!

Birthday Cards

2009-06-16T13:16:00.001-07:00

As mentioned in yesterday's post, our family has alot of birthdays coming up. Here are two of the three for June bdays. I will post my hubby's on his bday as a special wish for him.

The first card I made is for my brother's girlfriend (also the mother of the adorable baby E who calls me Aunt WiiWii-see yesterday's post for details). K likes the color pink, so I chose these SU! colors: Pixie Pink, Old Olive and So Saffron cardstocks, So Saffron twill ribbon and finally the DSP is Georgia Peach - I love the fun spring/summery colors.

This second card is for my step-sister-in-law who shares her birthday with my hubby. I don't know this side of the family very well, so I have no idea what colors she likes so I chose these: Riding Hood Red, Kiwi Kiss and Pink Pirouette cardstocks, Bella Rose DSP and the Riding Hood Red grosgrain ribbon.

The cupcake used in each comes from one of my new stamp sets courtesy of the June hostess club. I am having so much fun with all my new stuff :)

Chillin' at the River

2009-06-15T11:54:00.000-07:00

We had a family day at the Blanco River to celebrate the May-June-July family birthdays, which is quite a few. My step-sis and her hubby live a mile from the river so we hung out in and around the water for a couple of hours then headed back to their house for some yummy brisket sandwiches, sopapilla cake and 7 layer dip.

My step-dad, mother (May bday), and step-bro-in-law; my step-sis hiding behind him in the cap...

My brother with the adorable baby E...

My step-bro-in-law again with my sis' hubby (July bday)...

My bro's girlfriend (June bday), my bro, sis and my hubby (June bday; he was so bored - he couldn't get in the water b/c of his foot)...

and the adorable Baby E - she is not so much a baby anymore b/c she will be 2 in August. She was the highlight of our day. She kept us all entertained. My mom was getting her to say all of our names. She did a pretty good job with some and not so good with others - me included. Everytime someone said Lacey, she would say WiiWii (weewee - I refuse to use this spelling; I like the video game spelling better or maybe a French spelling would work too) It was adorable, so I just said okay, I am Aunt WiiWii.

My step-sis-in-law was the other June bday but I didn't get any pics of her and my step-bro. She just had a baby in April, so they did not join us at the lake. We had a great time...but that was enough family time for a while.

ABC Baby Cards

2009-06-12T11:29:00.000-07:00

I know several ladies who are currently pregnant so I have made up some mini card stacks that can be used for just about any occasion. I can give the cards to them for a shower or when the baby is born or even give them the entire stack to use as thank you's, etc.

I made both a boy set and a girl set. I used my Slice die cutting machine to make the letters ABC. The girl set uses SU! colors certainly celery, so saffron and pretty in pink. The boy set uses SU! colors bashful blue, so saffron and certainly celery. I used stamps from several different sets to create the square of images. I think they turned out pretty cute, so I also added them to my etsy shop.

I hope everyone has a great weekend. Hubby is still out of work healing for at least another week. We are headed to my step-sister's house to spend the day at the river. We are celebrating all of the family's June birthdays. I've got alot of posts coming next week so stay tuned...

Bright Notes Flower Card Set

2009-06-09T11:07:00.000-07:00

I made a set of 6 cards almost identical to the set Jennifer G (see her set here) won in my blog candy several months ago. The concept is the same, but the flowers are slightly different. I used my Slice die cutting machine for both the top note shape and flowers. I love this little machine...just need to add to my collection of images.
Here are the cards in the set - 3 of each in Real Red and Yoyo Yellow with Real Red, Yoyo Yellow and Tempting Turquoise die cut images...

Petal Party Simply Scrappin' Class

2009-06-08T10:25:00.000-07:00

I attended Jennifer's SU! Simply Scrappin' class this past Saturday. We had so much fun! There were 5 of us in attendance and we all got to sit at the same table working on our cards and chatting away. These cards were so creative but this comes as no surprise because Jennifer always creates such cute cards. I don't think I could pick a favorite because I love them all. If you haven't attended one of Jennifer's classes, you don't know what your missing!

Here are the 8 cards we made...

These are the remaining supplies from the Simply Scrappin' pack that was used to make those 8 cards. There is more than enough here to make at least 8 more cards...maybe even more!

I am completely amazed at the simplicity of this scrappin' pack. These cards went together so quickly. I was done in 2 hours and that included eating breakfast. I will definitely be purchasing more of these in the future. I'm just not sure I can come up with such cute cards like Jennifer.

Southern Living at HOME June Incentives

2009-06-04T12:03:00.001-07:00

June Hostess Bonus

Host a party, earn more FREE product!

(product rewards are not cumulative)

*Host a $500 party, get the Carriage House Lantern FREE!(a $49.95 retail value) *Host a $750 party, get the Pavilion Wall Art FREE!(a $99.95 retail value) *Hostess a $1,000 party, get a set of the Cordova Nesting Tables FREE!(a $219.95 retail value)

For You

2009-05-29T11:32:00.001-07:00

Several months ago I borrowed a big shot die from Jenn G and used it in my Cuttlebug to make several of these cards. The die cuts out the design shape below and there is a coordinating stamp set that makes the same image slightly smaller. I used the die to cut the larger one in certainly celery dsp and hand cut the smaller one to fit on top. This card uses baja breeze, certainly celery and chocolate chip. I liked how they turned out.

On another note, hubby had a checkup at the doctor yesterday for his foot and they sent him today to a wound specialist that dug into his foot and caused him alot of pain. His foot is not healing as quickly as they would like it to so they irritated the wound to rejuvinate the healing process. It sounded painful when he was explaining it. He is still not released to wear shoes, therefore he can't go back to work yet. Another week at home...I think I'm going to pull my hair out :0

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

2009 Calendar

2009-05-26T11:51:00.001-07:00

I started working on this calendar a long time ago and was just able to finish the last couple of months over the 3 day weekend. It is made using the 4"x4" chipboard coasters and bound together using my Bind-it-All. I think it turned out pretty cute. It sits on my desk next to my telephone at work so I can look at it everyday I'm here.

Landscaping

2009-05-22T09:12:00.000-07:00

In addition to typical housework, I spend alot of time outdoors with my flower beds and landscaping. I love this part - kind of a stress relief for me - especially now since hubby can't go to work for the next 2 weeks. When I get tired of him, I can just go outside. Here are some pics of my landscaping, nothing too extravagant, but I am proud. Oh yeah, and all the rock you see in the pics - I did all of that one 50lb bag at a time. I'll post some before pics of that project later in another post; completely forgotten I hadn't shared that project yet. Warning - picture overload!

this is the front of the house to the right side of the door...
this is the front of the house to the left of the door...

there are two of these whisky barrell planters that edge where we park our vehicles...

this is across the back - a path leading from one porch to another...

closeup of one of my favs - an antique wheelbarrow...

the new covered patio at our master bedroom sliding glass door...

closeup of the hanging baskets on this new patio...

again at the rear of the house nestled in a corner leading up to the other porch...

closeup of my jasmine in bloom - its beautiful and smells wonferful...

a new addition at the side of the house I completed this spring...

I hope everyone has a wonderful Memorial Day weekend. Mine is going to be a busy one!

Birthday Card

2009-05-19T09:37:00.001-07:00

I have lots of birthday cards to make in the next couple of months. Seems like all the birthdays pile up one after another once mine has passed...so I'll be posting pics as I get them made. This one here was given to my Grandpa's wife (my grandmother passed away 20 years ago). I actually made it at a card class that Terri held last summer when the current "in" colors first came out. This card uses SU! kiwi kiss, riding hood red and pink pirouette cardstocks and bella rose dsp. I think the rose paper fit this lady perfectly.

My new ETSY shop

2009-05-11T14:15:00.000-07:00

That's right...thank you Emily for the great ideas and helpful hints. Now, my ETSY shop is up and running. As of right now, I only have the 3 card stacks listed however I will be getting my jewelry listed later this week.

My shop is http://ladybuglacey.etsy.com

Emily's shop is http://cardsbyem.etsy.com

Check them out when you have time. I'm sure they will be updated frequently.

Southern Living at HOME May Incentives

2009-05-01T12:24:00.000-07:00

Southern Living at HOME has announced some awesome incentives for May.

#1 - Hostesses with a party totalling $250+ receive one of these three items for FREE!
Customers who spend $29.95+ receive one of these three items for FREE!
-Signature Flowerpot
-Ruffled Glass Bowl
-Cinnabar Baker

#2 - Customers are eligible to purchase 3 select items early that will be brand new and featured in our Fall catalog.
-Royal Street Urn
-Montcrest Adjustable Hurricane
-Kid's Masterpiece Art Portfolio

#3 - Host a party and apply up to $100 towards the regular starter kit and join my team for half price through the Hostess Advantage Program.

#4 - Join for half price by purchasing the mini starter kit - available for a limited time only.

Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures to post with these but you can check out the links on the right sidebar for complete details and pictures.

Pampered Chef

2009-04-30T10:47:00.000-07:00

I am excited to announce that I am now officially a Pampered Chef consultant. I am still a Southern Living at HOME consultant as home decorating is my true passion...but I felt I was needing something else too. My plan with Pampered Chef is to do mainly catalog orders and shows, but will be willing to do the occiasional cooking show if someone asks me to. I love their products; they are great in quality and very useful. My whole family uses their products - my sister even had a Pampered Chef Bridal Show which was so much fun and she got a ton of their products. It was awesome. If I can help anyone in any way or answer your questions, please let me know. Their catalog is available online at www.pamperedchef.com. I do not have a website for ordering at this time and it might be a while before I get that set up, so if there is something you are interested in, please email me at aggieladybug@yahoo.com

Have a great day everyone! I am so ready for the weekend and my vacation next week!!!

Jewelry

2009-04-29T13:09:00.001-07:00

I thought I would share some pictures of the jewelry I have been making lately. I used to make jewelry all the time and have recently started up again. Between the cardstacks and the jewelry, I think its time to clean my crafting area. Its getting pretty messy ;)

These first 5 are made with mostly beads and crystals -

These last 4 are made with wooden beads -
I am in the market to sell any and all of these so if anyone is interested in purchasing any, just contact me at aggieladybug@yahoo.com or leave a comment for pricing and additional details.

Card Stacks

2009-04-27T09:35:00.000-07:00

I was a busy girl and made three card stacks this weekend and some jewelry. I'll post the jewelry later in the week. I didn't do much housework; I wanted to relax and enjoy a weekend of fun projects. I really like all 3 card stacks - its hard to pick out my favorite.

Stack #1 uses certainly celery, bashful blue and so saffron SU cardstock and each card has a different sentiment -

Stack #2 uses bashful blue, riding hood red and so saffron SU cardstocks using 3 different sentiments -

Stack #3 uses baja breeze and tangerine tango SU cardstock and dsp and includes 3 different sentiments -

Thank You Cards

2009-04-23T10:06:00.000-07:00

I made quite a few thank you cards this past weekend to send out for all my bday gifts, etc. I made two versions: a girly one and another that is a little more masculine, but still appropriate for both. I had fun making both of these cards. I wanted to keep them simple since I had to make quite a few.

The girly card uses kiwi kiss and pretty in pink cardstock and raspberry tart dsp (thank you Jennifer G). I love this color combo!

The more masculine, yet still feminine card uses baja breeze, certainly celery and chocolate chip cardstocks and certainly celery dsp.

Birthday Cards

2009-04-22T08:17:00.000-07:00

I thought I would share pics of the many birthday cards I received last week.

I received hand made cards this year from the two Jennifers. The first is from Jennifer at JJGreeleyPaperDesigns. She posted this card on her blog when she made it and I loved it then - so I was super thrilled when I opened it.

This one is from Jennifer at AnAggieBug. The second pic of her card shows the inside - complete with 30 ladybugs :) I thought it was clever.

"Softly Call The Muster"

2009-04-21T07:47:00.000-07:00

"We gather today, Aggies all, to recall our past, to strengthen our ties, to honor those who have passed before us....We come today to affirm our commitment, our love for this place and all that it represents." -Jack M. Rains, Muster Speaker 1984

RWS 9/12/76 - 6/28/08 Today, April 21st is a special day for Aggies honoring loved ones that have passed since last year at this time. Aggies are honored all over the state in similar localized Muster ceremonies in Houston, Abilene, San Antonio and on and on. Today, us Aggie girls will meet up once again to remember our beloved friend who passed away last summer. We miss him everyday, but know he is in a better place watching over us. He lived in Houston therefore will be on the roll call at that ceremony, however we are attending the Muster here in College Station at Reed Arena - because this is where it all started for us. We all met while attending Texas A&M and it is fitting to honor him here. Whoop!

I am Blessed!

2009-04-20T08:51:00.000-07:00

I had a wonferful weekend. Hubby and I invited our families and a few close friends to our house to help celebrate my big 3-0 birthday! It was truly and memorable and eventful day. We started the morning with rain and more rain and more rain. I was stressed wondering how all of these people were going to fit in my house...but God was watching over us and wanted me to have a great day because the rain stopped! Thank goodness were not all cooped up in my house. In attendance were 23 adults, 5 children and 13 vehicles. WoW! I didn't know I could fit that many people and vehicles on my little half acre in the country...and we still had room for more! Sometimes pictures speak 1,000 words - so here is a picture story of the eventful day...

My grandpa and his wife and her grandson sitting on the picnic table that hubby made for me for my bday -

in the dining room guarding the food from left to right; dad's girlfriend, my mom, sister (LaffyTiffy) and her hubby -

outside on the back porch from left to right my bff, her hubby, our friend's daughter (and baby P's mom) and finally my dad -

we decided to break out a card game and here are the girls from left to right; Granny D, Jennifer (AnAggieBug) holding baby P, baby P's mom, my sis and my good friend A; the girls were waiting on me to get changed (you will see why in the next pic) -

I was holding baby P while they were setting up the card game and she puked all over me. I'm not just talking a little spit up...I'm talking the entire bottle she had consumed about an hour earlier...all over me; down my shirt; in my hair; on my face; down my pant leg; and on and on -

some thought it was funny - check out Jennifer laughing her head off and others thought it was gross (me included) so baby P and I both had to change clothes; you can see my sisters hand right there at the door, she was staying back "don't let her touch me" - it was funny after all was said and done and cleanup was underway -

here is Jennifer again -

my good friend A; notice a different shirt than the pics before -

my sister getting the cupcake cake ready with my stepdad holding E looking on; she was waiting patiently for her cupcake -

my lovely cupcake cake made by my wonderful sister -

blowing out my 2 candles; thank goodness there weren't 30 -

my bff's daughter S, she is the one named after me :) -

E again, this time she was looking for one of our cats -

A and her husband J got stuck in the mud thanks to all the rain and hubby had to pull them out -

a pic of their ruts taken the next morning -

and brother-in-laws truck stuck in the mud -

and ONE of his ruts taken the next morning; he left more than one rut -

At the end of the evening we were exhausted but we all had a great time despite the many events that occurred that day. I am truly blessed with a wonderful family and group of close friends (all of which just happened to be bridesmaids from our wedding) and thankful that they traveled to see me and help celebrate this milestone bday with me. Thank you so much to everyone who came - I love you all!

"A Young Chick to an Old Hen"

2009-04-16T07:56:00.001-07:00

Whoah - I'm the BIG three-oh!!! That's right. Today is a milestone birthday for me. At first, I was dreading this day...it was a mental thing for me - not wanting to hit the age most people don't look forward to. So here it is and I am totally excited. The days leading up to today were just fine and I continued to look forward to it. 30 is nothing (I don't feel any older - yet) although people keep telling me that the 30's go by faster than the 20's. That is the part I'm not looking forward to.

So, here is to "A Young Chick turned Old Hen that will Never see Her 20's again!" I hope everyone has a great day and weekend. I'm having the family over on Saturday to celebrate my bday. The head count is now at 25 adults + 5 children. Yikes - If it rains like its supposed to, we will be packed like sardines in my house!!! I'm looking forward to it...I have a big family and I'm glad they are celebrating with me :) I'll post plenty of pics on Monday.

My boss thinks he is Funny...updated!

2009-04-15T07:25:00.000-07:00

We have a dry erase board in our file room at the office and my boss decided last year after I turned 29 that he would have a countdown to my big 3-0 birthday. So, this pic below is something I have been looking at for the last 364 days. I took this pic last week when it was still 7 days...but now I am down to only 1 - Yikes!
This next addition on the dry erase board was added last week when my bday was 7 days away. He thinks he is hilarious and that making fun of me and my upcoming bday is fun. Oh, well! I guess if it makes him happy, then we will all be happy here at work - maybe :) and this is what I saw when I came in the office this morning...
I think he just might be a comedian - NOT!!!

Easter Cards

2009-04-08T09:04:00.001-07:00

Here are a few Easter cards I made Sunday evening. These first two are redo's of two cards I made several years ago that I never used. There was just something about them I didn't like...so I changed them. The original card was the green embellished with the flower wheel. I used a stamp set that coordinates with the Tag punches. I didn't like the entire card being green, so I cut out a section of the old card and put it on a new card using pretty in pink cardstock.

Same concept here with the old card being a color close to yoyo yellow. I cropped it and placed it on orchid opulence cardstock. I am much happier with these two new cards made by demolishing old ones! This is part of the excitement of making cards...if you don't like it - change it :)

These next two use the same two colors of cardstock and certainly celery dsp. Stamp set used is called A Good Egg or something like that, I think??

Fun Times

2009-04-07T07:55:00.001-07:00

Chilifest happens directly behind our property so since traffic is so crazy, we board ourselves at home and have a few close friends and family come out and enjoy the music because we are that close that we can hear the concerts almost perfectly. We had crawfish and etouffee (yum) and the weather was perfect. Here are a few shots of us girls just chilling and loving on Baby P.

She is 2 months old and has found her hands. She thinks they are yummy!

This is Granny D.

This is a shot of Granny D and one of my best friends, Jennifer from AnAggieBug.

and here is Jennifer again.

and lastly me - she had just spit up on me. It wasn't the first time and definitely wasn't the last. She hosed me again later that evening...but I didn't mind. I love this little gal!

Simple Decorating

2009-03-31T08:41:00.000-07:00

I thought I would share these simple decorating ideas that we learned at our last Southern Living at HOME consultant team meeting. The best way to decorate is to keep it simple.

Galveston Hurricane: this idea was created for St. Patrick's day - a few drops of green food coloring and a few fresh flower stems - voila!

Renaissance Hurricane: this is a very tall piece; it is being used on a hearth here to flank a fireplace - add some water and either a fresh or faux flower stem to float on top - simple yet elegant!

Jamestown Centerpiece and Ruffled Glass Bowl: combines two great pieces that should be in anyones decor - water and floating candles in the bowl set inside a St. Patrick's Day wreath on the centerpiece - can be changed out for every holiday very easily!

Jamestown Centerpiece, Barley Twist Pedestal and Mini Cake Dome: combines 3 products and still only takes about 5 minutes to complete - Easter grass lines the bottom of the centerpiece, the pedestal sits in the center; put a candle and wooden or decorated faux easter eggs on the pedestal and add the dome; add cute little candy dishes and any other easter figurine desired - cute and fabulous!

Petite Bud Vases: fill to your hearts content with St. Patrick's Day or Easter sprigs and stems and flowers.

Bountiful Tray, Villa Stoneware and Tuscan Tidbit: just another way to create that punch of color and wow factor at the dining table.

and the WINNERS are...

2009-03-26T07:42:00.000-07:00

Congratulations Jennifer from JJGreeley PaperDesigns on being the only one to guess the correct answer for the shoes on the door rack. There are 37 pair.

All of the guesses for the total number were close so you were all entered into the drawing. I own 60 pair...wow maybe I do need to purge. That is INSANE!!! What can I say - I love shoes!

The lucky winner of this drawing was... Congratulations Jennifer and Emily!

Each winner will receive a mini card stack. My normal card stack is 6 so the mini is 3. Jennifer will get first choice for having the right guess and Emily will get the other stack. I made both card stacks using my Slice now that I have it working properly. For those who own the Slice, don't forget to HOME the blade. Problem solved very easily.

1st stack uses SU colors: Cameo Coral, Orchid Opulence, Whisper White and Certainly Celery

2nd stack uses SU colors: Yoyo Yellow, Real Red and Tempting TurquoiseSpeaking of Jennifer-I got the call this morning...Baby G arrived! Both Mom and Baby are well. I won't spoil the news for those waiting for the email later today from Jennifer's husband. I'm so excited for her family on their newest member. Thank you so much for playing along with the shoe guessing game. This was fun!!!

Whoah - that's a lot of shoes!

2009-03-25T09:35:00.000-07:00

2 part blog candy contest --

This is my new shoe organization rack hanging on the inside of my bedroom closet door. I live in an older house with very little closet space so I am always looking for ways to maximize my storage space. This is my newest solution. I can't believe how many shoes I have - and actually this is not all of them. I don't know if I should admit that or not.

1st part of contest - guess how many pairs of shoes are on this rack.

2nd part of contest - guess how many pairs of shoes I actually own.

I will draw 2 winners from the correct guesses so be sure to include both answers in your comment and you could win two prizes. Good Luck!

Cake Decorating

2009-03-19T12:34:00.000-07:00

I really want to take the cake decorating classes from either HL or Michaels but I just can't find the time right now. I'm hoping this summer when things slow down I will be able to. Here is my first attempt at decorating a cake on my own, no training. Not great, but it was edible. I made this cake for our friend's daughter who celebrated her 17th bday. Remember she is the one with the new baby, now 7 weeks old. Here are some pics hubby and I took with the baby at the bday bash which would have put baby P at 5 1/2 weeks old. She has grown since then :) Ignore the messy hair on my head - it was a super windy day and I had been out in it all day!

Packing Peanuts

2009-03-18T13:38:00.000-07:00

Sometimes we think, what a great idea! Packing peanuts to secure your items while being shipped...but then the reality sets in when you open your package. I just thought these pics were too funny not to share. My boss receives this package last week and proceeds to open it. These peanuts stuck to everything; his hands, shirt, the desk, the floor, the boxes inside the box, the packing slip and just when you thought you finally were cleared of the little irritants, just kidding there were more attached to his pant leg, his shoes and the chair. I could go on an on. I was laughing sooo hard. It was so HiLaRiOuS I had to take these pics to share!

New Automatic Gate

2009-03-17T13:21:00.000-07:00

We live in the country and after having our riding lawnmower stolen last December, we decided that we would start keeping our gate (actually two that met as one so twice the work) shut all day everyday. This tedious chore worked for only a few short months because hubby and I got tired of getting wet and muddy when it was raining or getting cold. He decided it was time for a new gate with an automatic opener. He works weird hours and the gate just became a hassle. My Dad so graciously offered his services and his cousin's welder to assist with this project and four days later it was complete. YaY! Now all that we have to do is paint it to look nice. I'm so excited...so convenient. Thanks Dad for all your help and keeping hubby motivated :)

So here they are hard at work...
and the weird board/clamp contraptions that held the posts in place while the conrete hardened...

our dog even decided she had to help (more like get in the way)...

Aahhh - the new gate...

Next project - patio cover at the master bedroom sliding door happening this Saturday courtesy of my awesome construction brother-in-law and again my Dad and hubby. We are always doing something. No wonder I can't find time to stamp, make cards or complete a scrapbook :)

and the WINNER is...

2009-03-16T13:59:00.000-07:00

Congratulations goes to AnAggieBug for winning my blog candy! Here is what she won....

This card stack has 6 cards made using three of the Stampin' Up "in" colors. I used the same concept with each sticking with the same color palette on each individual card. I like Jennifer's monochromatic post from the other day so much I wanted to use that idea here. Okay, so its not completely monochromatic because they also have white in them, but its close. The cards use various items from the Tangerine Tango, Pink Pirouette and Baja Breeze colors.

Contratulations Jennifer from AnAggieBug!

Blog Candy Entries Closed

2009-03-13T12:12:00.000-07:00

Thank you to all who posted a comment as an entry for my blog candy giveaway. I will draw the lucky winner this weekend as well as put together the prize and I will announce the winner in a post on Monday. Thank you ladies who participated. Have a great weekend!

Finally - My 100th Post!!!

2009-03-10T13:13:00.000-07:00

I know several of you have been very patient with me anxiously awaiting my 100th post. I have been holding off for something very important/memorable/special to me and after much deliberation...I have decided on my sister's experience 2 weekends ago. I know this isn't a very happy topic but it is one our family will remember for the rest of our lives, so I felt it would be a good 100th post.

Pictures will never allow you to understand the devastation that others witnessed in real life. My sister lives in the Bastrop/Smithville area that was hit by a large and dangerous 1,200 acre fire that took days to completely extinguish. Sis and her hubby were evacuated and spent some time with us because hotels had no vacancy. To tell you in words how God works in mysterious ways and has a plan for everyone, would not be possible...we just knew that His plan for my Sis was not to lose her home that she purchased less than 7 months ago. She was very fortunate that the fire was extinguished literally 2/10 of a mile from her home. The fire burned on all sides of her home in this 2/10 of a mile radius. Not all of her neighbors were as fortunate. Thank God, no one was injured or killed in this fire!!!

I was very careful which pictures I chose to share allowing for the privacy of the families involved. So, now onto those pictures...

1) a field bordering my sis' street --

2 and 3) on her street; keep in mind that in the piney woods there is supposed to also be underbrush which you can see is no longer there --

4) the median across from her street --

5) an unfortunate family; we think this was a barn or moble home --

6) remnants of a house in between the trees; we never knew this house was there b/c of the trees and underbrush --

7) a house used to be up on this little hill --

8) an antique shopping center --

9) this little street is where the helicoptor dropped the fire retardant 2/10 of a mile from sis' home; the retardant is a little reddish in color --

10) and finally, my sis' lovely home nestled within the trees so blessed to still be standing --

So now onto happier things...

BLOG CANDY!!! That's right. My 100th post deserves some blog candy, so leave me a comment and you'll be entered into the drawing. Comments must be entered by Friday, the 13th at 12:00 noon. I will draw 1 lucky winner over the weekend and announce it in a post on Monday. Oh, by the way - now that the 100th post is over, I've got a lot more on the way!!!

KWCI Challenge #21 & 22

2009-02-17T12:49:00.000-08:00

#21 - Pacific Point, Kiwi Kiss, Rose Red, Regal Rose, Whisper White - Don't you just love the current SU! "in" colors?
#22 - Bravo Burgandy, Rose Red, Regal Rose, Soft Sky, Whisper White - I actually made this one and posted during the challenge months ago - so it's a repost.

If you notice I only have one more post before I hit 100!!! I want to make this post a good one - so it might be a couple of days before it hits, but rest assured there will be Blog Candy!

Valentine Card

2009-02-12T07:56:00.000-08:00

I received this adorable card from my friend Jennifer, aka AnAggieBug. You can check out her blog here. Jennifer and I have been friends since college. We both majored in Entomology and met in one of our classes. She later became a roommate and one of my best friends. She lives about 4 hours away which is sad because we don't get to see each other that often...but when we do its so much fun because we share similar interests - like card making and scrapbooking ;) Thanks Jennifer for the adorable card. You should be getting yours anyday!

KWCI Challenge #19 & 20

2009-02-10T11:29:00.000-08:00

#19 - Basic Black, Basic Gray, Whisper White, YoYo Yellow - Lots of birthdays coming up this spring!

#20 - Chocolate Chip, Regal Rose (substituted Pretty in Pink), Pink Pirouette, Certainly Celery, Very Vanilla - I love this stamp set and this color combo; its one of my favorites. I substituted RR for PiP because I think it more closely matches the color in the inspiration pic. I gave this one to my Gma for her bday last week :)

2009 Goals - Reflecting on Completion

2009-02-09T09:09:00.000-08:00

2009 Personal Goals --
1. Lose 20 more pounds and be back to my wedding weight - I'm still using WW and will continue toward my goal :)
2. Post on my blog at least 3 days a week and hit 100 posts with some blog candy of course - I'm getting closer to my 100th post so I think I'm doing pretty good here :)
3. Get my Southern Living at HOME business back on track for some extra income - I had two parties in January which were great and just attended our SLaH Spring Kickoff this past weekend
4. Save more and spend less - Still working on this one; Stampin' Up and updating my home are just too tempting :)
5. Be a better wife, daughter and friend and try to let the little things that bother me not bother me so much - I am trying really hard with this one, but find myself struggling from time to time; it is so hard to try to seperate the little things from the big things b/c to me they are all big things :(
6. Spend much needed time with my brother and support him as he makes decisions that will effect his future - I just saw him a week ago for dinner and will be seeing him again very soon
7. Learn to decorate cakes - Haven't even started
8. Teach myself to write right handed - I actually practiced this yesterday
9. Keep in better contact with friends that live long distance - Doing much better with this one too; just emailed a friend who lives near the South Texas Coast that I grew up with starting in preschool going all the way through college; we haven't seen or talked to each other since we graduation from A&M over 7 years ago - shameful, I know however we are back on track
10. Attend Church regularly - Disappointed in myself that I haven't achieved this one yet; I shouldn't use time as an excuse b/c I should make the time, but as I think back on January and where the month went I can't remember when I didn't have something to do.

2009 Household Goals --
1. Keep kitchen counters clean - Doing very well; Its a nice feeling to be able to see the counters everyday :)
2. Hang clothes daily - Almost there, I'm waiting on the shoe organizer I ordered to come in
3. Dust/Vacuum/Mop once a week - HeHe
4. Crush aluminum cans once a week - I actually crushed all the cans accumulated so far yesterday so this one should be easy to achieve
5. Purge unneeded/unnecessary items regularly - Doing very well with this one, just had a garage sale a few weeks ago

Southern Living at HOME Mini Starter Kit

2009-02-04T08:13:00.001-08:00

I just wanted to let everyone know that during the month of February, Southern Living at HOME is offering a Mini Starter Kit for only $99. The picture below gives you an idea of what you would receive in the Mini. The regular starter kit is $199 so this is a $100 savings. The Mini is a great way to get in with the company at a little cheaper price, especially if you already own some of their great products. If you are interested or have an any questions, please let me know. SLaH has great success bonuses for sales so the incentives to sign on don't end with this Mini. I would love to visit with you about this opportunity and grow my team of consultants :) Email me at aggieladybug@yahoo.com

Valentine Takeout

2009-02-03T14:28:00.000-08:00

I received a gift in this small takeout container. I am a recycle kinda gal and like to reuse gift bags, gift boxes and tissue paper so this takeout container was not exception. I wanted to give this as a Valentine's gift so I decorated it using items from the SU! Love You Much bundle, Riding Hood Red Striped Grosgrain Ribbon and a light pink paper from HL (most closely matches SU! Pink Pirouette). I also used the Scallop Punch along with Chocolate Chip and Riding Hood Red classic stampin' pads. I filled this adorable container with Valentine's candy and now its ready to give away :)

Thank you, Jennifer!

2009-02-02T09:12:00.000-08:00

I received this adorable Thank You card from Jennifer G for attending her 2-part Forget Me Not Card Keeper Class (check out our project pics here and here). When she posted pics of them last week, I thought to myself "I wonder if these are for us?" She had just enough for the number of participants...so I was super excited when I checked the mail Friday to find this one!

I posted it up on the magnetic board in my new stampin' space. If you did not attend this event you really should consider it in the future. All of us ladies had a great time and completed some great projects that we can use for a long time!

Announcing Her Arrival

2009-01-30T08:49:00.000-08:00

It's a Girl!!! My friend's daughter had her baby via c-section yesterday. All is well with Mom and Baby.

1/29/09 - 2:25pm - 6lb 15oz - 20"long

Here is me holding her last night around 7pm. She is absolutely precious. Hubby came up to the hospital yesterday too. We took one look at her and of course I held her and we agreed, we can't wait to have one of our own :)

New Stampin' Space

2009-01-26T11:54:00.000-08:00

Okay, I finally finished it. My new stampin' space. I have several before and after pics to help show the transformation. YaY! I can't wait to use my new space :)

Excuse the mess in the before pictures. I cleaned everything out from underneath the bed, then realized I hadn't photo'd the before yet. You will have to pardon my rambling, but I'm gonna explain as we go along. So here we go...a tour of my guest bedroom/stampin' space.

Uugh - the before :(

This pic taken standing at the bedroom door...

Also standing at the bedroom door facing the closet door seen at the right in the pic...

Standing at the dresser in the opposite corner of the bedroom door...

And finally, the computer armoire being used for candle storage (I know what you are thinking, but remember I used to sell candles)...

Aahh - the after :)

Standing at the bedroom door...

Standing at the closet door...

Fabric purchased to coordinate with the existing bedding...

The new shelf installed in the corner by the closet door...

Slow progression to completely filled - the top is all my stamps (3 containers - yikes) and ink pads; the second shelf is photo storage boxes that I use for completed projects and supplies like post it clip boards, post it binders, cuttlebug dies and accessories; third shelf is 12x12 organizers - the two stacked on each other have SU! dspapers and Holiday paper packs all sorted by the holiday and the other 12x12 organizer has 2 drawers of punches and 1 drawer with B.I.A. supplies; the bottom shelf is all paper - the left container all SU! color family paper and the container on the right is 12x12 cardstock and designer papers from HL and Michaels.

The armoire - my new stampin' space...

An up close look - top left shelf is my large tools (sticker maker, bind it all, crop o dile, cuttlebug); top right shelf is the forget me not keeper from Jennifer's 2 part class; middle right shelf is glue dots, stampin' scrub and simply scrappin' card kit; bottom right area is a small drawer organizer complete with labels (this is where my obsessive compulsive from my photo survey post factors in) which is storage for adhesives, dimensionals, hardware, sanding blocks, and other quick access items; of course you can also see all of my cutting tools on the right; the center section has a holder for scissors, pliers, random markers and glitter pens and my magnet board covered with fabric to match the bedding.

The bottom half of the armoire - the trash can fits perfectly where the cpu should go, the printer area stores my sharpie markers, brads & eyelets, my slice and its accessories and my travel scrappin' bag.

I attached cork board squares to the doors and covered them with coordinating fabric.

The file drawer stores my project supplies like card envelopes, coasters and notepads.

I am very pleased with my transformation completed in less than 2 days. Now, I am tired!

KWCI Challenge #17 & 18 and the Weekend

2009-01-23T09:55:00.000-08:00

These two challenge cards I actually made when the challenge was taking place - both simple sharing some of the same design elements.

#17 - Rose Red, Regal Rose, Sage Shadow, Whisper White
#18 - Basic Black, Pumpkin Pie, Rose Red, Green Galore

Now onto my weekend plans -

On Saturday Jennifer is hosting a Southern Living at HOME party for me and on Sunday a lady I met at Jennifer's Forget Me Not Keeper class is hosting one. YaY! Two in one weekend...I am excited :) Before and after these parties, I am working on my stampin' space. Thanks, Emily, for the inspiration to tackle this project. You can check out Emily's stampin' space here. I'll post pics of the before and after next week. Have a great weekend everyone!

In Honor of my Little Brother

2009-01-22T10:54:00.001-08:00

This is a long post, but good news - its almost all pictures. I thought I would do a little tribute to my younger brother (now 27) who has fulfilled his enlistment in the United States Air Force. He started his basic training 5 years ago in San Antonio, Texas followed by technical training in Wichita Falls, Texas and Mississippi and has been living in Italy for the past 4 years. He deployed to Iraq twice, has been married and divorced, seen some amazing places and lost his best friend. The little picture show as I'm going to call it has a few captions to help tell his story.

Little Brother - We are so glad you are home safe and appreciate your service to our beautiful country that we all take for granted. We love you!!!

2 tours to Iraq --

One of his visits home at Thanksgiving - pictured here with our mom, lil sis, sis' boyfriend now husband and my bro's fiancee shortly after wife --

The wife that divorced him two months after they were married while he was in Iraq for his second tour --

His best friend's tragic passing as a result of an accident while a passenger in a Black Hawk --

His new truck

His amazing travels - Paris, Germany, Venice and many more --

His new love

and her child (also the daughter of the above mentioned best friend) and bro's Goddaughter; he is amazing with her --

KWCI Challenge #15 & 16

2009-01-21T12:17:00.000-08:00

Here they are - the next two for the challenges. I really like the color combo on both of these. I used an idea from Jennifer's stamp camp card from the summer of 2008 for #16.

#15 - Chocoloate Chip, Close to Cocoa, Really Rust, Certainly Celery, Whisper White

#16 - Certainly Celery, Pumpkin Pie, Soft Sky, Very Vanilla

Photo Survey

2009-01-20T07:57:00.000-08:00

My sister and some of her friends have been doing this survey on their myspace pages and I thought it might be fun. It is time consuming to complete because of all the pics, but it was worth it. Feel free to play along!

1. The age I will be on my next birthday
2. A place I would like to travel
3. My favorite place4. My favorite object
5. My favorite food6. My favorite animal

7. My favorite color
8. The town where I was born

9. The town where I live

10. My screen name
11. My middle name

12. A bad habit

ob-ses-sive - com-pul-sive
–adjective
1.
of or pertaining to a personality style characterized by perfectionism, indecision, conscientiousness, concern with detail, rigidity, and inhibition.

13. My first job

14. My favorite magazines

15. A pet peeve
16. My dream car

17. My dream job

Update from the Weekend...

2009-01-19T08:03:00.000-08:00

I don't have any pictures for this post just babbling :) It was a super exhausting weekend...and no - our friend's daughter did not have her baby. It is such a crazy and long story. Her 17 and 10 minute apart contractions were Braxton Hicks (pardon me if I mispelled it). When she spoke to her doctor Friday morning, she told her not to eat anything so she wouldn't get sick during delivery but to keep drinking water. She has always drank tons of water so that was not a problem for her. Her contractions were at 7 minutes apart that morning, leading to 5 minutes apart at lunch and 4 minutes apart when I got to their house Friday evening around 6pm. She had been on the phone with the doctor several times during the day and the doctor told her that when they were consistently 3 minutes apart to head to the hospital; get checked in and then she would be there shortly after to check on her. So around 8pm when they were consistenly 3 minutes apart (she was squeezing my hand, so I was well aware how close together they were) her Mom took her to the hospital. Another doctor at the hospital checked her out, said she had not dilated yet and was not in labor. WHAT?!?! The baby's heart beat was elevated so they put a monitor on her and kept her until it was regulated. The doctor at the hospital told her that she was dehydrated and it was causing severe pre-labor contractions. Well, she had been drinking water like a fish, so fluid wise she was okay - but she hadn't eaten anything all day; a recommendation provided by her doctor because she felt the delivery was close. So, in a nut shell the baby's elevated heart beat was caused by the mother's lack of food intake that day which in turn caused false labor. What a night!!! So here we are still waiting and she is no longer having contractions so we have to start this process all over again soon! So moral of the story, summarized by the doctor at the hospital was for her to drink and eat no matter what anyone else says. She's got to stay hydrated and nourished.

The garage sale went fine. We had 100+ people come through the sale before 10am. It was an amazing turn out. I was able to get rid of alot of miscellaneous nick nacks, etc. I did not become rich as a result, but was able to sell/purge unecessary items :)

KWCI Challenge #13 & 14

2009-01-16T11:53:00.000-08:00

It's finally Friday!!! Looks like a busy weekend ahead of me. Hubby is going out of town with my sister's hubby; I am co-hosting a garage sale to get rid of happily purged items; Our friend's daughter is having consistent and closer contractions and is estimated to be giving birth this weekeend. Whoah! Have a great weekend everyone.

#13 - Purely Pomegranate, Regal Rose, River Rock, Wild Wasabi, Whisper White - I made this card a while back and thought it worked well with this challenge.

#14 - Basick Black, Basic Gray, Whisper White, Ruby Red, River Rock - I had a real hard time with inspiration for this card. Getting River Rock to coordinate with these other colors was a huge challenge for me...I'm not happy with the card but I did not have time to re-make it.

KWCI Challenge #11 & 12

2009-01-15T08:59:00.000-08:00

#11 - Rose Red, Old Olive, Going Gray, So Saffron, Whisper White - The pic turned out a little dark, so if you can't tell, the card itself is Gray and the sentiment says happiness. This bud basics stamp set is one of my favorites :)
#12 - Sahara Sand, So Saffron, Wild Wasabi, Whisper White - This card was made using a Long Note from SU! that I bought last year or maybe even the year before.

January Card Club

2009-01-14T14:27:00.000-08:00

Thanks Jennie for such cute card club projects. I think it is fun to see the different ideas/projects each lady will come up with.

#1 -- I did not include a sentiment on this one. I leave cards blank from time to time and when I am ready to use them, I can customize and add the sentiment at that time.

#2 -- This card has the sentiment on the inside. I don't remember it exactly but it is a friend related card.

Thanks again Jennie. See you all tomorrow at Jennifer's Forget Me Not Keeper Class!!!

KWCI Challenge #9 & 10

2009-01-13T08:57:00.000-08:00

Two more challenges completed. This is such a great week, because not only do we have card club tonight at Jennie's (I can't wait too see what she has lined up for us), but we also have the first part of a Forget Me Not Keeper class with Jennifer. So much creativity and card making this week - YaY!!!

#9 -- Real Red, Pumpkin Pie, So Saffron, Old Olive, Tempting Turquoise - I made this card over the summer for a birthday and realize it is missing the Saffron, but I wasn't going to redo it. It would be so easy to add this color in because they all go together so well.

#10 -- Old Olive, Bashful Blue, So Saffron, Not quite Navy - Notice how Kristina repeats some of the same colors in her challenges, but they all seem to turn out with a different look.

Back on Track and More Goals

2009-01-12T08:30:00.000-08:00

I have more KWCI cards ready to post, but I decided to intercept with something different. I spent the weekend cleaning house (which I seem to be doing all the time) and purging for our garage sale. While doing those tasks, I set some more goals for myself. These are more household goals rather than personal goals. I will continue to work towards the personal list posted before, but add this household list to it. I know it seems like alot of goals, but I find that if I actually write them down I might just keep them up. I'm that way with housework. If I write down what I need to do, I find that I get more done. Maybe its just the excitement of scratching completed items off the list - who knows, but whatever the reason I'm going to continue b/c it gets the work done. So on to my personal goals --

1. Keep kitchen counters clean - they tend to be the "catch all" for mail and miscellaneous clutter, so when I actually need the space for cooking, it becomes a complete chaotic mess.

2. Hang clothes daily - I tend to change my mind in the mornings about what I am going to wear that day and by the end of the week I have a pile of clothes on the chest at the foot of our bed.

3. Dust/Vacuum/Mop once a week - the vacuuming and mopping I usually do, but dusting just takes forever so I find myself only doing that once a month. I want to keep my house clean more regular so when we have unexpected or last minute guests, I am not frantically cleaning.

4. Crush aluminum cans once a week - we recycle aluminum soda cans (my hubby drinks coke like its going out of style) and we find that the cans pile up so quickly and by the time we realize it, we have a huge trash can full that takes a few hours to crush - so I'm thinking if I force myself to crush the cans weekly, it will be more manageable and not take so long.

5. Purge unneeded/unnecessary items regularly - this one will be tough for me because I am a pack rat 100% and have trouble letting go. I made a deal with hubby last year that when I bought a new purse, I would let one go - hehe so far I have not done very well with that deal. I think I could do much better just by realizing that we don't have room for unneccessary clutter. I need to do better.

Well, thats it for more goals for now. I'm sure I'll add more as the year progresses, but I'm gonna stick with these for now. I am really really really trying to be better at keeping things in order and at bay so I have more free time to spend with friends and family and attending functions when I want to. I usually feel guilty about wanting to do those things because of the chaos I have at home.

I'm apologize this post kinda got away from me and I got a little winded and carried away. I'll end with this - Wednesday is my "back on track" day! I let WW slip my mind over the holidays and I have gained weight as a result. I'm not gotta let that spiral happen again, so I'm getting back on track. Why Wednesday, that is the day of the week I always checked my weight. So here I go again. Have a great week everyone.

KWCI Challenge #7 & 8

2009-01-09T11:32:00.000-08:00

Finishing off the week with one of my favorite color combos (#7) so far. I love this bedding set!

#7 -- Very Vanilla, Soft Sky, Close to Cocoa, Chocolate Chip

#8 -- Whisper White, Bashful Blue, Pumpkin Pie, Brilliant Blue

Have a great weekend everyone.

KWCI Challenge #5 & 6 and The Slice

2009-01-08T07:39:00.000-08:00

I am having so much fun with these challenges. I should have kept up with them throughout the year. I hope Kristina Werner keeps them up or starts a new one for the new year.

#5 -- Certainly Celery, So Saffron, Soft Sky, Close to Cocoa

The Slice -- What a wonderful di-cutting machine/tool. I was on the fence for the past couple of weeks on whether or not to purchase this nifty little machine. There are so many machines/tools out there today and I certainly can't afford to own or have space to store all of them. I also like the SU! Big Shot -- but ultimately decided on the Slice because I already have the Cuttlebug which does essentially the same thing as the Big Shot; just at a smaller scale. The Slice is small and will be easy to store; all of it's tools fit in the nifty little bag you see pictured and it has a bag to store the image cards/booklets in, but since I've just started I haven't purchased that yet.

So, since I have a new tool to use I just had to use it for the next challenge. So much fun! I incorporated all the usual elements: ribbon, stamps and the machine (used on the flowers and stems).

#6 -- So Saffron, Sahara Sand, Pumpkin Pie, Wild Wasabi

KWCI Challenge #3 & 4

2009-01-07T08:38:00.001-08:00

I'm so excited I'm doing these challenges. Here is 3 and 4.

#3 -- Orchid Opulence, Rose Red, Pumpkin Pie, Basic Black, Whisper White

#4 -- Very Vanilla, Tempting Turquoise, Taken with Teal, Old Olive, Chocolate Chip, Close to Cocoa (this card is my favorite so far)

Also, check out the countdown I've added to the right...my little brother is finally coming home (after months of waiting). We are so excited, we can't stand it! Have a safe trip baby brother. We will see you very soon :)

KWCI Challenge #1 & 2

2009-01-06T07:51:00.000-08:00

For those who don't understand the abbreviation in the post title, it is Kristina Werner Color Inspiration, just because I don't want to have to type that daily. Yes, I'm going to be lazy. You will notice throughout this post sequence that some cards will be simpler than others mainly because I don't always have creativity on the brain. So as promised, here are the first two cards.

#1 - Chocolate Chip, Purely Pomegranate, Pumpkin Pie, Pretty in Pink

#2 - Groovy Guava, Blush Blossom, So Saffron, Wild Wasabi

New Year -- New Post

2009-01-05T13:09:00.000-08:00

The New Year holiday has come and gone. I had 4 days at home and it was amazing. Man, if I didn't have to work and could stay at home everyday, I would be a happy camper. I was able to do all my chores at my leisure and at a slow pace and it was amazing. I still had the same long list but when you can spread things out over the course of the day its not as stressful or tiring. Oh well, a woman can dream.

I'm not making any resolutions this year but however am setting some goals instead. There are alot of things I want to do and accomplish in 2009 and I think if I set them as goals, it will be easier for me to achieve! So, here are my goals...

1. Lose 20 more pounds and be back to my wedding weight
2. Post on my blog at least 3 days a week and hit 100 posts with some blog candy of course
3. Get my Southern Living at HOME business back on track for some extra income
4. Save more and spend less
5. Be a better wife, daughter and friend and try to let the little things that bother me not bother me so much
6. Spend much needed time with my brother and support him as he makes decisions that will effect his future
7. Learn to decorate cakes
8. Teach myself to write right handed - I'm already ambidextrious and I want to continue
9. Keep in better contact with friends that live long distance
10. Renew my faith in God and attend Church faithfully

It may seem like alot, but I think all of these are very achievable. I look forward to posting as I will start very soon with a continuous post I am super excited about. For those of you who follow Kristina Werner's blog, she has a weekly (well almost weekly) color inspiration challenge where she selects a color combination and challenges us to create a card/project/scrapbook page using her color combo. Well, I started blogging in May and only participated in a few of these so I have decided to go back to #1 and complete all of them. I will reveal 2 per post until I am done :) Stay tuned...

Goodbye 2008 - Hello 2009

2008-12-31T10:10:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and is ready for a great New Year. I decided today's post should be a compilation of Christmas pics...seeing as how I just found the camera cord this morning :)

These are the four handmade cards I received this year - I think there is a theme with the exception of the top left which is from my friend Ash, top right is from AnAggieBug (Jennifer), bottom left is from MommaJen (Jennie) and bottom right is from JJGreeley Paper Designs (Jennifer). So what I mean by theme is the giver's name.

Here is my MIL --

Here is hubby --

Hubby's sister --

Hubby's oldest brother and SIL with sister in background --

Here is hubby's other brother--
Now to the goodies...these were my miscellaneous stocking stuffers --

And from his Mom, a Wii with the Fit bundle --

Scrapbooking/Crafting supplies; one can never go wrong with these --

Our friends came over and this is the expectant mother opening her musical mobile and baby bedding set which our entire clan gave to her --

And this is the soon to be grandma and aunt opening their gifts --

We had a great gathering of family and friends several times over and we received alot of wonderful gifts including cash, gift cards, lotto tickets, games, plant holders, candles and books all of which I did not photo. I also did not photo each gathering. I only managed these photos from the inlaws gathering just because it was at our house.

I hope everyone had a great year and has a safe celebration tonight, if you stay up that late :). I am looking forward to a great 2009 and to see what God has planned for us this year.

360 miles down...460 to go!

2008-12-22T07:59:00.000-08:00

That's right. I'm almost halfway done with my travels. YaY!!! This past weekend I went to my BFF's and spent Saturday and Sunday morning with them (lots of pics) before going to my Gma's Christmas Sunday afternoon (no pics). Here they are...
Little R opening his bday gift from me (he turned 6 two weeks ago) --

I think he had more fun playing with the ribbon --

I take that back, I bought him a game for his new Wii and he is having fun --

Little miss priss or princess not feeling very well --

She was enthused by the Wii activity on the TV screen --

Now she is having fun with an empty paper towel roll, doesn't take much to amuze them at that age --

Oohh, toys galore --
Can you tell by the number of pics I take I love these kiddos and enjoy spending time with them? I am working through Wednesday and begin my travels again on Christmas Day. I hope everyone had a great weekend and has a wonderful "short" week at work :) Check it out - I am quickly approaching 1,500 hits. I can't believe it!

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-19T07:27:00.000-08:00

Many of you received this cute message in an email a few days ago. Since the pic didn't transfer correctly in the email, I decided to use it as today's post. I begin the first part of my Christmas travels tomorrow. Some of you may start celebrating Christmas early like me...so I wanted to send my wishes to you early. May you have safe travels (if you travel), wonderful food, exciting gifts and most of all memorable time spent with family and friends remembering the reason we celebrate the season!IF A FAT GUY GRABS YOU AND PUTS YOU IN A BAG...DON'T WORRY I TOLD SANTA I WANTED A GOOD FRIEND FOR CHRISTMAS!

I HATE a THIEF!!!

2008-12-15T08:34:00.000-08:00

I don't like to use the word hate; I think it is harsh, but sometimes it fits. Our riding lawn mower was stolen. I couldn't believe it. I immediately started checking on other things - hubby's tools, etc. Nothing else seems to be stolen, which is so bizarre...but I guess they knew what they wanted - and they took it. I say they, because I know it would have taken two people to move this large, heavy lawn tractor as they call them in the stores. What worries me the most is that we have been violated. Coincidentally, I read the online news this morning and there was an article in which the sheriff of our county was interviewed saying burglaries and thefts are on the rise right now in our county and that this one particular rural subdivision was the highest hit area. Well, our house is 2 miles from this subdivision. Aack! I will be reporting this to the Sheriff's office today. I still can't believe it :( This kind of thing really makes you change the way you live and watch everything closely. I hope everyone has a great day.

Decorating for Christmas

2008-12-12T08:07:00.000-08:00

This is my favorite time of year. Here are some pics of my house decorated for Christmas. These are only a few...I'll post more next week. I decorate to the MAX :) I put up all the decor myself including the lights. Except this year, my sis helped me put up and decorate the tree.

This is the front of our house (if you couldn't tell). The lights hanging in the windows are a Santa, a candy cane and a candlestick on a tray. The front porch has a wooden Santa and a Snowman, but those are hard to see --
One of my favorites; a handmade, handpainted ceramic nativity scene made by my Gma who passed away when I was 10. It is so large - it takes up the entire top of our entertainment center --

Our fireplace and mantel; we have a large fireplace in the corner of our living room in a quarter circle shape. Its kinda strange with dark brick and very hard to decorate --

Our Tree - I have a theme with my ornaments; gold, silver, pearl and red. Its in our dining room in front of the bay window...and it even has a train under it (also ceramic made by Gma) --

Have a great weekend bloggers!

Christmas Cupcakes

2008-12-11T10:11:00.000-08:00

These cupcakes are the Christmas version of the baby shower cupcakes from the post a few days ago. They turned out just as cute.

Snow in B/CS

2008-12-10T07:41:00.000-08:00

I know I shouldn't be this excited about SNOW, but I am! It does not happen here very often. Now of course it won't last long, but I'm going to enjoy it while it does. Although I don't like the cold weather that accompanies snow, I love snow! I wish it happened more often :) Here are some pics I took at various times bright and early...

Our roof at 7:00am --

The ground at 7:00am --

My SUV at 5:30am --

My SUV at 7:00am --

My SUV at 8:00am --

Princess Picture Frames

2008-12-09T13:50:00.001-08:00

I absolutely love these frames. My friend Jennifer was selling these and I thought they were perfect for Christmas gifts for Baby S and Baby E. I know their mommies will love them - because they are both princesses. Thanks Jennifer for doing such a great job! I found the perfect pics for both of them :)
Baby S - 13 months old
Baby E - 16 months old

Pics from Friend's Baby Shower

2008-12-08T09:41:00.001-08:00

Most of you have read in previous posts that I hosted a baby shower this weekend for our friend's daughter who is due in January. She is 16 and a Junior in High School. With my hubby and I struggling/having difficulty starting our family, emotionally it will probably be difficult for us to, but we will support our friend's family and be there for them in their time of need. She realizes she made a huge mistake and she understands that her life is changing forever. They are our friends and they will need lots of love and support, thus the baby shower. God has a plan for everyone! Now for the pics...

The expectant mother...

The serving table...
The table centerpieces made by Me :)

Cupcakes - both chocolate and white with different color icings and coordinating decorations (thanks Jennifer for the idea, which she used at a baby shower she hosted several months back)...

The gift table - she had an awesome turnout and got alot of great items that she will definitely need and use...
Baby food jars - used for the baby food name game where you guess the name of what is in the jar based on color and smell. I had to keep in mind that this shower was attended by most of the girl's 16 year old friends, so we needed something fun to keep them entertained. It was a huge hit...

Ornament Candy Dish

2008-12-05T11:12:00.000-08:00

Just like the Spooky Candy Dish from Halloween: the jar is from Target and the decor elements are from Stampin' Up! I think it turned out cute...except the candy is too much temptation :) Not sure why the pics look orange. I'll post about the baby shower next week. Have a great weekend!

Let it Snow Binder

2008-12-04T11:17:00.001-08:00

Let it Snow - Obviously we know that will not be happening here in Texas, but its still fun to dream. I've been pretty slow lately making creations. I've been super busy preparing for a baby shower I am hosting this weekend. I forsee next week being alot slower with the ability to be creative again :) YaY!!! I am still loving my new BIA and this Let it Snow is the last project I made.

On another note, one of my best friends has decided to join the bloggin world. She is into card creations and creativity like most of us, so when you have time - check out her blog AnAggieBug.