Christmas Meme

Finding Normal posted this fun thing this morning, and I thought I'd participate!

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? wrapping paper (except, of course, in obvious exceptions)

2. Real tree or Artificial? Fake (Thank goodness for Yankee Candles that smell like evergreen!)

3. When do you put up the tree? The day after Thanksgiving

4. When do you take the tree down? The day after New Year's -- Jan. 2.

5. Do you like eggnog? Hmmm...because I was pregnant so often at the holidays (I'm ALWAYS pregnant at the holidays) I keep forgetting that I can drink it on the years I've NOT been pregnant. So...maybe next year I'll have an answer because I CAN'T REMEMBER WHAT IT TASTES LIKE!

6. Favorite gift received as a child? My great-aunt gave me a beautiful hard-cover copy of "Little Women". I took such care of that book, and now I still have it! I know there are other gifts I've loved, but this one sticks out.

7. Hardest person to buy for? My dad.

8. Easiest person to buy for? My sons....think TRACTORS and you're all set! And Samantha is easy, too -- she pretty much tells you all year long what she wants (which is everything she sees, unfortunately -- her brothers even see things and say, "Can you put that on Samantha's list?", even when she's not there!)

9. Do you have a nativity scene? Yes--it was my mom's. It's ceramic and small and sits on our bookshelf. We also have several nativity statues. One of these years I'm going to get the Little People Nativity so my kids can be hands on with the Christmas story!

10. Mail or email Christmas cards? C'mon people. I'm a "paper-crafter". Mail. (Although, sometimes, I have to confess, I HAVE sent email cards.)

11.Worst Christmas gift you ever received? There is no such thing.

12. Favorite Christmas Movie? White Christmas (the old one with Bing Crosby....I LOVE it!)

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? Oh wait, we're supposed to have started by now! Just kidding -- we have been buying things off and of since the beginning of November.

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? yes. :)

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Candy Cane Hershey's Kisses, Bavarian Mints, any cookies my mom and mom-in-law make, oh the list goes on and on!!!

16. Lights on the tree? That's not the question -- the REAL question is white lights or multicolor! (It's a debate at our house this year, so we have blinking white lights.)

17. Favorite Christmas song? I ALWAYS tear up at Silent Night, but I'm a big fan of Oh, Holy Night, and classics like The Christmas Song.

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Stay home. (We've done the travel thing....glad we're not doing it anymore.)

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer's? Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen, and RUDOLPH. (Did I do it?)

20. Angel on the tree top or a star? We used to have an angel, but our poor tree no longer supports it. So we have a simply star.

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? We get to do both. But our presents to our immediate family are opened on Christmas morning.

22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? That it starts at before Halloween now!

23. Favorite ornament theme or color? Our tree is covered with ornaments given to us by other people -- so each one of them is special to us. If I were to have a themed tree, it would either be red and gold in color, or blue and silver. Someday!

24. Favorite for Christmas dinner? Smoked salmon. Yum.

25. What do you want for Christmas this year? A waffle iron. :O)

Your turn! Leave me a comment so I can come read your answers!

My Newest Nephew

On Friday, November 14, my sister gave birth to another beautiful (ooops...handsome) and strong healthy baby boy. This marks her 3rd son, the 5th grandson for my parents, and my 5th nephew!

Please help me to welcome the adorable Devin Jackson to the world. He weighed in at 8 lbs 12 oz, and was 22 inches long. He joins big brothers Drew and Dawson. And we are SO thrilled to be close enough watch him grow up. Here's the proud new aunt (well, one of us, at least) with her newest nephew....

It seems that November is a very popular month for babies to be born to people I know! On Tuesday, November 18, two friends also welcomed their sons. On of my best friends from high school welcomed their son, Ryan Patrick, who weighed in at a whopping 10 lbs 2 oz, and was also 22 inches long. And 12 hours away, a college friend and former coworker welcomed her son, Tyler Scott. Congrats to you both! Enjoy your sons -- they might be rough and tumble, but they are also cuddly and lovable and just plain wonderful! Blessings to you all, and to all the new babies born and to be born in the coming months.

Now we're sitting back and waiting for the birth of our newest addition in 20 weeks! Could it be the blessing of another boy? Or will Samantha be blessed with a sister? One thing is for sure...a baby will join us this spring, and we can't wait for him or her to meet the world!

Two Farmers & A Fairy Ballerina Princess

Our kids are still young enough that they don't mind mom's homemade costumes, saving us money (although I'm certain time is not saved! but worth it all the same) and giving us flexibility with their costumes. Do you know how hard it is to find a John Deere Tractor costume? Let me tell you, it's far from easy!

This year, Samantha wanted to be a fairy ballerina princess (her words). So she's kind of like Tinkerbell, she said, but a different kind of Tinkerbell. I think her costume was $10 or $15 to make -- and pretty easy! I just took a piece of elastic, sewed the ends together at the measurement appropriate for her waist, and then used 4 yards of tulle (2 yards each of 2 different colors) cut into 4 to 6 inch strips and slip-knotted them around the elastic. She wore a purple leotard that was a Christmas present two years ago (thankfully it still fit...barely, but it fit!). And then I took 1/2 yard of tulle gathered it in the middle to make fluttery wings that we pinned to her leotard. Oh yes -- to be a princess, she had to have her crown (Tinkerbell in this case.) Since it was 70 degrees here that day, she didn't freeze and we didn't have to add anything to it!

Now the boys wanted to go as John Deere tractors. Hard to imagine if you know my boys at all! Hudson went as this last year, and I learned a LOT about how to construct a tractor costume. This year I learned even more! We took cardboard boxes, painted them green (do this in a well-ventilated area, especially if you're pregnant, otherwise, well, you might end up with a migraine. It's the last thing you need the night before Halloween !) Then we used duct tape to make straps to keep them on, and added wood shims to the inside of the box for a little stability and to weight the back evenly with the front. The wheels are just paper plates. They were fun to make! And the boys were happy little farmers (hence the overalls).

All 3 kids LOVED their costumes, and that's all a mother can ask for....happy kids all sugared up on Halloween. And we survived the "week after"...but barely. That's for another day. :)

So tell me -- are any of you crazy enough to make your kids' Halloween costumes? Next year, with 4, I'm thinking Dorothy with the Tinman, Scarecrow, and the Lion. I better get to work now. :)

SITS Giveaway

So there's this website called "The Secret is in the Sauce", and it is a group of women who are all about commenting (nice things) on other people's blogs. And they do awesome giveaways. Like the Photoshop giveaway they're doing right now. Click here to win Photoshop! WOWSA!

And if you need a new vacuum, click here to win a new Bissell vacuum! Seriously!

Enjoy -- and Happy Monday! (And now I must get back to finishing the john deere tractor costumes I promised my boys.....what was I thinking?)

Save the Ta-Ta's!

October is a special month in our family! We celebrate lots of birthday (happy wishes to my Dad on the 2nd, my brother on the 5th, and my brother-in-law on the 7th). Today, October 6th, my husband I are celebrating our 7th wedding anniversary! I couldn't ask to be married to a better man, and tomorrow I'll post something special about him, but today I'm going to talk about something different.

In the midst of all of these special days and lives that we celebrate, we also celebrate the lives of three women in my family who are survivors. When I was pregnant with my oldest child, my grandmother (mom's mom) was diagnosed with breast cancer. They caught it early, and fortunately she did not have to undergo radiation or chemotherapy. They were able to treat it with a mastectomy and prescription medication! But immediately we knew our lives had changed dramatically. Grandma is still alive and kicking!

In August of 2005, when my second child was 4 months old, my mother was diagnosed breast cancer. She was also lucky enough to have caught it very early. A mammogram truly saved her life. Because she'd fought lumps (called fibroid cysts) for years which put her at a higher risk to begin with of developing breast cancer, she and her doctor (along with the support of my dad and my siblings) decided that it was best to undergo a radical mastectomy. 5 months later, she underwent reconstructive surgery and looks better than ever. We are so lucky they caught it early. Mom required no chemo, radiation, or other form of medication. We praise the Lord everyday for her survival. But don't assume she had the easy way out -- a double mastectomy and reconstructive surgery is no easy path. I saw first hand while caring for my mom that it is painful and crippling, and it takes away your independence for a while. She is now, 3 years later, starting to get back to "normal".

Less than one year later, my dad's sister, my Aunt Barb, was diagnosed with Stage 4 breast cancer. This was a whopper. She had it in her breast and also in her uterus. She chose to have a partial mastectomy and underwent chemo and slight radiation (if I remember correctly). It was not an easy fight, but she, too, is still alive and fighting -- now cancer free! We found out that her grandmother (my great-grandmother) had died of breast cancer years earlier.

The family implications of breast cancer in my life are obvious. The chances of me or my sister developing breast cancer, or my daughter, are drastically higher than for other women we know. It will always be a part of our lives, and we will do what we can to find a cure, to catch it early, to make sure women know that they are in charge of their health and their bodies and they don't have to die as a result of this horrible disease! It's no longer a death sentence.

Yesterday, two of my kids walked with my mom, dad, and I in the Komen Foundation's Race for the Cure to raise money for research. This month is breast cancer awareness month. In all three of my family members, a mammogram caught their breast cancer and saved their lives. So I'm asking ALL of you to click on the title above (Save the Ta-Ta's) or here to go to The Breast Cancer Site. Every click provides sponsorship money to give mammograms to women who can't afford them. I click every day because I know how important this is in my life and the lives of other women!

And don't forget to do those self-breast exams, ladies! If you're not sure how, go to www.breastcancer.org for the correct steps!

Here's to you, Mom, Grandma Jackey, and Aunt Barb, along with countless others!

A special invitation

My husband's grandmother is celebrating her 75th birthday tomorrow! Never before have you met such a feisty energetic woman! We are thrilled to celebrate her birthday with the entire family in Kansas in a few weeks -- it will be a great way to end the summer just before school starts!

I was asked to make the invitations for her big party, and wanted to do them in a way that honored her. Her daughter really wanted me to use a picture of her (I believe from high school) on the front of the card with the phrase "Look who's turning 75". So I pulled out my Nestabilities and went to town. Grandma Bennett's favorite colors are green and yellow, and I thought that Close to My Heart's Boom-di-Ada creative basics paper set would be perfect. When I look at this card, it reminds me of Grandma Bennett, and she loves them, so that is all that matters! (please forgive the poor picture quality -- i was having bad luck that day!)

Happy Saturday!

Happy Birthday, Hunter!

My baby is 2! And to top all of that off, he no longer sleeps in a crib! And he's asking to go on the big boy potty! Can someone PLEASE slow this train down? This child entered our life two years ago on July 13 on the first day of a major heat wave. To say we were surprised to find he would be joining our family would be an understatement -- his big brother (a very strong-willed and loud baby) was only 8 months old when I found I was pregnant for the 3rd time. I confess to spending a fair amount of time crying in the bathroom before I shared the surprise with my husband.

But God knew what He was doing, in His Infinite Wisdom. 8 months after the shock of my life, we welcomed into the world the most delightful, content, happily laid back child I have ever seen. My 2nd son was exactly what God knew I needed. He should have been called the Hudson Whisperer (think Horse Whisperer), because as a baby, his mere presence calmed his 17 month-old brother who rarely sat still and never did so quietly or without a fight. His smile and sweet personality soften the angriest of moods. Even now, in the midst of the terrible two's (and yes, we are going through them), he manages to be sweet and agreeable. He is still my cuddle-bug. He might be getting louder, and he's learning how to fight back (necessary for survival in our house!), and who's now driving tractors like his big brother and playing the piano next to his big sister. But at the end of the day, he's still the one who wakes up smiling and singing and patiently waiting for us to greet him for the day.

I have no idea where the last two years have gone. But I do know that I have cherished every single minute I've had with our surprise blessing. God sent Hunter to us exactly when we needed him, to remind us how to smile and laugh and love life no matter what. He brings out the best in us and his brother and sister. And I can't wait to see the tender, caring, funny man he will grow to be. But in the meantime, I think I'll just savor ever minute with my baby...my little boy.

And in true household fashion, he deserved a special cake. He asked over and over for tractor cake, so we came up with this excavator. Super simple, inspired by Family Fun Magazine, and loved by the guy that mattered -- Hunter! Anytime someone would mention his birthday or how old he is now, he'd respond with "I had a John Deere Tractor Cake"....okay, so it doesn't really say John Deere anywhere, but our boys live and breath John Deere, so if he thinks this looks like John Deere, well, I will take that as a compliment! Enjoy! (Sorry for the poor picture quality, and for the poor frosting on the cake....I'm not a professional...just doin' it for my kiddos!)

We're safe!

I received a number of emails today regarding the tornado (and now we have learned it was two tornadoes) that hit our area in the middle of the night on Sunday morning. Thanks for your concern! We're okay, and by God's grace there were no deaths and only 3 minor injuries as a result of the weather. The two tornadoes were literally unpredictable and the sirens in our area of town did not go off until several minutes after we'd been in the basement and the storm was already past us.

The roar of a tornado that we've now learned was within a few hundred feet of our home had us running to our children to get them into the basement. We are pretty sure that we did not get in the basement before the storm was past us, which is scary enough, but thankfully not something we have to regret because there is literally not one shingle missing off our home. And we do not have trees, otherwise we'd be cleaning up some major limbs. Our neighbors across the street were not as lucky -- there is roof damage on more homes around us than we initially thought, and our 20+ year old neighborhood will certainly not look the same without the trees that we've lost. Nearly every family in the neighborhood lost at least 1 tree. It was devastating, but could have been SO much worse.

When we lived in the country, I was always terrified that I would not have enough warning to get the kids in the basement because we ALWAYS lost power during storms. And I just knew it would happen during the night. It is so ironic that exactly what I always feared there has happened in a highly populated area, and we once again lost power and had absolutely no warning.

I've learned one thing...and maybe learned isn't the right word. This is something that I've believed for all of my life, and this storm has just confirmed my intuition. As a child, I used to ask my parents if I could sleep in the basement when severe weather was coming. Sometimes they gave in, but usually they said I didn't need to worry. Who can blame them? I said that last night to my daughter (and she has every right to be terrified). And there were times when we lived in the country that, because of our situation (our kids slept on the 2nd floor, and the master bedroom was on the main floor, and my husband was gone 100 nights a year), I would put our children to sleep in sleeping bags in the basement or in bed with me so they were close. My entire life, I have believed that you cannot count on others to warn you when a storm is coming. It's your responsibility to pay attention and be aware. There is no law that states that you must wait for a tornado warning to head for cover. We were not in a tornado warning until the tornadoes were over. I will ALWAYS follow my gut feeling in the future and not worry about what others think of my choices. My family is my responsibility, and I will never put them in harms way simply because everyone else thinks that it is silly to be aware that severe weather is on the way. We have a saying in Nebraska...."If you don't like the weather, wait a minute and it will change." It is true true true.

Okay -- I'm off my soap box. Thank you so much for the concerned emails. We are so blessed, and just feel like God must have surrounded our home (and the homes of our family members) with a bubble of safety. Please please PLEASE pray for the members of our community whose homes are uninhabitable, and who have so much loss facing them. And with the recent rash of severe weather has come torrential rain. Flooding is a major problem in parts of our state, as well as in Iowa (where I have many family members) and other states in the Midwest. Please keep these people in your prayers.

I've been busy working on lots of projects, and hope to get them posted this week!

I'm It!

Big shout out to Jen at Work for tagging me for this!

1. What were you doing 10 years ago?
In 1998, I was in college at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. I was performing with the Scarlet and Cream Singers (oh what a blast that was!), and majoring in communications. I had yet to meet my husband (although I would be lying if I said I didn't keep one eye open looking for him).

2. What 5 things are on your to-do list for today?
For Wednesday, (1) make a grocery list, (2) schedule Hunter's 2 year check-up, (3) take the kiddos to Vacation Bible School, (4) run, (5) try a new recipe

3. Snacks you enjoy?
chips and salsa, Reese's peanut butter cups, kettle corn, wheat thins and hummus, fresh cut pineapple

4. Places you have lived?
I'm boring -- I've only lived in Nebraska (but I've traveled a lot!)

5. what are 5 things you would do if you were a billionaire?
give to those who need it
save
completely remodel my house
buy a baby grand piano
use it for RAKs

I'm tagging anyone who reads this and wants to share!

My Princess....

It's been nearly a month since we celebrated my daughter's birthday. She's anxiously been awaiting mommy's updated blog with her cake pictures. (Remember, I'm that dorky mom who makes her kids' cakes from scratch....and usually, they look totally and completely homemade -- dork that I am, I actually kind of like that charming quality.) She wanted a "Barbie" cake and we needed to be princesses, so her little girlfriends wore tiaras that we made and painted nails, along with a few other fun things.

I still can't believe she is FIVE!!!! I don't really remember what it was like before she was in our lives -- she is our oldest, our first, and completely our guinea pig (poor girl). I know I expect so much of her, and maybe sometimes too much, but I also know she's completely capable (I mean, for goodness sakes, she was reading books at 4 and playing the piano by ear before that). She is everything I ever dreamed my daughter would be -- smart, funny, helpful (sometimes too much so, but I'll take what I can get!), kind, thoughtful, sweet....the list can go on and on. And boy does this girl love GOD! She sings it at the top of her lungs with no worries like most of the rest of the world. I envy her passion and enthusiasm and fearlessness. And, like any mother I know, I swear she has taught me more than I could ever dream of teaching her.

You are special, little one, and I'm so lucky to be your mommy! Dream big, because I know, without a doubt, that whatever you reach for, you will make yours. My prayers for you are endless -- happiness, love, faith, comfort, peace, and more than I can explain. I LOVE YOU!

Swap time!

It's that time of the month again -- SWAP TIME! The upcoming May Stamp of the Month has to be one of my all time favorites -- as a card-maker, it will be one I turn to time and time again (as I already have), and as a scrapbooker...well, the possibilities are just endless! It has a sentiment for nearly every occasion I can think of. So, as always, you can check it out here and let me know if you think it's a MUST HAVE for your collection!

In the card above, I used the rock'n'roll technique on the "You are My Hero" image from the stamp set, Just Like You. I had Father's Day in mind when I bought this set in January. And then came this awesome SOTM. I used Twilight ink to stamp "Father's Day" on the twill ribbon, and used Chocolate ink to stamp "Sending my love" on the chocolate cardstock. It was fast, simple, and perhaps the most masculine card I've made in a while, if not ever!

Stamps: Say it In Style (May 08 SOTM), Just Like You
Ink/Paper: Chocolate, Twilight, White Daisy
B&T Paper: Good Times
Accessories: Twill Ribbon
*All CTMH, of course!!!

Baby, baby, baby!

My sister-in-law (and brother-in-law) is expecting baby #1 at the end of May, and part of my shower contribution was the invitations. (I'm sure it's hard to believe that I'd want to do that.) They do not know what they're having, which is always exciting, so we decided to go with a nice soft green and chocolate. (Rachel...and I....and okay, lots of other people....well, we just love chocolate, so this HAD to be part of the shower!)

Here is what I came up with:

Stamps: Baby Steps (CTMH)

Paper/Ink: Key Lime, Chocolate, White Daisy CS

Accessories: Chocolate Polka Dot ribbon from HL (sorry CTMH -- I didn't have enough of my cocoa ribbon rounds!!!!)

Tools used: Blending Pen, Colluzzle, Nestabilities, Cuttlebug Swiss Dots Embossing Folder, my computer (to do the inside of the invitation)

The inside reads: "They're expecting a baby, a new bundle of joy, A very special gift, be it a girl or a boy."

This card was inspired, again, by Lisa. She always has amazing ideas -- thanks, Lisa!!

Hope you're having a very blessed Sunday, and that you're week will be off to a great start tomorrow!
-Alyssa

Just a few cards....

I was asked by a friend of mine to lead the card-making session at her church women's retreat tomorrow and Saturday. What an honor! The theme is the Chocolate Boutique (can I say YUM?!?!?), and they picked out the adorable papers used in the two cards I designed. The stamps, of course, are CTMH.

Special thanks goes to Lisa (check out her blog at http://www.lisascreativecorner.blogspot.com/) for inspiring the first card. It uses the May Stamp of the Month (which is available in just a few weeks). You can see it here: http://www.closetomyheart.com/stamp_of_the_month_08_05_may.aspx

The second card uses the CTMH stamp sets of Say it in Style (MAY SOTM again), Solo "H", and Celebrate Life.

Hope you all have a lovely Thursday!

-Alyssa

A Challenge...

My SBS group decided to start holding challenges, and the first one was to use something we've never used before. Perfect timing! I've been needing to create some pieces with the upcoming Stamp of the Month for April (Express Postage), and this encouraged me to get past the creative block I've had with this particular set! I love this set -- loved it the first time I saw it! But I had NO idea what to do with it once it came. So the result is what you see above.

I random stamped the white daisy paper with the round circle from Express Postage in Twilight, Lilac Mist and Petal. I matted it on 3x3 Petal CS, created the band with Petal and Twilight, distressed, and added White Daisy grosgrain ribbon. Then I stamped the circle again Twilight, and added the sentiment in Twilight and a pewter brad. I cut it out, matted it on Twilight, and voila!

I also created a bookmark using one of CTMH's creative clips. These are really easy to work with, and are great accents for scrapbook layouts or cards. And now it's a bookmarks! I used a scallop circle punch on Petal and Amethyst CS, and then stamped the circle and sentiment in Petal on the Amethyst CS. I added a white daisy grosgrain ribbon for a little embellishment.

So what do you think? You can see this set here: http://www.closetomyheart.com/stamp_of_the_month_08_04_apr.aspx

I know there are a few of you who have tagged me recently -- I have not forgotten! I plan to hit those this weekend!

I'm BAAACK!

I'm BAAAACK! I know it's been a while. Ever heard the saying, "When it rains, it pours?" That pretty much happened. Nothing major...just so many things all at once. Sick kids, sick mommy, sick computer. (On that note, let me take a moment to remind you to back up your hard drive. We were LUCKY....we only lost a few pictures, and none were worth being upset about. Thank goodness!) And thanks to all who wrote to check in on me -- it was so thoughtful and really made me feel, well, kind of important. (I know that sounds silly, but you moms all know what I mean!)I'm hoping (praying like crazy, actually) that we are past the yuckies and can get back into life full steam ahead!

The picture above is of me with my two oldest kiddos -- Samantha and Hudson. We took all 3 kids to see Playhouse Disney Live when it came to town -- so much fun! This picture was taken just before the show started.

I hope this post finds you feeling well and looking forward to spring -- it's been a very long winter for our family. It seems as though someone has been sick with something since Thanksgiving. I wish I was exaggerating. And I've personally been catching everything, which is very unusual. I'm so sorry I've been such an absentee blogger! I have been so tired at the end of the days after chasing after my little ones that I've had little energy to do anything but dishes, laundry, and sleep. And sometimes none of those were even happening! But we've had 3 glorious days of weather this week, and took full advantage to air out our house and sweep those germs on their way!

And I've been busy creating (FINALLY -- oh my goodness, I was going through withdrawal!) I participated in something out of the box for me -- a monochromatic card swap. I designed cards for the blue, pink, and red groups. I love the way the blue and pink cards turned out, but red turned out to be much more challenging than I anticipated. So here goes nothing....

Stamp Sets: Angel Whispers, Simple Beauty (March SOTM); Ink/Paper: Blush, Baby Pink, and Hollyhock; Accessories: White Daisy grosgrain ribbon, scalloped circle punches

Stamp Sets: Star Struck, Sans Alphabet, Delightful Alphabet; Ink/Cardstock: Outdoor Denim, Crystal Blue, Twilight, White Daisy; Accessories: Pewter brads, corner rounder (by EK Success, I think)

Stamp Set: Soul Mates; Ink/Cardstock: Cranberry, Barn Red, Garnet, white daisy; Accessories: Cuttlebug, Cranberry grosgrain ribbon

Tomorrow, the kids and I are headed to at least one, maybe two Easter Egg hunts! I'm very excited -- they are all at that age where it will be fun but not "dumb" yet! Thankfully! And I already have a layout done just waiting for pictures!

Happy Friday!

Endless Love

Just a quick 3x3 card I made a while back -- this is CTMH's February Stamp of the Month. Click here: http://www.closetomyheart.com/stamp_of_the_month.aspx to see it. Thanks to Marjorie over at Mommy Scraps who (somewhere a little while ago) posted a tip on take close-up pictures. It really helped!

Check back later today -- I plan to post the layout we did at my club on Tuesday night.

Happy Thursday!

Stamps: Endless Love

Colors: Hollyhock, Blush, White Daisy and Chocolate

Accessories: Prisma Glitter, white daisy grosgrain ribbon

Valentine's and....Tractors?

I can't believe I haven't posted in almost TWO WEEKS!!! OH MY GOODNESS! Things have been busy at the Walters household....we totally remodeled the lighting in our home (pictures coming soon) and we've celebrated three birthdays in the midst of Cupid's pending arrival!


First, the birthdays. On February 2nd, my husband turned XX years old (I told him I wouldn't share....but he's still got 17 years to go until he reaches his half-century mark!), and on February 5th my nephew, Dawson, turned 1!!! (I can't believe my baby sister has a 2 1/2 year old AND a 1-year old!!!) Finally, my little guy, Hudson, turned 3 on Saturday, February 9th. Now if you know Hudson, you know that this kid lives and breathes for TRACTORS!!! (Must be the 2 years we lived in the cornfields -- I am DEFINITELY a city girl!) I always make my kids' birthday cakes....whatever they want! Last year he had a train and Samantha had a tea cup set (that was interesting!) Sometimes they look awesome, other times, well...it's probably better on those days that I'm NOT a cake decorator by trade! This year, Hudson had to have....what else?....a TRACTOR! And not just ANY tractor. It has to be JOHN DEERE, because by gosh John Deere is the BEST! So....he got a tractor cake....

This stage is so funny -- he really is smiling in this picture! (He's in the midst of saying CHEESE! and those smiles are always entertaining!)

It's unbelievable to me that Hudson is 3, Samantha will be 5 in just a few months (and um, Kindergarten Round-up is in a few weeks...oh my goodness....I am quietly screaming that my baby is going to Kindergarten!!!), and Hunter is going to be 2 in July!!!! Is it possible that the endless diapers that started 5 years ago could end in the next year?!?!?! Oh my!

With the arrival of our big birthday month comes the arrival of Cupid! This is such a fun time for me to create sweet little things for all the people we love and who love us! Such a blessing! This morning, I was blessed to lead the craft at my weekly mom's group, and in addition to a few cards, we made this cute goody bag. Another CTMH consultant, Maria Bell, posted these on her blog, along with a tutorial......they are SUPER easy and just so darn cute. Follow this link to see the tutorial! http://www.cardinspired.com/GoodyBagHolder.html And here's my version....

Stamps: All My Love (CTMH)..in chocolate ink

Paper: More to Adore, Chocolate Cardstock, Blush Cardstock (CTMH)

Accessories: Walmart pink sheer riboon, CTMH Waxy Flax in Colonial White, Colluzzle circle, scallop punch

Hopefully I'll be posting more frequently again now that our "remodeling" is winding down....updating your home is so wonderful when it's done, but it is certainly time-consuming, messy, expensive, etc.....but I LOVE it and we are very lucky to have family that helps us so much!

Happy Wednesday!

More emerging color...Marjorie's Challenge

A CTMH Consultant named Marjorie (check out her blog -- she's Mommy Scraps under my links to the left -- and she has got to be one of the most gifted card-makers I've ever seen!) posted a color challenge this week on our boards, and I thought I'd try emerging color again using her challenge colors. Now since I didn't have all of her challenge colors, I improvised a little. Can I just say that I am loving this emerging color thing? It's so much fun! And you get a sneak peak at the March Stamp of the Month! Sara and Marjorie -- I think you created a monster! ;)

Paper: White daisy CS, Amethyst

Stamp Sets: Simple Beauty (March 2008 Stamp of the Month), Delight in Everything

Ink colors: Petal, Lilac Beauty, Sweet Leaf, Buttercup

Accessories: White organdy ribbon (I intentionally went light on accessories because in person the colors are so much for vibrant....I didn't want to take away from anything.)

Okay, so practice makes perfect...this one is better than the last I think!

Blessings!

Sara's Challenge: Emerging Color

Since I'm a newbie stamper, I was very excited when my SBS10 sister, Sara, posted a challenge to the SBS10 to make a card with emerging color. I've never done this before, but it has always awed me when I've seen it and I would love to be able to create something so beautiful. This certainly does not look as amazing as some of the other emerging color examples I've seen, but it's my first attempt and I think it turned out okay -- what do YOU think?

Paper: Chocolate, white daisy, baby pink cs (CTMH)

Ink: Chocolate, Hollyhock, Blush, Garnet (CTMH)

Stamp set: All My Love

Accessories: Scallop circle punch, white organdy ribbon

Techniques: Edge distressing (gotta love CTMH's white core CS!), and Emerging COLOR!

So there you have it, SBS10 -- I think I might trying to do this with some light blues, greens and yellows in a flower pattern! It's fun, and practice makes perfect....back to practicing!

Blessings!

What Alyssa means...

What Alyssa Means

You are usually the best at everything ... you strive for perfection. You are confident, authoritative, and aggressive. You have the classic "Type A" personality. You are relaxed, chill, and very likely to go with the flow.You are light hearted and accepting. You don't get worked up easily.Well adjusted and incredibly happy, many people wonder what your secret to life is. You are a free spirit, and you resent anyone who tries to fence you in.You are unpredictable, adventurous, and always a little surprising.You may miss out by not settling down, but you're too busy having fun to care. You are the total package - suave, sexy, smart, and strong.You have the whole world under your spell, and you can influence almost everyone you know.You don't always resist your urges to crush the weak. Just remember, they don't have as much going for them as you do.

What's" Your Name's Hidden Meaning?

Oh I wish this all true -- especially about being the total package and not getting worked up easily. These are things I have to work on! Type "A" personality -- yup, that's probably me. And I'm definitely a perfectionist! Oh well -- thankfully this world takes ALL kinds!

"Miracle"

I know, I know -- I promised I would post something everyday...and I missed yesterday! What can I say? It happens. But I'm back today with something that is kind of fun and spur of the moment. We found out last night that some of our friends are expecting their first child. So of course I went in "card mode" and my brain started cranking out ideas. The card I ended up with is not I expected to end up with, and I still don't know if I will send it to them, but it certainly allowed me to play with a few new stamp sets.

Paper: Sweet Leaf, Blush, Buttercup, Crystal Blue, White Daisy

Stamp Sets: Serendipity, Angel Whispers, and Baby Steps

Accessories: White daisy organdy ribbon

Tips? Suggestions? Criticize away! I want to hear what you experts think!

That's all I have for now -- tomorrow, I plan to alter a few darling mailboxes for my kids...my plan is to do them for Valentine's day, but we shall see what I end up! A mistake might turn into a happy surprise! Look forward to that post tomorrow night!

Happy Sunday, and as always, blessings to you and yours this week!

Serendipity: WATER Babies!

I'm so excited to share this layout today -- it's the one I mentioned yesterday! These pictures are from a family camping trip that we take with my dad's siblings every year. (My dad is the 4th of 8 kids, and I am the oldest of the cousins...my youngest cousin on that side was the flower girl in our wedding!) Anyway -- we spend as much time as possible on the lake while we're there. This past July was the first time we were able to take all three kids camping...and God bless my parents for putting up with in their camper! Anyway....I thought these pictures were perfect with the campaign Close to My Heart is doing until January 31. (It's called Serendipity, and you get amazing patterned paper, textured cardstock, textured die-cuts, and a stamp set that compliments the paper and the die cuts! It's awesome!)

Enjoy!

In this last picture, I was showing that I made a pocket between the mat and the bamboo cardstock to put more pictures. The little circles at the tops of the pictures are to pull them out with. (Everything below is CTMH.) This layout was from CTMH's "Imagine".

Paper: Serendipity (chocolate, dutch blue, and bamboo)

Stamp sets: Serendipity, Rustic Alphabet, Doodle Alphabet, and Adorable Backgrounds

Accessories: Serendipity die cuts, hemp, pewter brads

Techniques: edge distressing, paper tearing, rocking and rolling (in chocolate on WATER), stamp kissing (in dutch blue on WATER) -- I'd never "kissed" before, so this was fun!

See you soon!

blessings

Sisterhood of the Blogging Stampers 10

Now that I'm officially part of SBS10, let me introduce myself! I am a SAHM with 3 little ones....my oldest will be a kindergartner in the fall, and my youngest is 18 months. They keep my on my toes! And I'm so lucky to be married to a great guy...my husband Matt! He works so hard to make sure I can stay home with our kids.

In April 2007, a friend of mine (Thanks, Tricia) introduced me to Close to My Heart, and I was hooked. I've been scrapbooking for a very long time, but I'd never tried stamping before. I was too chicken, to be perfectly honest! I'm a bit of a perfectionist, and I was never able to get stamps to line up the right way. So Tricia showed me how CTMH's acrylic stamps work, and I was literally hooked. I joined as a consultant a few weeks later, and I've become a stamping machine! Now I make cards and other papercrafts, too, and I am so excited by all the things you create with stamps! So while I'm probably a "baby stamper", I love it and I learn quickly. And I'm NO LONGER AFRAID TO TRY ANYTHING!

So that's me in a nutshell -- mom, wife, scrapbooker/stamper (so SCRAMPER). I LOVE MY LIFE!!! I'm excited about this sisterhood thing! FUN FUN FUN!! (And please be honest -- I love comments, good and bad...it's the only way I improve!!!)

Counting our blessings

I was so excited because I finally had a free minute to scrap a few pictures from this summer. (Let's just say that when we woke up this morning, the temperature was 10 below zero. BRRR. I thought the summer pictures would warm me up.) I completely finished the layout, went to print my pictures, and was so sad to find that my printer is OUT OF INK! UGH! So tomorrow, I promise, I will post my completed layout, pictures and all.

In the meantime, I wanted to share with you my favorite layout from last semester's scrapbook club. (It meets at my house on the 2nd Tuesday of every month...come check us out sometime. We have a blast!) This layout is from CTMH's Cherish book...it has GREAT layouts, and makes it super simple to do layouts quickly because it tells you where to put patterned paper, etc. and has a perfect cutting guide! I love it! Back to the layout...my goal for every Thanksgiving is to scrap the things that we are thankful for during the previous year. And each of those layouts will include a current picture of our kids. So this is the 2007 version of "Counting our blessings"...

Paper: Enchanted, Autumn Terracotta CS, Sunflower CS, White Daisy CS, vellum (all CTMH)
Inks: Pansy Purple, Autumn Terracotta, Garden Green, Sunflower CS (all CTMH)
Accessories: Twill ribbon, garden green brads, colonial white spiral clips, colonial white waxy flax, friendship dangles, chocolate ribbon, copper photo hanger (all CTMH)
Stamp sets: Goodness of Life, Rustic Alphabet, Autumn Splendor (all CTMH)

Journaling Reads:
Samantha....We are thankful for your 4th birthday this year. We are thankful that you have been blessed with two wonderful preschools and an exitement to learn! You are learning to read and you even taught yourself how to play "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" on the piano this year! You are our blessing -- how we love you!
Hudson...We are thankful for your 2nd birthday this year. We are thankful that you love fiercely and passionately (tractors come to mind!). We are thankful that you gave up diapers early this fall, and we are thankful that you love to help daddy work outside. You are our blessing -- how we love you!
Hunter... We are thankful for your 1st birthday this year. We are thankful that you learned to walk. you love to read (I've never known a child who loves to read so much!) -- may you always be thankful for books. You are growing into a funny, energetic and "ambitious" delightful little boy. You are our blessing -- how we love you!
Six years later... We are thankful for the blessing of our sixth wedding anniversary this year. It's hard to believe we've been married for six years, and yet has it only been six years? I don't remember life "before". Six years and what do we have to show for it? Three beautiful healthy children.

Our family is a blessing. How loved we are!

So there you have it -- just a few of the things we're thankful for!

See you soon!

My first artwork post!

This is my first attempt at posting my art on the web, so here goes nothing! This is a lovely little milk carton that was posted on Splitcoast Stampers. I saw it and had to give it a shot. It wasn't terrible hard to make, and I'm going to try it again with more colors. But for my first shot, I'm okay with it!

Paper used: Cranberry Cardstock, Creative Basics Silhouette (CTMH)

Stamps: All My Love (CTMH)

Accessories: Creative Basics Silhouette Ribbon, scallop circle punch

So there you have it...next time I will ink the edges of my white core cardstock, and I'll try a wider variety of colors. But I had fun, and my daughter thinks it's neat! (I think she just wants the Hershey's kisses that I put inside! Ahhh...a girl after my own heart!)

Blessings!

Just Starting Out

Yay! Finally a place to post my creations...and to share the crazy things my kids (and did I mention my husband) do during the day! Check back often -- my goal is to post something...a story, a card, a layout...every day!