Scrampin' Mama

Butterscotch Pecan Cookies

2011-12-19T12:13:00.000-06:00

Merry Christmas, friends! As usual, it has been too long since my last blog post. I blame Facebook! I was just doing some baking for Christmas, and thought I'd share this recipe here since I haven't posted in awhile, and it's not (to my knowledge) one of the more common cookie recipes out there. I found this in a Taste of Home magazine over a decade ago and it was an instant favorite. Here are the details:

1 pkg. Butter Recipe Cake Mix (18.25 oz.)
1 pkg. Butterscotch Pudding (3.4 oz., instant)
1/4 c. Flour
3/4 c. Vegetable Oil
1 Egg
1 c. Chopped Pecans

Combine the first five ingredients and mix well. Stir in pecans (dough will be crumbly). Shape by tablespoon of dough into a balls; place 2 inches apart on greased baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool for 2 minutes; remove from pan.

Yield: 4 dozen

There's still enough time for you to whip up a batch for Christmas, right? I made them this morning in about a hour, start to finish. I apologize for the cruddy iPhone picture - this whole blogging idea was kind of a last minute thought. But, a cruddy picture is better than no picture at all, right? Well, sometimes... :) That pic was taken after they came out of the oven, just as an fyi. They don't spread too much. I baked mine for 12 mins, and they got a little golden brown on the bottom but not so much on the tops.

Let me know if you try them, and have a Merry Christmas!!

My Fabulous Friend

2011-10-01T23:27:00.002-05:00

I recently (well, semi-recently) attended a Copic Marker Class at the Creative Pals (Whipper Snapper Stamps!) store in Brookfield, WI. Technically, I believe it's now called an "Alcohol Marker Class", but same diff. ANYHOW, the bottom line is............. I stamped! After the class I came home and made this card for my girlfriend who invited and treated me to the class, bless her heart. I'm so out of the loop when it comes to blogging, I barely remembered to take a picture to share with y'all. I snapped this at the last minute on my mom's kitchen counter. How about that gold flecked counter top? Heh.

The image is by Rachelle Anne Miller. Love that girl. I wish I had an ounce of the talent she has.

I have more embroidery to share, and will be stamping again soon to complete the requirements for a swap I'm in, so stay tuned. One day I will organize all of my digital files and make this whole process easier.... maybe.

A Week of Flowers

2011-08-11T23:40:00.000-05:00

Here is another set of towels I made recently for one of my girlfriends. She asked for a set for her birthday, because the ones my grandmother made for her wedding gift nearly fifteen years ago were starting to wear out. I let her look through all of my patterns and pick her favorite (thank you, face time!), and then got to work. I love, love, LOVE the way they turned out! I tried to keep the colors as close to natural as possible, but also muted and earthy. Here are a few pictures of the finished product...

This set is sentimental to me, because while I was stitching, my grandmother (the same one mentioned above) underwent surgery to remove cancer from her lung. She was supposed to only be in the hospital a week or so and then home again and was expected to make a full recovery. Unfortunately, that's not quite the way things panned out. These towels made regular visits to the ICU with me as I sat at her bedside for six weeks, and were with me the day she went to heaven as well. It's just a little tiny part of her legacy that I am carrying on, and I know she's smiling down on me with every stitch I make. Grandma stopped embroidering years ago, but she was always amazed with how many different crafty things I took an interest in. I will forever have the memory of her smiling and shaking her head as she would tell friends and relatives about my latest project. She'd just laugh lightly and say, "she does all that kind of stuff!" Oh, how I miss that lady...

I also love that this set begins and ends with my and my girlfriend's favorite flowers. Hers is the rose, mine the purple iris. Just one more meaningful (and totally unplanned) aspect of the gift.

God bless,

You're Invited

2011-08-07T08:16:00.000-05:00

Some of our friends are expecting their first baby in September, and I recently hosted a baby shower for the mom-to-be. It was small and casual, but I wanted to share a few of the things I did in case you need ideas for the future!

Taking my cue from the neutral colored lamb theme of the nursery, I made these baby shower invitations to send:

All things considered, it was a pretty simple design with minimal coloring, so they went together pretty quickly. Well, that is until I ran out of that brown ribbon. Whoops! I guess you really should measure everything before you get started, eh? No worries though. Lord knows I have enough other spools of coordinating ribbon that I could use as backups.

Here's the whole lot together. You can see that one at the front of the picture has a smaller gingham ribbon instead of the wide triple stitch brown (which I bought at Hobby Lobby yyyyears ago, and love, if anyone is curious... must get back for more...)

I held the shower in the afternoon from 2-4pm. Since it fell between meals, I didn't want to have a lot of food, but I did want to have a few snacks and, of course, a cake, too. Here's the simple tablescape and menu: smoked almonds, pretzels with horseradish dip, Cape Cod Cracked Pepper Potato Chips (have you tried them? I was just introduced in May and haven't bought any other brand or flavor since that day), crackers with a cream cheese/sweet red pepper spread, peanut butter M&M's (another personal favorite), and a german chocolate cake.

You can also see the two gifts on the table for the game winners. I contemplated buying gifts for this purpose, but in the end decided to pull from my overstocked and underused cabinet of Partylite candles. Each winner received a box of 6 votives in the "Zen" scent. It didn't even make a dent in my collection, which is pretty sad. A few weeks ago I finished burning a medium sized candle that we received as part of a wedding gift 12 years ago. This is how fast I go through candles. It doesn't stop me from buying more though! It's a sickness, I swear.

I printed up some easy nametags on mailing labels. Avery makes so many great sized labels. If you use your imagination you can do a lot of interesting things with them. I made these up using the Roselyn font, and then rolled across the bottom of each one with Mellow Moss ink to jazz them up a little.

Our first game was Name The Baby Food. We passed around ten open containers of baby food (stage 2, all having two more flavors), and guests were able to spoon a little onto their plate and taste each one. Some tasted, some smelled... In fact the girl who got the most correct (6/10) never tasted a single one. I was totally impressed. I printed sheets for each guest with ten blank spaces on the left and the names of about 20 different flavors of baby food on the right for them to match to the numbers. I pulled the names of the extra flavors off the Gerber website. I wanted to make sure they were all legitimate flavors, because we had enough moms of little ones in the room that someone would have probably known a fake name if I tried to make one up. I also made these cute little cozies for each container because the name of the flavor is printed on the outside. I needed to hide it somehow, and I'm all about pretty, so I wrapped each one with sage colored tulle and coordinating ribbon. The numbers were printed on my Cricut and then added to punched circles before being glued on to the side of the container.

Our second and final game was a simple guessing game. How many Almond Joy pieces fit into a 4 oz. Dr. Brown's glass baby bottle? Well, 167 to be exact. Mom-to-be got to keep the bottle (chosen from her registry) AND Almond Joy pieces as part of her gift.

It was a lovely afternoon with a lot of visiting and sharing of stories. I just love hosting things like this, and I also love welcoming new babies into the world!

Peanut Butter S'more Bars

2011-07-25T14:00:00.000-05:00

I have had this recipe in my recipe box for ages, clipped from an old (seriously, probably ten years ago) issue of Taste of Home magazine. If you aren't familiar with the magazine and do any amount of cooking, you should definitely look into it! It's an excellent resource filled every month with delicious mouth watering recipes to try. Or, in my case, clip and save for ten years and then try. Whichever.

The whole family enjoyed these bars (as well as a couple friends who live near by), but I'll be honest with you, they are are sweet. Like, almost too sweet (is that even possible?). I don't think I will make them again as a treat for the family because it's just too much sugar for us to eat in a week, but I'm sharing them here because they would make an awesome addition to any family reunion, potluck, or bake sale you might need an idea for. They were soooo quick and easy to whip together. A definite winner in that respect.

1 tube (16.5 oz.) refrigerated peanut butter cookie dough
3 1/2 c. miniature marshmallows
3/4 c. milk chocolate chips
2 t. shortening
1 1/2 c. milk chocolate M&M's

Let dough stand at room temperature for 5-10 minutes to soften. Press into bottom of ungreased 9x13" pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 18-20 minutes or until lightly browned and edges are firm. Sprinkle with marshmallows; bake 2-3 minutes longer or until marshmallows are puffy.

In a small microwave-safe bowl, melt chocolate chips and shortening; stir until smooth. Sprinkle M&M's over marshmallow layer; drizzle with melted chocolate. Chill until set before cutting, but serve at room temperature (they taste better that way).

I would also encourange you to cut them small, because as I said earlier they're a pretty sweet little treat. Better to come back for seconds than feel like you have to throw half of your bar away because it's too much sugar...

Let me know if you try it!

God Bless

2011-07-21T09:27:00.000-05:00

Seeeeeeee... I *do* still stamp sometimes! I made this a few months ago, actually. I sing in a local choir and each spring I like to make a thank you card for our director that matches the theme of our annual concert. This year we had a sort of Americana theme, so I pulled out the old Stampin' Up! God Bless America stamp for the first time in ages (ever?). The flag behind the image is actually two different pieces of patterned paper, and then I accented the inside and the envie with the SU star wheel. Not bad for a (then) messy unorganized craft space!

I have since painted my craft room and am in the process of putting it all back together. Maybe I'll post a few pictures when it's done. It's nothing spectacular, but it's mine! I was just giggling the other day at all of the mismatched furniture I have in there, but oh well. It's functional, and a fairly large space, and right now that's all that matters. Maybe some day I'll invest in matching furniture with all the cubbies and cuteness you can stand, but it's not on my short list.

I'm also excited to share my new blog design! Wahooooooooooooooo! Michelle at Laycock Designs totally hooked me up with a beautiful new look. It was time for a change around here. If you're looking at this post in a reader, click over and take a peek and let me know what you think!

Grandma's Rhubarb Cake

2011-06-15T10:57:00.001-05:00

Topping

1 1/4 c. Sugar

1/3 c. Flour

1/2 t. Cinnamon

1/2 t. Nutmeg

6 T. Butter or Oleo (softened)

1 c. Chopped Nuts

Combine all ingredients with a fork or pastry cutter, set aside.

Cake

2 c. Flour

1/2 c. Sugar

1 t. Baking Powder

1 t. Salt

2 T. Butter or Oleo (cold)

1 c. Milk

1 Egg

4 c. Fresh Rhubarb

1 pkg. (3 oz.) Raspberry or Strawberry Jell-o

Method

Grease 9x13" pan. Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Cut in butter until crumbly. Add milk and egg, mix well. Pour batter into pan. Spoon rhubarb evenly over batter. Sprinkle dry jell-o over rhubarb. Sprinkle topping on and bake 40-45 minutes at 375 degrees or until topping is light golden brown and rhubarb is bubbly. If fresh rhubarb is not available 2 cups (20 oz. pkg.) of frozen rhubarb thawed and drained can be used.

This cake is a family tradition for us. Grandma used to make it every year when the rhubarb was ready for picking. I just made it for the first time myself and it was so yummy. We enjoy it warm with vanilla ice cream. Let me know how you like it if you try it!

Missing You

2011-06-14T22:50:00.008-05:00

Helloooooo! Long time, no crafting, eh?! I just thought I'd pop in and post this sweet little card I made for a small swap I participated in with some of my girlie-friends. The swap was for kid-cards, and I took my inspiration from a little girl I know who saw two of her besties move away within the last year or so.

I have more stuff (cards and embroidery and floral arranging of all things) to post as soon as I get my act together and get organized around here. I've been busy painting and organizing and my craft room is next in line for a make over. Maybe I'll share a few pics when I'm done. It's nothing special, but it's mine and I love it. Or I will once it's all clean and organized again!

Happy stamping!

Timmy the Goat

2011-05-01T14:55:00.003-05:00

Does the little boy on the cover of this book look familiar to you? Depending on how long you've been reading my blog, you may recognize him as our son Henry. We lost Henry almost 18 months ago to a rare genetic disease that we didn't know existed until after his death. One of the many ways we are working to keep Henry's memory alive is by writing a series of children's books. The series is called "The Adventures of Henry", and this is the first book in the series: Timmy the Goat. The books are fully illustrated, and include teachable topics in the back to help engage your little ones and teach them about the different animals and terms in the book. The story itself is a bedtime story that Henry created with his Papa. They used to tell it every night before bed; it was one of his favorites.

The profits from the sale of this book are being donated to the Crohns and Colitis Foundation of America (CCFA). Each book will benefit a different cause, as we try to help other families out there who are living with rare diseases in their children.

How can you help? Well, there are lots of ways. Here are a few thoughts:

Buy a book! The book costs $14.99 + S/H, and is available for sale at the Adventures of Henry website we have created for the series, or at Amazon.com. Don't have any little ones that you need gifts for? Consider buying a copy to donate to a local library or elementary school, OR, if you'd like, you can purchase a copy to be donated to a child who is currently admitted to Children's Hospital of Wisconsin, and we will deliver it with a card noting your donation with or without your name attached - it's up to you if you want to remain anonymous.
Share this blog post with friends. Feel free to copy and paste all of my text onto your own blog post, or share the link on your Facebook page, or email any friends/family/co-workers who may be interested.
Join the Adventures of Henry group on Facebook, and suggest that your friends do the same if you are comfortable doing so. Anything, great or small, that helps us get the word out about our series and our story would be awesome. We'd love to see the books all over the country, and would love to make a huge impact at CCFA and other organizations that help children who are suffering from rare diseases.

This is a labor of love, and is benefitting a great cause in memory of one of the sweetest little boys. Henry's famous line was, "be good to the aminals!" He loved his animal friends at the zoo (we visited daily!), and was always looking out for their welfare. We're so proud to be able to honor him in this way, and hopefully help other families before they walk the road of bereavement we're walking now.

Thank you so much for your help, whether it's joining the Adventures of Henry Facebook group, a purchase for yourself or someone else, or a prayer for healing, it all means the world to us.

God bless,

GLEE Notecards

2011-04-06T15:04:00.004-05:00

Do any of you watch the tv show GLEE? Do you love it? I like it. A lot. It's kind of a love/hate relationship for me though. I love the songs and the dancing, but the plot lines sometimes are just too far out there for me. I'm not sure how I feel about some of the things the teachers and students are saying to each other in school, etc., but it's fun to watch and they do have some hilarious quotes in the show.

One of my girlfriends recently had a "Glee" themed birthday party, and I wanted to get a gift that tied in with that theme. I searched Etsy for stuff, not sure what I was looking for exactly or what I would find. Turns out you don't find a whole lot on that topic. The only matches that came up were for notecards with quotes on them. I was *this close* to ordering some when it occurred to me that I, too, make cards.

*facepalm* Doh!

So, I whipped up a quick set of six for her. My original intent was to keep them all very simple, similar to the Lady and the Tramp card, but with different colored bases and ribbons. As I got started I decided to embellish a little more, but they still are pretty basic. I think I finished all six in about an hour and a half tops. I have been out of the loop for so long, I forgot to take nice pictures, but I did take some quick snapshots with my phone, so I'll share those:

I seriously have no idea who she would send these to other than another "Gleek", but I still think they're fun. And, it was fun to be stamping again, too. I joined a card swap recently, so it's a good little warm up for me before I have to get started on that next project.

Chocolate-Peanut Butter Crunch Bars

2011-04-05T23:28:00.006-05:00

I just got an envelope from my friend (and Pampered Chef consultant) Jackie yesterday, and in it was the current Season's Best Recipe Collection. In that booklet, I found this recipe and I knew I had to make it. Like, NOW.

The best part was that I had just about all the ingredients on hand (LOVE when that happens, by the way). I'm a sucker for a Rice Crispy treat, and love those ones with the melted butterscotch and chocolate chips on top (we call them "Scotcheroos" in our family, but I've seen different names).

This recipe makes a bar that is kind of a cross between a Rice Crispy treat and a Take 5 candy bar. NOM! It's the perfect combination of salty and sweet.

Here's the recipe:

1/4 c. Dry-Roasted Peanuts, coarsely chopped

1 2/3 c. Coarsely Crushed Pretzels, divided

3 c. Crisp Rice Cereal

3/4 c. Butter, divided

1 bag (10.5 oz) Mini-Marshmallows

1/2 c. Light Corn Syrup, divided

1 bag (10 oz.) Peanut Butter Morsels

1 c. Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels

Start by mixing 1 1/3 c. of the coarsely crushed pretzels (reserving 1/3 c. for later use) and the rice cereal in a large bowl. Melt 6 T. of butter, then add marshmallows and heat/stir until marshmallows are completely melted. Pour marshmallow mixture over cereal mixture and stir well (Hint: spray your spatula with non-stick cooking spray before mixing - that way it won't stick to the spoon). Spread mixture into the Pampered Chef Medium Sheet Pan, if you have one, otherwise a 9x13 pan would work as well. It should look something like this: Next, combine 2 T. of butter and half of your corn syrup until melted, stirring often. Stir in the peanut butter chips and mix until all the chips have melted. The mixture will be very thick - almost like real peanut butter (which kind of made me wonder why they didn't just use real peanut butter, but whatever. It probably wouldn't set up right). Spread the peanut butter mixture over the Rice Crispy base like so:

Finally, combine the remaining butter and corn syrup and melt it. Once melted, add the chocolate chips (sneak a few as a snack, I always do). Stir until all the chips have melted, then spread evenly over the peanut butter mixture. Sprinkle with the chopped peanuts and reserved pretzels. You can either stick it in the freezer for 5-10 mins to set the chocolate, or just let it set on the counter if you have the time and/or willpower to wait longer before you eat it. When all is said and done, it should look like this:

Yield: 24 bars Serving: 2 bars (LOVE that part)

Calories per serving: 260 (are you KIDDING me? That's awesome for as good as this tastes)

Total Fat: 12g

Sat. Fat: 9g

Cholesterol: 15mg

Carbs: 35g (Seriously, if you're worried about carbs, why are you making this?)

Protein: 4g

Sodium: 410mg

Fiber: 1g

As I was eating my first piece, I was thinking that if you really wanted to knock this out of the park and impress your friends, you could stop after the peanut butter step, then cut into small bite sized squares and set them in the freezer to set. Then, instead of making the ganache, melt a bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips with 1-2 T of shortening (to thin it) and DIP the frozen squares in the chocolate (OMG), then roll them in the pretzel/peanut mix (though your pretzels would have to be way small for this to work properly).

*drool*

Enjoy, and as always, let me know if you try it. Also, if you're in need of a Pampered Chef lady, take a peek at my friend Jackie's page. She is very sweet, and goes out of her way for her customers. I really can't say enough good about her. I don't get anything for it, so please don't think I'm trying to sell something. I just like to enable people, that's all.

More Towels...

2011-03-17T22:59:00.004-05:00

Thought I'd take a minute to share another embroidery project I finished recently. This is a set of three towels I made for a girlfriend for her birthday. She and her fiance have a cottage up north, so I opted for a wildlife theme. I love the way these turned out - especially the Canadian geese on the moose towel. I've switched from using three strands of DMC to two, and love the cleaner lines it gives me!

I have a couple more embroidery projects in mind as well as a few crocheting projects, and need to make a couple cards in the near future, too. OH! And I have some yummy recipes to share as well. Hopefully that means the blog will see a little more action in the coming weeks!

These were all made using Aunt Martha's Northwoods Lodge (#3999) pattern set.

The pheasant (above) is not pictured on the front of the package, but was included as a "bonus" inside. I've been using this brand of transfers for years, and that's the first time I've ever seen them include a bonus image. Not that I'm complaining, because the pheasant is one of my favorites in the group!

My mother had serious issues with that moose (above).

Mom: "Why don't you give him an eye? He needs an eye."

Me: "Mom. It's an outline. There's no eye in the pattern."

Mom: "You can add things that aren't in the pattern you know."

Me: *sigh* "Yes, I know. But it wouldn't look right."

Mom: "Oh, sure. The deer gets an eye..."

You're Sweet

2011-01-09T23:45:00.004-06:00

I'm ba-aaack! :o)

Well, probably not entirely. At least not in the post-a-new-card-everyday sort of way, but the good news is I am back at stamping on an as needed basis, and I'm enjoying it, which is more than I could have said at any single point in the last 12-18 months. It has been nearly 18 months since I have sat down and been creative. Oh, I've made a few cards in that time, but all were duplicates of past creations. Nothing really spontaneous, until now. I decided this year that I needed to stop buying cards and start making them again, so I whipped up a batch of thank you cards for friends and family using Pink Cat Studio's Itty Bitty Christmas set and an older SU! Paisley Print background.

Here is a close up of the glitter snow detail:

You know, I kind of forgot how time consuming a set of ten cards could be. It took me a few days to complete this, which surprised me. I also found that *gasp* I've forgotten the names of some of my colored cardstock that I never filed properly. Time to dig out the old catty's I guess, and do a little matching! I could never forget my beloved Riding Hood Red though. Man, I love that color....

And finally a quick glance at the inside of the card. I am usually bad about leaving this part of the card empty, without insert OR embellishment. I'm going to try to be better about that (and coordinating envelopes) because I think they really lend so much to the overall presentation, don't you?

So, there you have it folks. My first step back into the world of ink and rubber. Stay tuned for more posts as the need for a card or ten arises!

One Little Word 2011: Finish

2011-01-09T22:59:00.005-06:00

This is the third year that I have decided to take part in Ali Edwards' One Little Word challenge. When I started doing this back in 2009, it was a small blip on the blogosphere. Now it seems everyone is doing it - there is even a One Little Word class that Ali offers. Frankly, I think it's fantastic. If you go to her page, one of the first things you'll see is a quote that says something to the effect of, "One little word can make a big difference in your life." I couldn't agree more.

I take my word very seriously each year. I take a considerable amount of time choosing it - I started thinking about this one back in October already. What did I want to focus on in 2011? What area of my life needs improvement, or at the very least constant reminders for change? After contemplating for awhile, I finally decided on my 2011 word: Finish.

The truth of the matter is that I need to learn to finish what I start. I am easily the queen of the 70% club. I take on a task, get bored with it, and move on to something new. Choosing Healthy for 2010 got me started down a great path toward my weight loss and fitness goals. Now I am stagnant, having lost 40 lbs, and standing still.

In 2011, I am committed to finishing old projects, starting AND finishing new projects, working hard towards reaching my weight loss goal, thereby finishing that journey and starting the new one that is maintainence. In 2011, I will finish what I start and have already started.

If anyone is new to my blog and curious, my word for 2010 was Healthy, as I mentioned above, and 2009 was Believe. Both words were perfect for the time frame they covered, and I truly believe each helped me in its own way and continues to do so. Even though I choose a new word each year, I hang on to the old words, too, building one upon the others.

I encourage you to participate in this challenge if you haven't already. There's nothing special you need to do, no place you have to sign up. You don't even have to tell people you're doing it (though I've found it helps to keep me focused and accountable to throw it out here in the blogosphere). Give it some thought, choose your word, and let it help shape your year. It's really as simple as that.

God bless,

Mocha Madness

2010-12-30T21:57:00.004-06:00

Hello! I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas. Did you make your Christmas cards this year? I sooo did not.... BUT, I did just finish a set of ten Christmas-y Thank You cards that I love to pieces and will be sharing very soon! Meanwhile, I wanted to share yet another craft I enjoy... embroidery. I made this set of seven flour sack towels for a girlfriend for Christmas....

I forgot to take a picture of these before I sent them off to her, so she was kind enough to take a few photos for me to share here. Did I mention she has skillz in the photography department? She does! That picture up there looks so good I can't even believe I made those! lol. :)

I used about four different colors of DMC floss to match her kitchen. On the few sets of towels I've done in the past (and the one I'm working on right now), I've always been very eclectic with my towels. Each one was different. If they were all cats, there'd be all different colored cats, no central theme. I love the way the small color palette pulled all of these together though. Here are a few close-ups:

I used a chocolate brown for the coffee beans and did a satin stitch as well. I'm really pleased with the way the beans turned out.

If you enjoy embroidery and like this set, it's by Aunt Martha's Iron On Transfers, and it's called Mocha Madness, as the title of this post suggests.

Stay tuned for another post in the next day or two of those thank you cards I made. You won't be disappointed! I have them sitting here in their clear envies waiting to be mailed, and I just want to sit and stare at them. lol! I think I should start stamping more so the novelty of the finished work wears off a bit. ha ha. :)

God Bless,

Dragonfly Challenge I : Letters From The Heart

2010-12-01T20:27:00.005-06:00

And what, you ask, is a Dragonfly Challenge? Well, it's simple. It's a challenge that I plan to be issuing periodically here on the Scrampin' Mama blog (monthly or bimonthly, depending) that is meant to encourage you to do something nice for someone else. Something unexpected. Something that will make their day. Each challenge will be different. I'm going to do my best to keep the challenges as user-friendly as possible, meaning that stampers and non-stampers alike should be able to complete them. You needn't be a crafter to pull these off! I will try to add ideas for ways my stamping friends could use their talents to enhance their results, but knowing those stampers well I'm guessing they could figure that part out all on their own!

Why a dragonfly? Because that has become a symbol for my family to remind us that Henry is still with us, always watching over us. There is a poem called the "Legend of the Dragonfly" that talks about what happens to the dragonfly as it morphs from grub into a beautiful creature. The poem ends by saying (and I am paraphrasing here) that just because we cannot see our loved ones is no proof that they cease to exist. That warms my heart. I have wanted to do something in Henry's name for some time. I had talked about a card ministry in previous posts, and have had other ideas as well, but this is the one that stuck. I hope you'll join me, and encourage your friends to do so as well.

What's in it for you? Boat loads of warm fuzzies. *wink*

Our first challenge is "Letters From The Heart" as the title of this post indicates. I challenge you to take time this month to hand write a letter to someone you care about or are grateful for and let them know it. So often we think wonderful things about people but don't take the time to tell them exactly how we are feeling. I challenge you to make time. Life, my friends, is fragile. You don't know how long you've got, so make the most of the time you have.

I'm guessing you are already thinking about a person to write your letter to, but in case you're drawing a blank, here are some ideas:

Your Significant Other, Parent, Grandparent, or Sibling
A friend or neighbor
A member of the clergy
A current or former teacher
A serviceman (or woman) or veteran
A caretaker for you or a family member

Remember, this is a hand-written letter, not an e-mail! If you are a stamper and would like to take it one step further, you could create your own decorative paper by stamping a border on the page, or stamp a card to send the letter with.

Additionally, I challenge you to step outside of your comfort zone with this one. If you're like me, you've probably thought of a handful of different people you could send something to. Maybe one of those people on the list you're kind of mentally scratching off because exposing your heart to them isn't something you normally do, or you feel embarassed doing so. I encourage you to try to find it in your heart to write *that* letter, because often those are the people who need it the most. I'll be happy with any kind of participation though, so I'm not going to be a stickler on this point. ;~)
Please comment and let me know if you are participating. I'd love for these challenges to grow each time, so I'd really like to see who's in. And spread the word, please! Tell your friends, share it on facebook, challenge your family to do the same! Remember that old saying... A candle loses nothing by lighting another candle.
Blessings,

Harvest Pumpkin Ghosties

2010-10-27T23:00:00.002-05:00

Holy hotcakes, Batman! I can't believe it has been three months since I've blogged over here. I'd like to be able to tell you it's because I've been so busy blogging on my family blog, but sadly that just wouldn't be true (although that one has seen a little more action than this one has). I really do intend to blog more... it's just a question of when. I find myself thinking of things during the week that I could blog about, but then I think who really cares about that? Maybe y'all would enjoy reading my ramblings. Who knows. Maybe one day I'll follow through on all those thoughts. But for now, I bake. Here is my latest adventure:

Ooooo.... Aaaahhhh....

Go ahead, drool a little. You know you want to.

I found these super adorable ghost tins at Target this week, and HAD to buy them. It's similar to the feeling you get when you walk past a bag of M&M's (or cute shoes! or jeans that fit!) on sale. You don't NEED them, but yet you cannot help yourself from buying them. We have an infusion this week, and I had been wanting to make a treat to take in for our nurses, so I quickly brainstormed some options for these guys. Brownies? Cupcakes? I opted for brownies. I searched my beloved allrecipes.com, and found a recipe for Harvest Pumpkin Brownies that come complete with white frosting (how very ghostly!). It was a match made in halloween heaven.

Here's the recipe I used:

1 can (15 oz.) solid pack pumpkin
4 eggs
3/4 c. vegetable oil
2 T. Vanilla Extract
2 c. Flour
2 c. Sugar
1 T. Pumpkin Pie Spice
2 t. Ground Cinnamon
2 t. Baking Powder
1 t. Baking Soda
1/2 t. Salt

FROSTING:
6 T. Butter, softened
1 (3 oz.) pkg. Cream Cheese, softened
1 t. Vanilla Extract
1 t. Milk
1/8 t. Salt
1 1/2 c. Powdered Sugar

In a mixing bow, beat pumpkin, eggs, oil and vanilla until well mixed.

Combine dry ingredients; stir into pumkin mixture and mix well. Pour into 24 ghost cups, or 24 cupcake liners, or a greased 15x10x1 inch baking pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in one comes out clean. I baked mine for about 30 minutes, just because my cups seemed a little fuller than they should have been. Cool before frosting.

In a small bowl, beat the butter, cream cheese, vanilla, milk, and salt until smooth. Add powdered sugar; mix well. Frost, and store in the fridge.

Here we have my puffy ghosts (I really thought they'd be flatter and more brownie like, but no such luck) awaiting frosting....

My thought was that as flatter brownies, they would be well below the edge of the tin even after frosting and I could stick each one in a cello bag and tie with a cute little halloween ribbon. These puffed up quite a bit though, so I get no points for presentation this time. My first ghost was decorated with black gel and sugar flakes as seen below, but it quickly became apparent that neither was a good idea. The frosting dried too quickly for the flakes to stick well, and the gel was already starting to run. Boo. (No pun intended).

SO, hubby got to sample the flake-y gel-y ghost, and all the others just got chocolate chips for eyes. I should have had mini-chips, but hey... I'm not perfect. Any other night I would have run to the store to get some, but since we've been experiencing the equivalent of category 3 hurricane winds for the past two days, I decided to stay home snug in my Smurfette jammie pants and go with the bigger chips. I'm sure they won't be denied!

As always, let me know if you try them!

OH, and believe it or not, I actually stamped this month! I made two sympathy cards about two weeks ago, and GET THIS.... totally forgot to take pictures before sealing them. Arrgghhhh. I'm out of the blogging habit, I guess!

Peanut Butter Banana Bread

2010-07-29T09:12:00.003-05:00

Here's another yummy new recipe I tried this week (last night... at midnight... to be exact)! I just tried a small piece for breakfast, and it is DELISH! It's a nice dense bread like my grandma makes, but with the added goodness of a peanut butter crumble and a ribbon of chocolate.

Peanut Butter + Banana + Chocolate = LOVE!

Topping
1/2 c. Flour
1/2 c. Brown Sugar, packed
1/4 c. Creamy Peanut Butter
1/2 t. Ground Cinnamon

In a small bowl, stir all topping ingredients until crumbly; set aside.

Batter:
1/2 c. Butter, softened
1 pkg. (8 oz.) Cream Cheese, softened
1 1/4 c. Sugar
2 Eggs
1 c. Ripe Banana, mashed
1 t. Vanilla Extract
2 1/4 c. Flour
1 1/2 t. Baking Powder
1/2 t. Baking Soda
1 t. Ground Cinnamon
1 1/2 c. Semisweet Chocolate Chips

In a large bowl, cream the butter, cream cheese and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in bananas and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon; stir into creamed mixture until just moistened.

Divide half of the batter between two greased 8x4" loaf pans; sprinkle with half of the topping. Top with chocolate chips. Repeat layers of batter and topping.

Bake at 350 for 45-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks.

I entered the recipe in SparkPeople's Recipe Calculator, and although I'm not convinced that site is an exact science by any means, it gives a good estimate of nutritional value. I entered 24 servings for this recipe (12 slices in each of two loaves) and it came up with 236 cal per serving. OUCH! So, if you're watching calories, do what I do.... make two loaves, take one to church, and farm out the other one to family and friends so you're only tempted to eat one piece. ;) I *think* this link will give you the full nutritional rundown, but I'm not entirely sure how long it will work.

As always, let me know if you try it, and thank you for continuing to follow my blog despite my shortage of paper crafts. I haven't sold anything.... I'm pretty sure I'll get back to it eventually, I'm just not at that place yet.

Spicygingersnap Bars

2010-07-16T23:23:00.005-05:00

My church is having a weekly bake sale in conjunction with our local Farmer's Market, so I've decided to help out and make a treat. I had this recipe stashed in my box of clipped recipes*, and since I had everything on hand I thought I'd give it a whirl. The recipe is called "Soft Spice Bars," but the description (from a Taste of Home magazine) noted how they tasted so much like old fashioned gingersnap cookies. After they were done and cooled, hubby and I each tried one. I asked him if he thought I should label them Soft Spice Bars or Gingersnap Bars. He suggested Spicy Gingersnap Bars. Of course, all of my SCS friends will know why that made me smile... For the rest of you, you'll just have to wonder. ;) Or ask. Whichever.

Spicy Gingersnap Bars
3/4 c. Butter
1 c. Sugar + 2 T., divided
1/4 c. Molasses
1 egg
2 c. All-Purpose Flour
2 t. Baking Soda
1 t. Ground Cinnamon
1/2 t. Ground Cloves
1/2 t. Ground Ginger
1/2 t. Salt

In a mixing bowl, combine butter, 1 cup of sugar and molasses. Beat in egg until smooth. Combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and salt; stir into the molasses mixture. Spread into a greased 15x10x1 (jelly roll) pan. Sprinkle with remaining sugar**. Bake at 375 for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned. Do not overbake. Cool on a wire rack before cutting. Yield: 2 1/2 dozen.

They were so easy to make, and they were done in no time. This is my favorite bake sale recipe to date. So easy to whip up in a hurry. As always, let me know if you try them!

* Do you have a system for organizing recipes? Mine is this: I clip recipes I like, and store the clippings in a Sterlite (plastic) container that is meant to hold 3x5 index cards. I made dividers and have them somewhat grouped into categories (cakes, side dishes, main dishes, etc.). If I make something from a recipe in the box and it's yummy, I'll transfer the recipe to a recipe card and store it in my keepsake recipe book. If I'm not crazy about it, I pitch it.

** I totally forgot to sprinkle the sugar on top before baking, so I sprinkled some powdered sugar on afterwards instead. And while doing so, had a little flashback to that one scene from Flowers In The Attic where the maid is sprinkling poison over the kid's cookies. Eeeeek!! :)

Oh, and by the way... I totally forgot to add the egg, too. *sigh* So, yours might puff up a bit more than mine did.

Note to self: Do not try to bake while engrossed in a deep and meaningful telephone conversation. *ahem*

The Only Lemon Poppyseed Cake Recipe You'll Ever Need

2010-06-18T13:50:00.002-05:00

Hi Friends!! I'm still not crafting, but I am still cooking and trying new recipes, so I thought I'd share. My grandma had a birthday a few weeks ago, and this is the cake I made for the occasion. Lemon Poppyseed is her favorite flavor (and conveniently mine, too!), so I knew I had to find something yummy for her.

Oh.

My.

Word.

"Yummy" does not even begin to do this cake justice. It's AMAZING. It's like a little piece of heaven on a plate. It's... well, it's the only lemon poppyseed cake recipe you will ever need. Ever!! It is just that good. Here's the recipe:

Ingredients
1 (18.25 oz.) pkg. Lemon Cake Mix
1 (3.4 oz.) pkg. Instant Vanilla Pudding Mix
4 Eggs
3/4 c. Vegetable Oil
1 1/4 c. Water
1/3 c. Poppy Seeds

1 (21 oz.) can of Lemon Pie Filling

1 (3.4 oz.) pkg. Instant Lemon Pudding Mix
1 c. Milk
1 (8 oz.) container of Cool Whip, thawed

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 9x13 inch pan.

2. In a large bowl, stir together cake mix and vanilla pudding mix. Make a well in the center and pour in eggs, oil, water, and poppy seeds, as shown below.

I buy my (Holland Blue) poppyseeds (and most of my other spices... their vanilla is divine, by the way) from Penzey's Spices. Check 'em out if you're looking to replace the boring old store brands with something a little fresher. While you're there, sign up for their catalog. It always has awesome recipes in it. Anyhow, where were we? Oh, yeah...

2. Beat on low speed until blended. Scrape bowl, and beat 4 minutes on medium speed. Pour batter into prepared pan.

3. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool completely. NOTE: When the cake comes out of the oven it will have a beautiful domed top that will sink as it cools. the cake will also pull away from the edges quite a bit... fear not! We'll fill in that space with something yummy in a minute...

4. Spread lemon pie filling over the cooled cake. (See, I told you!)

5. In a large bowl, mix instant lemon pudding with milk. Mix well and let stand about 5 minutes until fairly set. Fold in Cool Whip. Spread over pie filling.

Mmmmm.... lemon-y Cool Whip!!! YUM! I love Cool Whip anyhow, but this takes it to a whole new level.

6. Refrigerate at least 4 hours before serving.

Sometimes I don't care for leftovers of those salads (like Pistachio Salad, for example) that mix Cool Whip with pudding because after a day in the fridge the texture of the cool whip changes completely. I'm happy to say that it was not a problem at all with this cake. We were still eating on it a few days later and it was just as good as day one.

Here's the finished product:

Let me know if you try this, because I would love to know what you think of it. It got rave reviews from the entire family, and the neighbors who were lucky enough to score a few pieces, too. I'm sure you'll love it!

White Chocolate Snack Mix

2010-05-29T23:46:00.002-05:00

Do I have your attention?

;)

I haven't blogged over here in awhile, so I thought I'd do a quick post just to let y'all know I'm still alive and kickin'. I made this AMAZING snack mix last week, and thought I'd share it with you all. I am not a fan of white chocolate at all - AT ALL - but this mix is absolutely divine. You'll have to try it some time. It makes a huge batch, and everyone gobbles it up! I took it to a party and people literally hovered around the bowl!

Here's the recipe:

5 c Corn Chex
5 c Cheerios (I used multigrain)
2 c Salted Peanuts (I used Dry Roasted)
10 oz Tiny Twists Knot Pretzels
1 lb M&M's
2 - 12 oz bags White Chocolate Chips
3 T Vegetable Oil

Mix first five ingredients in a large bowl. Combine chocolate and oil in a sauce pan over low heat until chocolate is melted. Pour melted chocolate over cereal mixture and stir until coated. Spread mixture out on waxed paper to dry, then break apart to serve.

Seriously... sooooo good!

I haven't been crafting much lately at all. I go through phases where I think I might just sell off all of my stuff, and then I come to my senses. I have been struggling with stamping, because I keep thinking of all the nights when I would rush to get the kids in bed so I could get a few extra minutes to stamp, when I would give every piece of me to have a few of those minutes back with Henry right now. :( Stamping has taken on a kind of negative connotation for me, and I think that is what is keeping me away from my craft space. But, even if it weren't for stamping, bedtime was still bedtime, so I know I am just being irrational... but it still is a bit of a trigger for me, so for the time being I'm laying low.

Maybe I'll just start posting yummy chocolate laden recipes instead. heh. Kidding!

Take care, and you'll hear from me soon...

Note of Thanks

2010-04-06T23:41:00.003-05:00

Hello friends! I don't want to go so far as to say, "I'm back," but I did stamp a card tonight! I needed a thank you card for one of Jack's therapists who is leaving us. I bought this set a few mos ago from a friend and thought it could use some ink. I have to be honest with you though - stamping isn't really the same as riding a bicycle in that I think you *do* forget how to do it if you fall off the wagon for awhile! I had some serious mental blockage tonight, but I think the end result is cute. You'll notice I even decorated the inside, which is rare for me.

This baby is all Stampin' Up! Riding Hood Red, Garden Green, Chocolate Chip, Tempting Turquoise, etc. It has been a long time since I've been able to say that, too... even when I was stamping regularly.

Things here are going ok. Some days are better than others. Some hours are, too. I still can't believe my little guy is gone. I see his picture at the top of the blog every time I log in and it just seems like he's upstairs sleeping (I always blog late at night). In short, it sucks. But I manage, through heavy prayer, the grace of God, and the love of friends and family. I'll tell ya though, I've never been more excited in my life to get to heaven. Not saying I'll do anything to speed up the process, but hopefully you understand.

Thanks for your continued prayers and support,

Hop Up Jump In!

2010-03-06T23:28:00.003-06:00

I know it has been ages since I've posted a card (and done any stamping, for that matter), but I am just not feelin' it lately. I want to stamp, but I have this block that just prevents me from doing much. I actually sat down with some stamped images and my copics one night and just stared at it all for a good hour before I gave up and went to bed. I didn't make a single mark!

Jack's birthday is coming up, and I've always made all of the cards for the boys. I made all of their baby announcements, thank you cards, birthday invites, baptismal invites, etc. Heck, I even made all 60 of my baby shower invites and the thank you's for that as well. I tried like the dickens to get out of making these birthday invites. I even BOUGHT invites! But, guilt got the best of me, and I went ahead and popped out six of them. It's hard to make cards when you're not feelin' it... and it's even harder when they don't make stamps in the images of the people you need!

I improvised with some Handy Manny stickers I found at a local stamp store, and used them on this much loved layout (remember this?). Below you can see the inside of the card:

I don't know what I did to my camera, but all of my pictures look so washed out lately. It's not just this light and/or set up. No matter where I take a picture, it looks washed out. I'm going to have to google that and see what button I pushed or take it to the camera store to get it straightened out one of these days.

Anyway... I made six cards. I used elegant eggplant and real red, trying to coordinate with the stickers as much as possible. They turned out pretty girly for a handy man, but hey. At least they got done. Here is a pic of the whole batch:

Several of you have contacted me asking for more information about the card ministry I mentioned in my last post. I was hoping to get that off the ground before Valentine's Day, but I'm behind. I'm struggling with a lack of motivation lately, and lots of indecision. I've been joking with my family that I should be the president of the 80% club, because I've been starting all of these projects but not finishing any of them. I've read that this is a common response in the grief process, so I'm not overly concerned about it. This too shall pass, right? As I get more organised with the card ministry, I'll post details here. No telling when that will be, but still... you'll be the first to know.

Also, if you pop over to my family blog from time to time (link at top of sidebar), you'll notice I made a nice overhaul to the look of it. I still have a few things I need to clean up. Some font issues, etc. But again... 80% club. *sigh*

I hope you are all well! I miss traveling the blogosphere on a regular basis and seeing all of your wonderful creations. I've pretty much just been trying to take it easy and losing myself in mindless games on facebook. This too shall pass.... Eventually.

Blessings to you all -

Gift Tags

2010-01-03T01:00:00.000-06:00

Hey - two blog posts in two days. It's like some kind of record!

I thought I'd share these little gift bags I whipped up over the holidays. Literally the only stamping I've done in months. The tags are stamped on Kraft paper (SU!) that was cut with a nestie. I layered two different snowflake punches (Martha Stewart) and then slapped a button in the center with a little green organdy underneath. Then I stamped the paper bags to match. HA. KIDDING. I totally bought the bags that way at Hobby Lobby on clearance last winter. I had you going for a minute though, didn't I? :o)

I'm hoping to get started on a very special set of Valentine's cards soon. I'm going to get a little card ministry off the ground in Henry's name. We have to travel to the Children's Hospital in Milwaukee on a regular basis for Jack's infusions (they infuse antibodies into his bloodstream due to his immune deficiency disorder) and I would like to take a batch of cards with me each time for the two floors that have helped our boys - PICU and Cardiac. I'm thinking I'll alternate between the two, and just drop off cards that can be used by parents or children or nurses or whomever needs or wants them. I'd like to put a label on the back of each one noting that it's from this so far unnamed card ministry and maybe a link back to here or my family blog. SO, this is where you come in... what should I call it? I would like something with Henry's name in it, and I'm kinda diggin' the aliteration right now, so I'm thinking, "Hugs from Henry", "Henry's Heart", "Hope from Henry", etc. What do you think? Do you have any other ideas? Please share if you do!

One Little Word 2010: Healthy

2010-01-02T09:40:00.002-06:00

Hi friends,
It has been awhile since I've blogged. Many of you know why, but in case someone missed the news, our whole world changed on November 2nd when my sweet boy (Henry, 3) passed away unexpectedly of an unknown cause. To make a very long story short, he and his brother had an undiagnosed immune deficiency disorder, and a bacterial infection overtook his body. He was fine on Thursday - happy, bubbly, energetic. He woke up Friday with a tummy ache and a fever, and was diagnosed with a viral infection so no antibiotics were prescribed. By Sunday night, he was basically gone. Much work was done to try to keep him alive, but they finally turned off all of the machines and pronounced him at 12:45pm on Monday. You can read more about it on my family blog (link at top right), or on my facebook page if we are friends there (if not, and you would like to be, just send me a message there).

Now, two months later, we're trying to carry on as best we can. We still have a sweet little boy here and are doing all we can to get his deficiency diagnosed (still going through testing to determine exactly what it is - agammaglobulinemia or hypogammaglobulinemia or something else entirely).

Anyhow, I'm not sure if you remember, but last year I participated in Ali Edwards One Little Word campaign. It's kind of like a New Year's resolution of sorts. The word I chose for 2009 was believe.

Back then, I said this:

I will believe.... in myself, in my talent, in the future, that this too (insert current dilemma here) really shall pass. That everything has a purpose, and that I have the strength and the stamina to get through anything. My first idea for a word was simply "be", but I think I like this better. I will not only be, I will believe.

...and for the most part, even given the devastation that fell on us at the end of the year, I can say I honestly did a good job of maintaining that belief. I do know that everything happens in God's perfect timing, regardless of whether it is what I want or what I will ever have the capability to understand.

Now, looking forward to the year ahead of us, I'm choosing a new word and that word is healthy.

My goal for 2010 is to live healthy in mind, body, and spirit.

Health of mind will allow me to grieve properly without casting blame on myself or dwelling in regret. It will allow me to continue loving and remembering Henry every single day, while still allowing Jack to grow and play and be the boy he loves to be without hanging the shadow of his brother or his illness over his head. It will allow me to grow as an individual, and be open to the opportunities in front of me to use this experience to help others whether through the use of Henry's memorial fund, moral support, or witnessing the grace of God.

Health of spirit will support my desire to continue growing in my faith and walking closer to God. I have never felt closer to Him than I do now, and look foward to that relationship developing and growing over the coming year.

Health of body will give me the motivation to take care of myself, even on those days when getting out of bed seems insurmountable. It will encourage me to live smarter and healthier. To cook more and order out less. To eat my vegetables. To drink my millk. To exercise and continue working towards my weight loss goals.

In 2010, I will be healthy.

What about you? What is your one little word for 2010? I'd love to hear about it.

Another Use for Cardstock

2009-10-23T20:03:00.003-05:00

My mom recently gifted me a subscription to Midwest Living magazine. This month's issue features "26 Heavenly Homemade Gifts" and one of them is homemade bread in packages made from cardstock. How cool is that? Click HERE to see a picture of the package, and HERE for a template to make some of your own! What a cute holiday gift idea!

I soooo wanted to share the picture here, but was afraid I'd be violating copyrights, so the links will have to do. Click 'em though! You won't be disappointed!

i {heart} papers Birthday Bash Challenge!

2009-10-19T09:55:00.003-05:00

Welcome to the first of this week’s i {heart} papers Birthday Bash (IHPBB) challenges! We’re looking forward to seeing all of your creations, and we’re very happy to have you celebrating with us!

Here are the hosts for each day. Be sure to check their blogs on their scheduled day to find out that day’s challenge. You can also check the main IHP Birthday Bash page at the store. It will be updated daily.

Day 1(10/19): Kate (owner), Sarah Anderson, and Dee Jackson
Day 2 (10/20): Deb/Latisha Yoast
Day 3 (10/21): Gretchen/Lesa Smaligo and Lynn/Asela Hopkins
Day 4 (10/22): Cathleen/Kerri Michaud and Carolyn/Maria Fiscella
Day 5 (10/23): Megan/Chris Veneruso and Kendra/Debbie Fisher
Day 6 (10/24): Tracy/Heidi Van Laar and Amber/Kerry Davis
Day 7 (10/25): Sunday, day of rest (finish up your challenges!)
Day 8 (10/26): PARTY! GRAND PRIZE (winners are announced)

What’s the first thing you do when you’re planning a Birthday Bash? Before you can choose invitations, decorations, etc., you must decide upon a color scheme, so our first IHPBB challenge has to do with color.

Our challenge for you today is to make a card (scrapbook page, 3-D item, etc.) using the colors of our IHP logo: celery, light blue, rose and black. Remember, everything this week has to do with birthday celebrations...so be sure your creation is birthday related!

Before you begin, take a few minutes to review the challenge guidelines! You’ll want to follow these rules to maximize your points and qualify for the opportunity to WIN the prize for today’s challenge and the Grand Prize, all announced on the last day of our festivities!

To qualify for the prize of the day, all you have to do is upload your challenge card/project to Splitcoast Stampers (SCS) and/or Paper Craft Planet (PCP) with the appropriate tag so we can find it. Today’s challenge tag is IHPBB1. The daily challenge winners will be randomly selected at the end of the week.

To qualify for the Grand Prize of being IHP Guest Designer for the month of November, here’s how it will work: Every challenge card/project you enter will earn you points (see below), and one with the most accumulated for the week the Grand Prize winner. So the more challenges you enter, more points you earn — and the better your chances of winning the Grand Prize (and the bigger the value of your Guest Designer box will be)!

You will have until October 25th to post your work, and you can enter as many challenges as you like, but you CANNOT combine challenges in one project. All winners, including the Grand Prize winner, will be announced at the Birthday Bash on October 26th.

Birthday Bash Points

For each project:
5 points for each challenge card/project you make, upload and tag to SCS
5 points for each challenge card/project you make, upload and tag to PCP
2 points for uploading to your blog and linking at least one IHP item used to the IHP website

One time points:

2 points for signing up to receive our newsletter*
2 points for joining our PCP group*
2 points for becoming our fan on Facebook*
10 points if you participate in all 6 IHP Birthday Bash challenges

*When you sign up, or if you are already signed up, a comment on the IHP blog Birthday Bash week so your points can be credited.

I hope you decide to participate! I had a blast making this card set using all of the yummy papers and ribbons Kate sent me from her store! Have fun with it! :o)

Itty Bitty Christmas Release Day!

2009-10-14T09:47:00.004-05:00

Seriously, aren't they ADORABLE?! Remember to check all of the design team blogs (including our awesome guest designers MacKenzie Bruckler and Tracey Cuccia) for lots of Christmas-y design ideas! The stamps are available for purchase today and you can find them HERE, if you're interested! Have fun shopping!! Remember, only two(ish) months until Christmas (*gasp!*), so you'd better get crackin' on those Christmas cards!

Pink Cat Studio Sneak Peeks, Day 2

2009-10-13T09:05:00.002-05:00

Here are some more fun images from the new Itty Bitty Christmas set that is being released TOMORROW at Pink Cat Studio. Aren't they just adorable? I love the clean lines of all the Pink Cat images. So cute!

Here we have a little gingerbread man:

And here he's shed his costume for a little gift giving. I did a close up of the image so you can see the glitter snow. I just dotted around the image with my glue pen and then sprinkled on the Dazzling Diamonds:

Here's the whole card. I really felt like I needed to get away from traditional Christmas colors for once:

And that knotted silver ribbon? That was totally supposed to be tied in a bow, but I've realized something very important (and tragic)... I am totally bow-tarded. I can. not. make a bow. Sure I could make one separately and then adhere it to straight ribbon, but that's cheating, isn't it? How do you make your "bunny ear" bows? I tried following info on SCS and I still couldn't do it! ACK!

Pink Cat Studio Sneak Peeks, Day 1

2009-10-12T09:58:00.002-05:00

It's time for another new release from Pink Cat Studio, and it's also time for CHRISTMAS! Wahoooo! I love Christmas! I'm probably the only person around who gets excited when the snow starts to fall (which it totally just did Saturday morning!!!). This super cute set is called Itty Bitty Christmas, and here are two cards made with it:

Stay tuned for another peek tomorrow and then the set release on Wednesday! Click over to the Pink Cat Studio Blog and the other design team blogs (in my sidebar) for more super cute cards!

WFMW - Keeping Paint Brushes Wet

2009-09-30T22:02:00.006-05:00

Hey there! I know what you're thinking.... this isn't a stamping post! How did this get in my reader? Well, I'm still the same stamper you subscribed to, I've just been sidetracked with other things lately. One of these things happens to be some little fix-it projects around the house. Another is finding cool new blogs to share! One of the cool new blogs I found is http://www.wearethatfamily.com/, which hosts Works For Me Wednesday. The idea is that every Weds, you post a hint or tip or trick... something that makes your life a little easier. You can read all of the guidelines HERE. Then go back to We Are That Family and link your tip on that Wednesday's post. And while you're there, look at all of the other tips that have been linked. You may just learn something!

This week, I started touching up some paint around the house, and because I have two beautiful little boys who keep me on my toes all day long, I never know how much time I'll have to do the work that needs to get done.

My grandpa was a professional painter, and I started helping him on jobs at a young age (I want to say about 8 years old). One trick he taught me was to wrap a paint brush in tin foil and stick it in the freezer if you weren't going to use it for a few hours, but weren't ready to clean it yet. So here you can see my work in progress:

Imagine how difficult it must be for me to open that freezer door and reach for the paint brush instead of my beloved mint chocolate chip ice cream.

When you are ready to paint again, just unwrap and dip it in the paint. Works like a charm, and doesn't get all gookey (yes, that is a technical term).

And this is totally random, but I just have to say I love that paint brush. It's a professional sash brush, and it was my grandpa's for years before I inherited it. It's like having him right there with me while I work, and I like that. :)

Do you have a tip to share? Play along! It can even be craft related! There are themes you can work off, too. Check it out!

Itty Bitty Pink Cat Studio Sneak Peeks... Part 2!

2009-09-16T08:03:00.004-05:00

Remember that fun card I shared yesterday? Well, here is the whole set! How stinkin' cute are these Itty Bittys? I just love them. Especially the look of surprise on their faces in that image with the gravestone! hee hee. :) TOO CUTE! I dare you to tell me you don't need this set! Go on, I dare you! :)

Itty Bitty Pink Cat Studio Sneak Peeks!

2009-09-15T08:49:00.003-05:00

Pink Cat Studio is releasing a new set tomorrow, and it includes two new characters! I'm sure you love Lily and Billy as much as I do, but check out the new kids on the block!

Are they not adorable?! This is just one of the images from this awesome new set. I LOVE IT! The sentiment for the card is tucked behind the main image. You just have to pull out that ribboned edge, and you'll find this:

Cute, no? :)

Be sure to click over to the other Pink Cat Design Team member blogs (linked in my sidebar) to see all of the other images! You won't be sorry!

In case you're wondering, that patterned paper in the background has velvet flocked spiders on it (!!). I picked that up last year at i {heart} papers.

I'll Never Leave You

2009-07-09T22:26:00.003-05:00

Hellooooooooo my blogger friends! Oye vey, it has been AGES since I've blogged! Yikes! Things have been a little whack-a-doodle around here, and I haven't stamped in awhile. Actually, that's not entirely true. I actually made this card a few weeks ago but didn't care for it (on kraft paper) and didn't have any Chocolate Chip paper on hand (Seriously people, how does that happen?) so it sat there for awhile until I broke down and hit the Hobby Lobby for a suitable brown stand in.

Despite my absence here in the blogosphere, I need you to know:

bwahahahahahaha!!! Ok, fess up - who gets the joke?! I *know* my girl Lorie is giggling out there somewhere... anyone else??

The main image in this card is from the Sporty Billy set that Pink Cat Studio released in June. This set is awesome! I just love it. :) I colored Billy with my copics, and printed the sentiment on the computer using Mufferaw font (love that font, btw!).

In case you're still wondering about that sentiment, here's a clue (a friend of mine has this set as his profile picture on Facebook and I think it's absolutely hilarious):

Again I say..... BWA HA HA HA HA HA!!!! :)

Ok, I'm done now. Carry on. ;)

P.S. I'm reeeally hoping less time will pass between this and my next post! Don't give up on me!

Howdy!

2009-06-22T21:27:00.003-05:00

Here is a card I made this evening using the new digi-images that Melissa is offering over at Pink Cat Studio as a fundraiser for the Make-a-Wish Foundation. You can read more info about the images, and their significance in the post below this one, and also on the Pink Cat Studio Blog.

If you've been drooling over Lily and Billy for awhile but haven't made a purchase, this is a great place to start (though technically they are called Ethan and Ava in this set, but still...). Not only do you get super cute images, but you also help an awesome cause.

Thanks for looking!

Pink Cat Studio: Weiman Wranglers

2009-06-22T06:57:00.003-05:00

Pink Cat Studio is releasing these new digital stamps today to raise money for the Make-A-Wish Foundation in honor of Ethan Weiman. Little Ethan passed away on July 12th from Neuroblastoma cancer. Ethan was a true cowboy and loved horses, balloons and Knock Knock jokes. By purchasing these digital stamps you will help brighten the day of a sick child as the money we raise will go toward making one of their dreams come true.

I should have a sample posted later today, but until then click over to the PCS blog to see a few cards and read some info about a few contests you can enter as well!

Extra! Extra!

2009-06-17T15:08:00.003-05:00

I just received an email from my friend Kate over at i {heart} papers. It seems Miss Kate is having a HUGE sale right now on all kinds of fab products including Nesties, Flowersoft (I soooo need some of that stuff), stamps, JustRite, and more!! Be sure to click over and take a peek!

Oh Hoppy Day!

2009-06-17T15:02:00.002-05:00

It occured to me after I made this card today that the colors I used don't really shout "hoppy day". lol! I really wanted to use that striped paper though, and used that to pull the rest of the colors out, so I blame it on Basic Grey. ;) hehehe.

Isn't that little frog the cutest? Frogs always remind me of my childhood. My mom and I lived with a friend of hers for awhile when I was little, and she had a HUGE frog collection. They were everywhere. I recently reconnected with her online, and was so sad to learn she got rid of all of them a few years back! I don't know why that mattered to me, or even why I'm telling you about it, but still.... it did, and I am. *wink*

This cute little foggy (and lily pad and sentiment) is from the Pond Pals set over at Sweet n' Sassy Stamps. It's such a sweet little set. Perfect for every day cards, or even baby cards! My next card with it will be much brighter though! :)

Pink Cat Studio Sneak Peeks, Day 3

2009-06-10T08:27:00.002-05:00

It's day 3 of the Pink Cat Studio release, and you know what that means! Time to show you the WHOLE set. Check out these images! I'm dying. I love them alllllll! But if you know me at all, you have to know the football one is my favorite. :) Wait until you see what I've done with him. I'll have that (and a baseball sample) posted within the next few weeks.

Enjoy the day!

Pink Cat Studio Sneak Peeks, Day 2

2009-06-09T11:43:00.002-05:00

Good morning! Welcome to day two of our Pink Cat Studio sneek peaks! Here is the image of Billy with the soccer ball. Isn't it fun? I know I probably say that all the time, but I just love these stamps!

Did you get a chance to look at all of the other DT blogs yesterday? Well, go back and check them again today! :)

Enjoy your day!

Pink Cat Studio Sneak Peeks, Day 1

2009-06-08T08:00:00.000-05:00

Yay! It's time for another Pink Cat Studio release! Y'all know I am just in LOVE with Billy. He reminds me so much of my Henry (who turns 3 soon! Ack! How did that happen?!). This newest Billy set is absolutely adorable. Four of the most deliciously boyish stamps EVER! And the little appearances by the pooch just crack me up. :)

Be sure to stop back tomorrow to see another peek, and then Wednesday to see the full set. You can also click over to the other PCS DT members by following the blog links in my sidebar.

Enjoy the day!

Remember Me?

2009-06-04T14:43:00.004-05:00

Hi friends! I am still here. Still alive! I just haven't been stamping and/or blogging as much lately as I used to. Haven't been doing much blog reading either, to be honest. And I apologize for that! I've been in spring cleaning mode, doing things around the house, and have also been working on a few bigger projects (non-crafty, unfortunately) that have taken up a good chunk of my time. Don't give up on me though! I'm still here, and will get back in the swing of things eventually!

Meanwhile, I wanted to share this bright little card I made last night using the Doodle Flowers set from Sweet n' Sassy Stamps! What a fun set! I love the look of the doodles. So cute!

I have to share a few more books with you while I've got your attention, too.

Second Chance, by Jane Green:

Jane Green is one of my favorite authors. She was the author that got me interested in "chick lit" to begin with, with her Babyville, and I have loved everything I've read by her ever since. I was hooked on this book by about page 25, which is excellent.... but then she lost me for awhile about 3/4 of the way through. It's not that it wasn't a good story, it just seemed to linger on certain points longer than I thought it had to. I loved the premise though, and the idea that maybe we all deserve a second chance. The characters were easy to relate to, I enjoyed it.

Another of my favorite authors is Jodi Picoult (she's probably #1, if I had to make a list). I just finished her Salem Falls...

As with all of her books, she had me at hello. Her writing style is just amazing, and sucks me in as soon as I turn the first page. This story interested me because of its play on The Crucible, and the way that false accusations can warp our societal beliefs. I loved the book and the story, but I have to say I kind of saw the end coming, which is odd for me with Picoult. Usually she pulls something out of left field and I end up not knowing what hit me. Not this time though...

Have any of you read this? I'd love to chat about it if you have! Especially if you remember the ending. I'd like to see if my interpreation was the same as yours...

Hey Chick

2009-05-27T10:44:00.002-05:00

Good Morning! It's day one of the Sweet n' Sassy Stamps bloghop! Isn't this a fun card? I just love this bandana paper and fun Funny Farm set! I have been kicking myself for ages for not buying that barnyard set that SU used to sell, but this one totally makes up for it. The animals are just too cute. :)

Ok, now it's time to carry on to the rest of the hop!

Wednesday, May 27th: SNSS Blog, Jeanette, Sarah, Chris, Cindy, Ceal

Thursday, May 28th: Sandy, Faith, Courtney, Deb, Deedee, Korin

Friday, May 29th: Teresa, Janette, Suzy, Lorie, SNSS Blog

Enjoy your day! I have another book review to share with you, too, but it will have to wait until next time. The boys aren't being too kind about letting me have blogging time. lol!

Don't Worry, Bee Happy!

2009-05-15T23:27:00.003-05:00

Ok, be honest... How many of you are singing that song now? :) You're welcome.

Here's a quick card I made tonight using the Bee Happy set from Sweet n' Sassy Stamps (which, by the way, I just noticed is currently on sale for only $6 something if you're interested!). It's a cute little set... but I love me some bees, so maybe I'm biased? Nah...

So, get this... see the little "buzz" tab? That's stamped on Almost Apricot (or whatever SU's Apricot is called). The DP and the base are both So Saffron. The ribbon, which matches the So Saffron paper PERFECTLY is Almost Apricot. What the??? Isn't there something wrong with this picture?! Anyhow, I thought it was odd, so of course I had to point it out. hehehe.

We've got a big weekend in front of us... Two weddings tomorrow, followed by a two hour choir rehearsal on Sunday for an alumni choir I'm participating in for my high school. At least we'll stay busy. I'd rather be busy than bored... most of the time, anyhow.

Enjoy your weekend!

Thanks So Much

2009-05-11T22:53:00.004-05:00

Hellooooooo! I am SO excited to share this card with you. I made these (I actually made three, but could only fit two in my white space) for some of the people that I sing in our local choir with who gave me gifts before our performance (flowers, bread, chocolates - YUM!) on Saturday. We had our annual concert this past weekend, and we had an island theme for the show, so that explains the color combo, DP, and primas! The music clef stamp is by Unity Stamp Co., and was a sweet gift from my friend Lorie a few months ago. I've said it before, but I'll say it again: Thanks, Lorie! The words on the image stamp are pretty small, but it says, "You make my heart sing!" Isn't that sweet? I love it! And holy man, have you been to the Unity site lately? I just looked up the link to add it here, and I think I have to go back and shop now. LOL! :) I love their single sentiment stamps!

Keep a song in your heart!

Baked With Love

2009-05-10T15:57:00.004-05:00

The last time I posted a card using this Changito the Baker set from i {heart} papers, one of my blogger friends left a comment saying it would be cute to use for gift tags on baked goods. Right you are, my friend! In fact, the stamp set actually comes with this perfect little tag stamp, and you can stamp other images inside of it however you'd like. So, I used it to help decorate this box of cookies. These are my Mom's all time favorite cookies... Grandma's Peanut Butter Cookies. I found these cute Wilton cupcake boxes at Hobby Lobby (3 for $5, I think - maybe a little less), and picked them up hoping they'd work for cookies too, and they do! Just leave out the cupcake inserts, and you're set! I made a double batch of the cookies to give to her as part of her Mother's Day gift today. Henry is very excited to go give Grandma her cookies after nap time. hee hee. I *think* he might be hoping to score one or two for himself, but I can't be sure. :o)

Here is a close up of the tag:

The tag is colored with my Copic markers, and tied on with some 5/8" Pink Twill Ribbon. The ribbon is PERFECT for this kind of project because it's a sturdy ribbon (and, it matches!) and really works well to help hold the box closed.

There's a little sad news though..... :o( .......... This is my last "official" post as an i {heart} papers Design Team member. My term ended, and it's bittersweet. Bitter, because I love Kate and the whole IHP team, but at the same time sweet, because I know summer is going to be super busy, and I probably shouldn't be spending as much of those beautiful summer days locked up in my stamp room! I will miss everyone though!

I also have another book to share with you! I just finished Jennifer Weiner's Certain Girls last night:

Weiner (pronounced Wine-er, before you start giggling too much!) is one of my favorite authors. I've read everything she has written, and have enjoyed all of it. Although I enjoyed this book, I have to say it was one of my least favorite by her. Not because it wasn't a good story... it was... it just took me a long long time to really get into it. In fact, while I was reading the book, I was thinking about blogging and decided that from now on I'm going to share my "point of no return".... meaning, the page I got to when it became nearly impossible for me to put the book down. For this book, sadly, it was page 245. That's a whole lot of reading to go through before being really sucked in! BUT... the interesting part is that not only was I totally hooked from 245 to the end, I also found myself crying through most of those final 100(ish) pages. So it's not that I didn't like the story, and it's not that I couldn't relate to the characters, it just didn't really draw me in like some of her previous works have. I would still recommend it if you enjoy Chick Lit... but maybe start with one of her earlier books like In Her Shoes, or Good in Bed (which, by the way, is not as racy as the title implies!). OH! Actually.... do read Good in Bed first, because it's something of a prequel to this novel. Same characters.... :o)

Happy Mother's Day!

We're Having A Picnic!

2009-05-06T08:00:00.000-05:00

Ok, seriously, how fun is this card!? I love it! That red gingham paper (found at Hobby Lobby) is just perfect for a picnic card! The images on the card are from the Sweet n' Sassy Stamps set called Summer Fun, and the sentiment is from Summer Sentiments. The sketch today is from Card Positioning Systems. Have you seen their blog? They have some super cute sketch ideas! Click over and take a look at some of the other samples this week.

In my last post I mentioned that I'd finished another book, and said I'd talk about it here.... so here you go! The last book I read was The Shack, by William P. Young. You can learn all about it on that website, if you're interested.

The book was recommended to me by a friend, and I'm so glad I read it! The story centers around conversations the main character has with God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit over the course of a weekend. I absolutely loved the story, and the refreshing take the author has on faith as a whole. There are lots of people who are unhappy with the book, citing heresies and what have you, but to them I say lighten up. I really think the book is worth reading, and then you can form your own opinions. Let me know if you read it. I'd love to know what you think!

More Changito

2009-05-04T15:07:00.003-05:00

Here is another fun card I whipped up using Changito the Baker by Stampendous, from i {heart} papers. This would be such an easy card to mass produce - perfect for a swap, or a gift set! The ribbon is also from IHP, and can be found HERE. It's hard to see in the picture, but I also used Star Dust Stickles on the candle flames at the bottom of the card, and Angel Wings Shimmerz on all of Changito's pink accessories. I also globbed a little bit of stickles on the end of his spoon to make it look like he was whipping up something yummy!

I also have to take a minute to talk books. The last time I posted about a book was when I finished the Twilight series, and I'm on my third book now since I finished that! Once I finished that series, I moved on to this book, The Widow Of The South, by Robert Hicks.

Although it is a fictional novel, it's based on the true story of a woman named Carrie McGavock who lived in Franklin, TN during the Civil War. The story revolves around her house being used as a hospital during the battle in Franklin, and details the work she did to preserve the bodies of the fallen men, contacting their families to let them know where the boys were, etc. It really is quite fascinating, if you are interested in that era of history like I am. Her home, Carnton, is still standing as a historic plantation in TN. I would love to visit it some day. I've been to TN so many times... I wish I'd known about this a few years ago. I guess I'll just have to make another trip!

That's all for now. I'll write about the book I read after Widow in my next post. :o)

Enjoy the day!

Wednesday Weigh-In #14....on Sunday

2009-05-03T08:33:00.003-05:00

Hi friends, here I am... late again. I'm happy to report though that I have finally met and exceeded my original PFP Challenge goal! I pledged to lose 28 lbs in this challenge, and to date have lost 30, so I'm excited about that! I went to the PFP website and reported my weight loss. Even if you didn't meet your goal, be sure to log in over there and do the same... every pound counts! May 5 is the last day to submit your information...

Since the PFP Challenge is over, I'm going to make this my final Wednesday Weigh-in post. If you're interested in following my progress, you can continue to click over to my blog periodically and look at the side bar... I'm going to find a new image to replace the PFP image, and update my progress there as time goes on. I'll probably also mention some milestones in random blog posts as well.

If you do decide to pop in every once in awhile, you will probably notice that my # of pounds to lose goal will continually increase as I meet each goal. For instance, my sidebar currently states that I've lost "27.4 of 28 lbs". My next goal is to get to the weight I was at when I met my dh, which isn't really that far away.... so after I finish typing this, I'll be changing that area to, "30 of 33 lbs lost"... Then once I hit the 33 lb goal, I'll set a new one, and adjust the numbers again. Make sense? I hope so!

Thanks for playing along with the PFP challenge, or supporting me while I worked toward my goal! All of your comments have been more helpfult han you realize.

Thank You Berry Much!

2009-04-30T08:00:00.000-05:00

Today is day 2 of the Sweet n' Sassy Stamps blog hop, and here is my fun summery contribution! This card uses two super cute (not to mention versatile) stamp sets. The strawberry image is from Summer Fun, and the sentiment is from Summer Sentiments.

I used some dazzling diamonds to highlight the "seeds" on the berries, and my Swiss Dots Cuttlebug folder on the base. I love strawberries... they are easily my favorite berry (pretty much the only one I eat, for the most part), and also my kitchen theme! :o)

I'm the last stop on the hop for today, but be sure to pick up with us again tomorrow, starting with Korin's blog:

Friday, May 1
Korin
Deb
Tami
Deedee
Ceal
and back on the SNSS Blog to wrap it up!

My Eyes!

2009-04-24T22:54:00.003-05:00

LOL! Sorry, couldn't help myself with that post title given the brightness factor here! :o) I don't know what I was thinking, but for a minute earlier this evening the whole red/yellow/turquoise thing seemed like a really good idea. *shrug*

Regardless of the color, I still am lovin' this Changito Baker stamp set by Stampendous from i {heart} papers. I stamped the monkey image, and then extended the table line with a pen and stamped a few baked goods next to him. The cinnamon rolls were stamped on a separate piece of paper and then cut out and adhered with dimensionals to give it a little depth.... hard to see that in the picture. You can get a little better idea in this one:

Check out that red dotted ribbon I used on the card. This stuff is awesome.... Why? Because the dots are printed on both sides of the ribbon. LOVE that. I have some cheap-o black and white dotted ribbon (used on the card below) that only has the dots printed on one side.... so when you tie a knot, the dots on the ends of the not don't look as bright as the rest of the ribbon length. A minor detail, maybe, but one that matters to me!

I also used clear and yellow stickles for accents on the flames (yellow) and cakes (clear).

So, I guess it turned out ok... even with the blinding colors. :o)

My Dearest Friend

2009-04-24T22:45:00.002-05:00

I just wanted to share a quick card I made tonight using the set called A True Friend by Sweet n' Sassy Stamps. I accented the card with my Tart n' Tangy set from SU!, as well as some coordinating papers that I bought from the new IB&C.

I love these dark colors, even though I should be lightening things up for spring! It was in the 80's here today! I was so excited, but now we have another week in the 50's... *sigh*

Pink Cat Studio Sneak Peeks, Day 3

2009-04-23T08:00:00.001-05:00

Here we are at our final day of Sneak Peeks. Have I told you how much I love this set? Because I do. A lot. And of the four peeks I've showed you this week, this is my favorite card! I just got all of this gorgeous textured paper from SU, and I am in LOVE! I paper pieced her towel in that dotted paper, and then used coordinating papers to finish the card. Cute, no? Some friends and I go to a big waterpark in the area every summer, and we've missed the past three years because we've been busy taking turns having babies. I thought this would be the perfect card to send them suggesting we get back to our old habits this summer! :o)

And in case you're wondering, here is what the whole set looks like:

Go on... Admit it. You need it! Click on over to Pink Cat Studio and snag one for yourself. You'll be glad you did!

Wednesday Weigh-In #13

2009-04-22T22:31:00.004-05:00

Hello!!! How is everyone doing this week? I'm doing alright. I thought for SURE this was going to be the week I hit my goal... I was only 6/10 of a pound away from it at one point!!! But then life got in the way and I leveled out a little higher when all was said and done. SO, I lost .8 this week... only 2.2 lbs to go!

Are you getting close to your goal? Reporting is open now. Remember to report your weight loss if you signed up for the Pound for Pound challenge. It looks like the donations they are making are only going through if you report at the end (which makes sense). If you signed up for the challenge you probably got an email just like I did, so you can take it from there.

Hang in there! The finish line is in sight... well, at least for this leg of the race, anyhow!

Pink Cat Studio Sneak Peeks, Day 2

2009-04-22T08:00:00.001-05:00

Here's another quick sneaky peek at the new Lily set from Pink Cat Studio. Isn't this mermaid the cutest? I love her! I love this whole set... it's just adorable! I colored Lily with my Prisma Colors and gamsol... I figured it would be easier to blend the fishy part of her that way. I did use my Copics on the rock and water though. I also added some Dazzling Diamonds to the scales. You can see a close up of the sparkles below:

Come back tomorrow for our final peek, and my favorite of all four cards! :o)

Pink Cat Studio Sneak Peeks, Day 1

2009-04-21T08:00:00.001-05:00

It's time for another Pink Cat Studio sneek peak! Woot! :o) Melissa is releasing a new set of four Lily stamps this month (well, four Lily images, plus sentiments), and they are beach themed as we prepare for summer! ....Summer? What's that?! Ugh! It actually snowed here today. I was NOT amused!!

Anyhow, above you see sweet little Lily on her turtle.... This reminds me of the turtle we have at the zoo in town here. It's huge.... and his name is Dash. LOL. That just cracks me up. :o)

Below you can see a super simple card with Lily chillin' in the lake. Sometimes simple is good! In the actual stamped image, Lily has legs sticking out below the tube, but I thought I'd make her floating for this one...

More peeks tomorrow! Stay tuned!

Long Winter

2009-04-18T15:00:00.004-05:00

Let me explain this card a bit...

To make a long story short, one of my girlfriends had a baby about three or four months ago, but it was early. Really early. I think she was at about 22 weeks when she delivered. The little girl was a fighter though, and she has come through so much in the past few months. Last week I found out that she was finally strong enough to come home. I wanted to send a card, but wasn't really sure what to send. I thought about it for awhile, and this is what I came up with. A little welcome home card for baby.

I used SU!'s old Right at Home set, stamped in Going Grey on Pink Pirouette. Then I used my crystal effects on all of the windows, and added a layer of glitter at the base of the houses. The sentiment, which I thought was sooo fitting for both the situation and the season, is from the Sweet n' Sassy Stamps set called His Eye Is On The Sparrow. I just love this set. The sentiments are so versatile.

And finally...... Breaking Dawn.

I actually finished this book a week or so ago, but kept putting off my little review due to a lack of time. I always seem to be blogging at 1am, and trying to race to bed as I do it. I'm finally here mid-afternoon, so I thought I'd say a few words. Ok, I've read all four books. A lot of people I've spoken with have asked me what order I liked the books in. If I had to choose, I'd say 1, 2, 4, 3. New Moon was my least favorite, because of two chapters mainly. Both had to do with a lot of history to the plot, and it just got to the point of being almost painful to read. And by painful, I mean boring. Other people have asked me which "team" I'm on, Edward or Jacob. I'm fully entrenched with Team Edward. The whole bit about who Jacob imprinting is creepy to me, but I saw it coming pretty early on. When Quil did almost the same thing, I knew there was some foreshadowing there.

Yes, I'm being vague. But I'm thinking maybe someone is reading this who doesn't want any spoilers, so I'm being nice. :o) If you want to discuss the book more in depth, feel free to email me at the link on my sidebar!

And don't forget to check out the Stephenie Meyer website. Did you know she actually wrote a fifth book for the series? She has the transcript (253 pages) linked on her site, and the explanation of why it will probably never make it to print... which stinks! Check it out if you have time. I think I'm going to have to read it now... I guess my thirst for all things Cullen hasn't been completed satisfied yet!

Wednesday Weigh-In #12

2009-04-17T01:04:00.002-05:00

Ok, so this is late. Like, really late. Sorry!

Unfortunately, it's 1am, and I need to get to bed, but I wanted to get this posted quick.

I stayed the same this week. Well, actually, that's not true. I gained 3 lbs over the weekend, and then busted my you-know-what to get them off again by Weds morning... So, I guess you could say I lost 3 lbs, but sadly they don't count towards my total.

How did the Easter holiday treat you?! I hope you enjoy the celebration of the day, even if it did bring a few extra calories with it!

Only a few more weeks to go!

Birthday Wishes

2009-04-14T23:14:00.002-05:00

Ok, let's take a poll... Who thinks Changito is the coolest monkey in stamping? :o) I just love this little guy! I *just* got this new Changito Baker set from i {heart} papers, and I couldn't be more excited! I paired him up with some of the Rooster Row paper and this awesome red dotted ribbon. The monkey is colored with my copics, and I added stickles over the frosting on the cake, and over the flames on the candles.

That DP you see on the left side of the card is also the back of the card as well. I cut a piece to standard A2 measurements, then ripped most of the front away and adhered a piece of PTI white in its place. You can't see it in the pic, but I added another square of the patterned paper on the flip side of the white to cover where the copics bled through. I wasn't sure how it would look, but it actually finishes the card nicely.

I still need to tell you about Breaking Dawn. I haven't forgotten, I just don't have time right now! I need to go get a "last chance workout" in (ha ha!) before tomorrow's Wednesday Weigh-In!

Enjoy the Trip!

2009-04-13T23:27:00.002-05:00

Here is a a quick card I made tonight with two of the new sets from Sweet n' Sassy Stamps. The sentiment is from the new Birthday Greetings set, and the rest is from the Spring Scenes set. I just love this scenery set. Think of all the stamps you could pair it with! And the clear stamps are flexible enough that you can kind of play around with how big you want your hill to be, too. I was impressed by that. :)

I also have to tell you that I finished Breaking Dawn, the final book in the Twilight series, this morning. Woot! I'll post my thoughts on that in the next day or two. I just wanted to get this card up quick...

Happy Easter!

2009-04-12T14:00:00.002-05:00

I want to wish all of you a wonderfully Happy Easter! Enjoy the time with your family, and take time to reflect on the reasons we are celebrating.

I made this card with Sweet n' Sassy Stamps I'd Pick You set. I've said it before, but I'll say it again: I love the sharp contrast of the black against the pastel colors!

Enjoy the day, and if you have a minute click over and check out my all time favorite Easter song. :o) It gives me goosebumps every. single. time. I hear it.

Just Buzzin' By...

2009-04-08T23:24:00.002-05:00

Here are a few more new cards using the Dress Up Sweet Pea set from Pink Cat Studio. How do you like my crooked sentiment up there? Argh. I hand wrote that, but obviously thought I was on some kind of incline. I hate it when that happens!

The background paper here is from SU!. I never would have thought to put those colors (bashful blue and old olive) together, but I really like the retro 70's look it gives. The sentiment on this one is from SU!'s Curvy Verses set. I love that set to pieces because you can be a little inclined and you can't even tell! :)

Guess what? I finished book three of the Twilight series!

This was my least favorite book so far... except for the ending, in the clearing. I enjoy the action there. Now I'm about 50 pages into the final book. I am dreading the whole thing coming to an end, but at the same time will be kind of glad when it does so I can catch up on all the things I've been putting off! lol! I still have my theories about what's going to happen... or what *could* happen at least. I keep waiting for Jake to imprint. She talks about it so much, it's inevitable. And I feel like it's gonna happen with Angela. Or maybe Renee. Eww. How wrong would that be? Probably no worse than the guy who imprinted a 2 year old. *shudder* I know, I know, it's not like that... but still. Eww.

Again - no spoilers in the comments please!

Wednesday Weigh-In #11

2009-04-08T23:19:00.003-05:00

Wow, I can't believe how close we're getting to the end of this challenge! Everything winds down on May 5th, and you have to report your weight loss on or before that day to have it count for the pounds of food donated. Do you think you'll meet your goal? I'm feeling more and more confident that I will, though I've been known to cave and eat everything in sight at the drop of a hat, so I guess you really never know. lol! (seriously though, I have...)

I lost 1.4 lbs this week, which brings me to an even 25. I'm kinda bummed that every week can't be a 5 lb week, but 1.4 really is a much more realistic loss, so I'll take it. I have to be honest with you all though, I don't think I could have done it without the accountability of posting this weekly, and hearing all of your comments and encouragement, so thanks for sticking with me!

Howdy little Partner!

2009-04-05T14:36:00.004-05:00

Here are a few more cards from Pink Cat Studio's new Sweet Pea (Plate 2) set. Don't you just love these babies? I think they are adorable! I'm really pleased with how this top card came together, too. The cow paper is actually wrapping paper, and it's double sided. It has a cute little kids cowboy print on the other side, and that is what I was intending to use on the card. But then I had this red/white/black idea (one of my favorite color combos) and voila! I have to say I'm impressed with my shading on this one too. Maybe I'm finally starting to get the hang of these dang Copics. Could it be?!

I love the simplicity and clean white space on this card. :) I hardly ever use white as a base, but maybe I should rethink that in the future? I just love this set. And it helps that so many people I know seem to be having babies right now. lol!

Ok, now on to a few books I've finished this past week. Yes, you read that right. Two books in one week. About 1000 pages total, give or take:

I've made it through the first two books in the Twilight series. I love them both. I'm about half way through the third book right now, and am trying my best to read slowly so as to prolong the story as long as possible. I find myself wishing that the whole thing was being made into a tv series. We rented the movie last week after I finished the first book, and it was alright. My dh enjoyed it more than I did, but probably because he hadn't already seen another -better- movie in his head while reading the book.

I'm totally enthralled with the entire story, and am forming some theories about how this is all going to end, while simultaneously trying to avoid as many spoilers as possible so please don't leave any in the comments!

Have you read these? If not, you really should. I know a lot of people I've talked to are put off by the idea of a "vampire book", but it's really not like that. I mean, sure they're in there, but to me it's really more of a love story than anything. I'll post more about my thoughts after I've finished all four books. I don't want to say what I'm thinking (my theories) and look foolish for being wrong. :) hehehe.

Big Dreams

2009-04-02T08:00:00.001-05:00

Today is day 2 of the Sweet n' Sassy Stamps blog hop for their new April releases, and the card I made for today features the new Dream Silouettes set. As much as I love coloring with my copics, it's so nice to have some of these block image sets. Just stamp and go! Well, sort of. *wink*

I used the brayer technique for the background on the main image, then stamped the wild flowers over the top using SU's Chocolate Chip ink. All of this is stamped on Glossy White cardstock (I've found that works best for the brayer technique). The base ink is from a Kaliedacolor pad. I think it's called Taffy? I can't remember for sure, but if anyone really wants to know, leave a comment and I'll check it and email you.

My blog is the last stop for today's hop, but be sure to get back in the swing of things tomorrow:

Friday, April 3 hop over to the following blogs: Courtney, Korin, Deb, & SNSS

And in case anyone is wondering, I did finish reading Twilight today(!!), and we rented the movie tonight. I'll post my thoughts next time I blog. I want to keep this post as dedicated to SNSS as possible! :)

Wednesday Weigh-In #10

2009-04-01T10:26:00.003-05:00

Good morning, friends! How are you all doing this week? Have you had nice weather and been able to get outside and do some walking? We haven't. :o( It's still cold, and (lately) overcast. Blech. I love me some winter, but I can't wait for warmer temperatures now. Enough is enough!

Remember last week how I said I was starting to count calories to get past the plateau I was on? WELL! Let me tell you! It worked! I lost 5 lbs this week. Can you believe it? I'm not sure I can. lol! And the exciting part is that I'm really not finding it *that* difficult to stay within my 1800 calorie per day allotment, so I'm going to try to stick with it. I counted every day except Sunday, because we had Jack's birthday party that day and well, I'm human. I wanted to graze on all the goodies! So I grazed my little heart out over lunch, and then skipped supper - certain I'd fulfilled all of my calories, and then some.

How are you doing?

Hello

2009-03-30T22:17:00.007-05:00

Here is a quick card I made tonight with some fun supplies from i {heart} papers. I was browsing through my blog the other day, and saw a card I made with this same layout a year ago, so I thought I'd try it again because, well, I like it. :) I like how you can really show off a piece of DP on the left there.

Anyhow! That DP I'm showing off is called Carnival Flowers. Isn't it a fun print? I have it paired up here with SU's Garden Green and So Saffron. I love when I find non-SU papers that match SU colors so well. It makes me happy. :) The stamp and sentiment are from the Spring Fling set that I just can't seem to get enough of lately. After coloring the image with my Copics, I added some yellow Stickles to the center of the flowers. Then I cut the circle out using my Nestabilities, and layered it on another scalloped circle also cut with my Nesties. I love those things! They take up so much less space than all of my punches.... and yet, I can't seem to part with my punches. I love those, too. I'm addicted, I tell ya!

I also have to tell you about another book I recently finished reading:

Yes, that's right. I read Hillary Clinton's Living History. All 539 pages of it. Why? Well, first and foremost because I have a fascination with our First Ladies. I have a growing collection of all the books that have been written about them (or that they have written, in this case), and am slowly making my way through all of them. Second, I like her. There. I said it. This moderately conservative right wing blogger has a soft spot for Hillary. Third, I'll be perfectly honest: I wanted to hear (well, read) her side of the Lewinsky thing.

As for the book.... eh. Most of it was fascinating, as far as the stories of where all she traveled and who she met, etc. were concerned. Some of it was long and drawn out. It took me a longggg time to finish this book. I've been working on it here and there for about two years. The problem is I didn't really feel like it flowed. It was almost as if every chapter was its own short story, so when I came to the end of a chapter, I had no overwhelming urge to continue on to the next one, and so the book would sit for days/weeks/months between chapters as I read other stories.

I believe this book was released before she made any announcements about running for President. I had the distinct impression while reading that the book was written in such a way as to shed a positive light on her and set her up for a favorable run. I don't know how to explain it, I just felt like I was reading a campaign pitch occasionally. So anyhow, if you're into history, or even a fan of Hillary, it might be worth the read. Otherwise, you can probably live without it.

Now I'm reading Twilight. I finally got sucked in. HA. Get it? ;)

For My Friend

2009-03-26T20:41:00.004-05:00

Here's a card using one of the February new releases from Sweet n' Sassy Stamps. The set is called I'd Pick You, and the main images is of this bunny giving the flower to the mouse, but I saw a card with this layout a few weeks back (thanks, Cassie!) and thought I'd try it on this set. What do you think?

I used some SU! rub ons on the base (which, by the way, I am still not a fan of), and some blue gingham that I picked up at JoAnne's.

I also wanted to share this Pepperoni Bread that I made recently:

Doesn't it look yummy? It was! You can find the recipe >>HERE<<, but I would recommend eliminating the seasoned salt (it was too salty for my tastes), and adding a little minced garlic or garlic powder. You can also experiment with the toppings you use inside the bread. I think our next one will be filled with Canadian bacon and pineapple. Oh, and I'd double the cheese next time, too... Other than that, it's perfect! :o)

Hungry for dessert? Try this amazingly sinful Oreo Delight (scroll to bottom of post for recipe) I made for my Mom's birthday this week!

Pink Cat Studio Sneak Peeks, Day 3

2009-03-26T08:00:00.001-05:00

Here are the two new stamp sets from Pink Cat Studio. Tell me they are not adorable! I dare you! If you missed the sneak peeks that the Design Team featured the past two days, you can scroll down to see my cards, as well as the links to the other Team members. All of the creations are wonderful!

Enjoy!

Blog Candy Winner!

2009-03-25T23:19:00.002-05:00

Thanks to all who entered! Jen, I'm headed to your blog to leave a comment - be sure to get back to me soon! If I don't hear from you in 36 hours, I'll pick a new winner.

Wednesday Weigh-In #10

2009-03-25T16:07:00.002-05:00

***Scroll down for my Pink Cat Studio sneak peeks!***

***Don't forget I have BLOG CANDY up for grabs, HERE!***

Another Wednesday, another weigh in! How is everyone doing? I lost 6/10 of a pound this week. It's not much, but I'll take it. I'm proud of myself for basically being on this plateau for almost three weeks and not giving up! There have been so many times in the past when I've hit a plateau and then just called it quits out of frustration. So far, so good though. I decided yesterday that I need to do something else to help me get past this little speed bump, so today I started counting calories. I'm giving myself 1800 calories/day, which is the number recommended by The Biggest Loser book that I'm reading. It's 4:11, and I've used up 1148 so far. 1800 calories seems like a lot, but it's not. LOL. I mean, I'll survive, but I'm pretty sure I was eating more than that before, which could be why I stopped losing. Doh!

So, we'll see how this goes. I'd like to stick with it for a week and see what results it brings. I just want to make sure I lose these last 9.4 lbs before the season (and consequently the Pound for Pound challenge) ends in early May. It's definitley doable, but I need to stay on top of it so the time doesn't get away from me and I'm crashing on an all-watermelon diet on April 25th. LOL. Ok, so I would never actually do an all-watermelon diet, but you know what I mean!

How has this week been for you? How close are you to the goal you set for this challenge? Do you think you'll make it?

Pink Cat Studio Sneak Peeks, Day 2

2009-03-25T08:00:00.001-05:00

***Don't forget I have BLOG CANDY up for grabs, HERE!***

Are you loving all of these Sweet Pea baby stamps? I am! I just think the clean lines of the drawing are so cute... and so easy to color!

When I started this one, I pictured it as a pocket card... and that's pretty much what it is, except that after I was done with it I realized there really was no place to write a message. LOL. Whoops! The seed packet is held in place with one mini-glue dot, so I guess the message has to go on the back. Oh well! :o)

Be sure to check the other Design Team blogs for more super cute sneak peeks!

Becky Carafa
Janna Hull
Jodi Ann Lee
Lauren Meader
Lise Roy
Maria Bell
Mariska van der Veer
Nikki Fairbairn
Sparkle Smith - March Guest Designer
Vicki Garrett

If you're wondering about the Wednesday Weigh In post, I'll get it up later today.

Enjoy the day!

Pink Cat Studio Sneak Peeks, Day 1

2009-03-24T08:00:00.000-05:00

***Don't forget I have BLOG CANDY up for grabs, HERE!***

Today is day one of Pink Cat Studio's March sneak peeks. This month, PCS is releasing a new line of stamps for this little babe named Sweet Pea. Isn't that baby adorable?! Above you see the baby as a "she" with her cute little strawberry hat and matching diaper. Below you see Sweet Pea as a "he" with his bear face hat and bottle. I love that the stamps are separated in such a way that the baby can be made either male or female, and the accessories in this set are just adorable. They are also big enough to cut out easily, which is a major bonus if you ask me!

Melissa also has a little contest going at the moment. Find all the details, and enter on the Pink Cat Studio blog >>HERE<<. Check back tomorrow for another day of sneak peeks! You'll be glad you did. And while you're at it, click over to see what the other Design Team girls have come up with: Becky Carafa
Janna Hull
Jodi Ann Lee
Lauren Meader
Lise Roy
Maria Bell
Mariska van der Veer
Nikki Fairbairn
Sparkle Smith - March Guest Designer
Vicki Garrett

April Is A Promise

2009-03-22T23:09:00.002-05:00

**Don't forget I have BLOG CANDY up for grabs! Enter HERE!***

Ok, show of hands... who subscribes to Papercraft Magazine? Did you happen to see this super cute card in there this month? ACK! I did! And I loved it so much I had to case it! So yeah, this is a shameless case. The only thing I changed was adding the canvas background stamp to the blue, and using a sentiment rather than just the word "hello".

This sentiment is from the His Eye Is On The Sparrow set by Sweet n' Sassy Stamps. Y'all know how much I love that set! Really though, any of the SNSS sentiments would work with this design. It's totally versatile!

Here are a few close-ups. This one is of the sentiment:

I thought that was perfect for the apple tree, no?

And here are the "apples":

The green at the top and bottom of the card is all raised up with dimensionals.

What do you think? Don't you just want to case it yourself? lol! :)

BLOG CANDY!!

2009-03-19T22:38:00.005-05:00

** $25 BLOG CANDY Gift Certificate Give Away! Scroll down for details!**

First, I have to share this sketch challenge that my fellow i {heart} papers design team member, Kendra threw down for all of us DT members. Here is her sketch:

And here is my interpretation:

The card base is SU's So Saffron, topped with this Anna's Bananas paper that I LOVE. The Easter basket is a stamp in the Spring Fling set that I've used a few times before, and I prettied it up a little with some stickles on the eggs and a cute little pink beaded daisy. I also used my scalloped circle Nestabilities to cut out the semi-circle. I think I said the same thing the last time I used it, but I love that this soft paper has a little black in it. I just think it's such a cool touch.

NOW! On to my BLOG CANDY!

Do you love all of the CUTE i {heart} papers products I've been using? Well, you're in luck! I have a gift certificate up for grabs! Kate (owner) is sponsoring this giveaway for a $10 gift certificate to her store. And because I love you all so much, and appreciate all of your wonderful comments, I'm going to add $15 to it myself, so that means you have the chance to win a $25 i {heart} papers gift certificate!!! WOOOOT!

SO!! How do you win?? Here's the scoop:

1. Visit the i {heart} papers website, and check out all of the fabulous papers, stamps, and embellishments. Then come back here, and leave a comment on this post telling me what you would spend the $25 on if you win (you can change your mind later, and use it however you like, I'm just curious to know what your favorites are!).

2. Spread the word! If you have a blog, please post a link back to this info so as many people as possible can have a shot at this. I'd love to see 100+ entries!

3. Make sure that your comment includes a link back to your blog or an email address or some other way for me to contact you. If you are chosen as the winner, and do not make contact within 36 hours, another winner will be chosen.

Edited to add: A winner will be chosen at random on Wednesday, March 25.

GOOD LUCK!!

Wednesday Weigh-In #9

2009-03-18T23:48:00.003-05:00

How is everyone doing this week? I apologize for the late post. The day just totally got away from me. I've been on a cleaning kick lately, and have been spending all of my free time cleaning the house. It's unusual - trust me!

About the weight, well, I stayed the same this week... which is fine with me! Better than gaining! :) I had a few bad days over the weekend, but I'm ok with that!

I'm going to keep this short and sweet so I can get to bed before 1am, but let me know how you're doing.

Is anyone watcing The Biggest Loser? Some of those girls are pushing 100 lbs already! I totally know losing 100 lbs in 10 weeks at home is unrealistic, but could you imagine what it would be like to weigh 100 lbs less today - March 18 - than you did at Christmas? That's about 10 weeks ago... I can't even wrap my head around how amazing that must feel for them.

I Want To Believe...

2009-03-14T22:08:00.003-05:00

Ok, so maybe I've watched one too many episodes of The X-Files, but I love this Changito in Space stamp set by Stampendous from i {heart} papers! I matched him up with one of my favorite papers of all time (you may remember me using it heavily back at Christmas) called Hickups. Back in December, I thought it looked like a snow flurry. Now I think it looks like a super cool galaxy. :o) Could it be any more versatile? hehehehe. I punched a 1/4" hole at the end of the space ship and threaded three pieces of metallic silver string through it, then adhered that to the paper using Crystal Effects in a smoke trail pattern. I also added blue and white stickles to the blue and white dots on the paper for a little more dimension and sparkle. Voila! It's very simple (again!), but I thought it would make a cute kid's card.

I hope you have a wonderful Sunday. We're still fighting the sickies here, but at least the weather is improving!

A Constant Friend

2009-03-13T23:23:00.002-05:00

I just love this new set His Eye Is On The Sparrow from Sweet n' Sassy Stamps. I know I just posted a card using the set not too long ago, but I had this idea in my head to use the main image as a background, and I had to run with it. I pulled out my mulberry papers for the first time in I don't know how long (years!), and pulled this together. What do you think? It's very simple, but I like it. I used to love using mulberry paper on nature-y cards, because the texture in it reminds me of wood fibers (maybe it is wood fibers?).

And I love this sentiment. The words are lyrics from one of my favorite songs of all time. Not familiar with the tune? What? Have you never seen Sister Act? :o) My favorite version is by Lauryn Hill (surprise!). Check it out HERE, if you're interested.

I haven't been posting much lately because we've all been sick here. By the time the boys are in bed, all I want to do is veg in front of the tv. My mind has been mush at night from the constant running during the day. Thankfully we're all on the mend now, and I'm back in business! I would normally get another card posted at naptime tomorrow, but instead I'm leaving the boys with their Papa and going to see a local production of Jesus Christ Superstar with some friends. :o) I love that show. This is the second or third time I will have seen it.

Enjoy the day, and look for more cards from me soon!

Wednesday Weigh-In #8

2009-03-11T10:00:00.000-05:00

Well, we are about 2/3 of the way through our Pound for Pound Challenge period. Are you 2/3 of the way toward the goal you pledged at the beginning of the season? I'm happy to say that I'm on target so far, assuming I keep losing like I have been. I lost 2.2 lbs this week, which brings me up to 18 lbs so far. Not too shabby... especially since I've been sick all week! I really wanted to go back through all of the comments and tally everyone up for this post, but I've been so out of it lately with all of this congestion that I just didn't get it done. Maybe next week...

Meanwhile, check out these yummy recipe links I got in a recent email from The Biggest Loser:

Whole Wheat Blueberry Muffins

Asparagus and Tomato Pasta Salad

Spinach Artichoke Dip

If you click on any of the recipes above you will find a link to even more low fat recipes. Some of them look pretty tasty, too!

How are you doing this week? I hope you've at least managed to stay healthy!

Contest & Closure...

2009-03-09T20:58:00.004-05:00

First, the contest.... Did you see that Pink Cat Studio is having another contest where you can win a FREE stamp set? For all of the info and details, check out the PCS blog HERE. All you have to do is think up a name for the baby. It really couldn't be easier! Now... Don't, I repeat - DO NOT, leave your contest entry on this post! You need to comment on the post linked above on the PCS blog to be entered. So, finish reading and then head on over!

Now, the closure.... The owners of the Bellaholics Anonymous Yahoo Group have decided it is time to close the group. If you are a member of the group, you've already seen the messages, and if you're not you probably don't really care one way or another. lol. At any rate, the group will close on March 15th, and therefore I will not be hosting my final sketch challenge for the group on the 13th (I was given the option to do it or skip it, and I chose the latter). I really enjoyed working with the other Challenge Queens and doing the monthly sketches, but I TOTALLY understand where everyone is coming from and why things are coming to an end. Anyhow, I just wanted to let you know in case anyone who follows my blog, but not the group, is wondering what's up come Friday.

So, there you have it!

Earth Laughs In Flowers

2009-03-06T00:01:00.000-06:00

Isn't this such a sweet image? It's from a newly released set called His Eye Is On The Sparrow, over at Sweet n' Sassy Stamps. Technically, in this card, his eye is on the bluebird, but whatever! hehehe. I just really felt like those birds needed to be blue today. What can I say?! The background paper is by Basic Grey.

How do you like what I did with my ribbon? I crossed the ends and secured them under the button, then I left the ends of the thread that I used on the button out too before attaching it. It's a look that Anna Wight uses on her cards quite a bit, and I just love it. I'm still perfecting the art of course, but I love it when she does it (go to her blog and scroll down... you'll see what I mean!).

This reminds me - I got a handful of comments yesterday from people saying they liked how I made that bottom DP diagonal. It totally wasn't my idea. I meant to share this link in yesterday's post but totally spaced it. I got the idea from this card that was recently posted on Jen Muraoka's blog (LOVE her blog, btw! She always does such cool layouts.).

I also want to share another book that I finished recently:

This is a true account of the world's fair that was held in Chicago in 1893, and it is absolutely fascinating. There are so many things we use and say today that came from this time period - from this particular event - it's just amazing. Here is a brief synopsis of the book:

Two men, each handsome and unusually adept at his chosen work, embodied an element of the great dynamic that characterized America’s rush toward the twentieth century. The architect was Daniel Hudson Burnham, the fair’s brilliant director of works and the builder of many of the country’s most important structures, including the Flatiron Building in New York and Union Station in Washington, D.C.

The murderer was Henry H. Holmes, a young doctor who, in a malign parody of the White City, built his “World’s Fair Hotel” just west of the fairgrounds—a torture palace complete with dissection table, gas chamber, and 3,000-degree crematorium. Burnham overcame tremendous obstacles and tragedies as he organized the talents of Frederick Law Olmsted, Charles McKim, Louis Sullivan, and others to transform swampy Jackson Park into the White City, while Holmes used the attraction of the great fair and his own satanic charms to lure scores of young women to their deaths. What makes the story all the more chilling is that Holmes really lived, walking the grounds of that dream city by the lake.

The Devil in the White City draws the reader into a time of magic and majesty, made all the more appealing by a supporting cast of real-life characters, including Buffalo Bill, Theodore Dreiser, Susan B. Anthony, Thomas Edison, Archduke Francis Ferdinand, and others. In this book the smoke, romance, and mystery of the Gilded Age come alive as never before.

If you're looking for a new book, I would highly recommend this. It's one of the best I've read in a long time!

Enjoy the day!

You Rocket!

2009-03-05T00:01:00.000-06:00

Here's another fun card using the Changito in Space set from i {heart} papers. It was soooo hard for me to step outside the box and not color my rocket grey! I don't know why I think all rockets should be grey, but I do. Hmph. Go figure.

The two DP's in the background are both from Basic Grey's 6x6 Cupcake Paper Pad. I think this might be my favorite BG pad EVER! I love the whimsy in these papers. They're wayy fun! The ribbon is the 1/4" Glimmer White - the same as what I used on the Changito frame last week (scroll down to see that if you haven't already). I love the shimmer (or I guess I should say "glimmer") you get with the ribbon. It's subtle, but pretty.

I colored the image with my copics, and added a few little star buttons that I picked up around Independence Day. I thought they were a nice addition.

Enjoy the day! And yes... I still need to get rid of that blasted snowflake in my signature. lol. One of these days....

Wednesday Weigh-In #7

2009-03-04T14:32:00.002-06:00

It has been seven weeks since we started our Wednesday weigh-ins! How are you doing? Have you tried any new recipes? Had any successes (or drawbacks) that you want to share?

I lost .8 lbs this week, which brings me to 15.8 lbs total. I've been trying to follow some advice I got recently that said one should "eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and supper like a college student on a shoestring budget." LOL! I'm sure you've all heard (as have I) that breakfast should be your biggest meal of the day, but I've never really made it happen. I've been trying to make it a point to always eat breakfast, then have a good sized lunch, and a small supper meal. So far it seems to be working for me (what you don't know is that I was up almost 3 lbs by the end of last week, and have lost all of that plus the .8 on this new system). So, we'll see how long this lasts... It's hard to not snack at night, but I'm trying my best!

I really want to reach the goal I set for myself by the end of this season of The Biggest Loser, so I need to stay on top of things.

I hope you had a good week! Tell me about it... :)

Beauty of the Earth

2009-02-28T00:01:00.001-06:00

First of all, I have to say I *love* this sentiment. Mostly because it reminds me of one of my favorite choral songs, which shares the same name. If you aren't familiar with it, you can hear my favorite arrangement (by John Rutter) here. It really is lovely. I sing with our city choir, and we've done this piece a few times over the years.

ANYHOW! The set I used for this card is from Sweet n' Sassy Stamps, and it's called Autumn Blessings.... but I didn't want to make an autumn card. I took inspiration from my memory of all of the pretty green leaves we see in spring and summer (LOL! Spring? Summer? What's THAT?!). I stamped the leaves in Garden Green, then sponged over the entire piece with the same color and a little Close to Cocoa. Then I added a strip of vellum across the card and stamped the sentiment in Close to Cocoa as well. I topped that with white organza, and green organdy ribbon, as well as a few primas and dew drops. It's simple, but I love it. I'm particularly pleased with how my sponging turned out. I seem to be hit or miss with sponging massive areas (like, anything more than the edge of the paper).

I hope you like it!

100% All Boy!

2009-02-27T00:01:00.000-06:00

Do you {heart} papers? I do! There are so many awesome things you can do with all of the different papers out there. If you have followed my blog for awhile, you may have noticed that I am first and foremost a card maker. I rarely alter anything, because to be honest with you I don't know that many people who would appreciate the time and effort that goes into the finished product. But I knew when I saw some of the following stamps and papers at i {heart} papers that I had to haul out the Mod Podge and make something... FOR ME! Woot! So, I ask you....

What happens when you take one picture frame from the Dollar Spot at Target....

Add some super cute All Boy designer paper (which, by the way, happens to be on sale right now!) and a few random buttons:

Some 1/4" White Glimmer Ribbon (reminds me of sparkly stars) and these adorable Changito in Space stamps (also on sale! ...just sayin'...lol!)????

The cutest little boy frame!!

I made this for my desk. I know which pics I want to put in it, but have to order the prints yet, and wanted to get it posted so I just wrote in where the photos will go (as if you didn't know - doh!) for now.

It's amazing how a little paper and ribbon can jazz up a $1 find, isn't it?!

Blessings

2009-02-26T08:00:00.000-06:00

It's new release time at Sweet n' Sassy Stamps! Are you excited? I know I am! I just love this new set called Elegant Blessings. Isn't that cross beautiful?! The set comes with some great sentiments, too. It's very versatile.

To make this card, I stamped the cross on white paper, then layered that on the black. I cut my DP the same size as my white cardstock and then sliced a cross in it with exacto knife (before layering it onto the white). Once I had it in place, I tore away the center of the DP to reveal the cross (curling the edges up, then sponged them with black ink), and added some tiny gemstones for a little bling. I also tried a new style of bow on this card. I've seen them done elsewhere, but never tried it myself. I like the results though!

This is the last stop on the blog hop for today, but be sure to pick up again tomorrow at Christi's blog! If you missed yesterday's peeks, you can find all of the links for the blog hop in my sidebar. :)

Enjoy the day,

Wednesday Weigh-In #7

2009-02-25T11:07:00.002-06:00

Sorry this is so late today! I have been doing the post during naptime lately, and today there was none. Argh. I hate it when that happens! I did get the boys in their rooms for some quiet time, but then got a phone call from a friend, so one thing lead to another and here I am at 9:45pm!

SO! How was your week? Did you lose this week? I had a good loss, after two or three weeks of plateau. I lost 3 lbs this week! Woot! That brings my total lost to 15 lbs, which is more than halfway to my 28 lb. goal. It also means I now weigh less than I did when I got married back in 1999. I'm excited about that! Curious about how much difference 15 lbs can make? Check it out! You'll notice I made that post almost a week ago. I weigh myself daily (taking each day with a grain of salt obviously, because there can be a lot of fluctuation in day to day weight loss), and lost the 3 lbs sometime between weds morning and thurs morning last week. So I made dh grab a camera and capture the moment before I lost it. LOL! I did fluctuate a bit (up, then back down), but I held on to the bottom line, so I'm happy about that.

I've been doing great with my exercising. I'm really enjoying it. I do The Biggest Loser Workouts... season 2-3, I believe. So, Bob Harper kicks my rear on a near-nightly basis. Once in awhile I'll toss in a Weight Watchers workout video or a Richard Simmons video to shake things up, but I really like Bob a lot so I seem to keep going back to him. One thing I definitely need to keep working on though is eating earlier. I'm still eating between 8-9 every night (after the kids are in bed). It's a hard habit to break.

Speaking of eating, my blogger friend Michelle sent me a recipe for "Diet Chicken" :o) this week, so I'll share it here:

6 Boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1/2 cup light soy sauce
1/2 cup honey
2 Tbsp. sesame seeds, optional (I didn't use these)

Mix together soy sauce, honey and seeds (if desired)
Place chicken in slow cooker, spooning 2 Tbsp. of mixture over each breast. Pour any remaining sauce over top after all the chicken is in the cooker.
Cook on low 4-6 hrs, or until meat juices run clear.

That's it!! It ends up being 170 calories per serving. I garnished it with fresh pineapple on the side. Really good!!!

I can't wait to try it!

Enjoy the ~~day~~ ;o) night!

From Us

2009-02-25T00:01:00.000-06:00

Here is another super fun card using that Spring Fling set that I am absolutely in love with over at i {heart} papers. Each of these bunnies are a separate stamp in the set, but I thought they were soooo cute when paired up with this sentiment ("Happy Easter to you and your family from us")! I drew in the ground line and a little grass after I stamped them. And I tried my hand at a little shading on white images for once. It turned out better than I thought it would, but I still have to practice some. You know how it goes!

The DP you see is called Anna's Bananas. I love that it is so light and springy, but then has a few super thin black lines in it as well. You can see one running across the card at about the same level as the top of the slit punch. I added a little of the stardust stickles over the ground for some texture, and added the brad for a little twist.

I hope you like it!

Dream Big!

2009-02-24T13:48:00.002-06:00

Is this not the cutest owl ever? Her name is Olivia, and you can find her over at Sweet n' Sassy Stamps. There are a few different sets with/for her, so be sure to check them all out! I think she's adorable.

To make this card, I stamped the branch on one piece of paper, and the owl on a different one. Then I cut the owl out and mounted it over the branch on dimensionals. I also added a little crystal effects to her beak and claws (I almost typed "toes"..lol!). Both of the DP's are from Basic Grey. I added a yellow dew drop to the center of the flower, and used more of them to create a little silhouette of a moon over her shoulder. I thought that was pretty clever, but maybe it's just me. :o)

We have a release party and a blog hop coming up for SNSS, too. It starts tomorrow, but I take my turn on Thursday. You'll find more details in my sidebar on that. Korin has some super cute new stamps coming out, so be sure to take a look at all the DT blogs over the next few days.

Finally, I have to share a recipe. I made one of our favorites last night: Beef Taco Bake. It's a Tastefully Simple recipe, and their Corn & Black Bean salsa is one of the main ingredients in the dish. It's soooo good! If you've never ordered from TS, I would highly recommend it! And if you don't already have a consultant that you work with, remember our blogger friend Lorie Ames is one! She didn't ask me to post this, I just thought I'd mention it. Trust me, she'll be surprised when she reads this. :o)

Enjoy the day!

Pink Cat Studio Sneak Peeks, Day 3

2009-02-23T00:01:00.001-06:00

Here we are with our final day of peeks at Pink Cat Studio's Enchanted Lily set! The final image is the leaping Lily that was in the contest that started it all. :) I used last week's Mojo Monday sketch for the card, and paired Lily with some of my favorite baby themed DP. Why's that? Well, see, a friend of mine is expecting, and she's wishing for a girl... so I thought this would be a cute little card to send to her. Get it?! What do you think?

And here is the complete set for your viewing pleasure (heehee):

Be sure to check out the other DT blogs for more fabulous cards and projects:

Becky Carafa
Janna Hull
Jodi Ann Lee
Lauren Meader
Lise Roy
Maria Bell
Mariska van der Veer
Nikki Fairbairn
Suzanne Dean - February Guest Designer
Vicki Garrett

Enjoy the day!

Pink Cat Studio Sneak Peeks, Day 2

2009-02-22T00:05:00.001-06:00

It's day two of our Enchanted Lily release over at Pink Cat Studio, and I have TWO cards to share with you today. All of the stamps you see are from the set, with the exception of the big SU! background stamps I used on each card (Paisley Print above, and Love Swirls below).

I just love this image of Lily on the mushroom! The image itself is actually the main mushroom with one smaller shroom on either side. I stamped the small shrooms twice, then cut them out and raised the outer two up on dimensionals to give the card a little depth. I also drew in the lady bugs "trail" by hand. I love the way it turned out.

For the card below, I tried my first circle card I don't have a circle die this big, so I traced a cd twice and cut it out, then scored it about a half inch in on each piece and glued them together above the score. I was trying to simulate a lily pad, but it didn't quite work out the way I'd hoped. I still think it's cute, it's just not the look I was going for. You know how it goes! :)

Tomorrow is our last day of sneak peeks, and I will also show you the whole set! You'll love it!

Be sure to check out the AMAZING work from the rest of our design team:

Becky Carafa
Janna Hull
Jodi Ann Lee
Lauren Meader
Lise Roy
Maria Bell
Mariska van der Veer
Nikki Fairbairn
Suzanne Dean - February Guest Designer
Vicki Garrett

Enjoy the day!

Pink Cat Studio Sneak Peeks, Day 1

2009-02-21T08:00:00.000-06:00

Do you remember when Pink Cat Studio had that little contest with the digi-image of Lily the Fairy? WELL! Let me tell you! lol. That contest was such a hit, that Melissa decided to make a whole fairy themed stamp set for Lily, and it's called Enchanted Lily. The set will be released on Monday (2/23), so I have a few days of sneak-peeks lined up for you ahead of time. Isn't this just the sweetest image? I love it! And the sentiment is a perfect match.

Be sure to check out the blogs of all of my fellow design team members on my sidebar, including our first Guest Designer - Suzanne Dean!

Stay tuned for more fun peeks tomorrow and Sunday. I really think you're going to love this set!

Easter Blessings

2009-02-19T22:10:00.002-06:00

Ok, I got a little flack for saying Easter was the next holiday when I posted my last card. Seems I forgot about St. Patrick's Day. In my defense, I am neither Irish, nor Catholic, and I can't even indulge in green beer at the moment, so I'm going to pretend that one doesn't exist. *wink* It's easier than admitting I might have made a mistake. hee hee.

Here is a quick SNEEK PEEK (!!) of a new set from Sweet n' Sassy Stamps that is going to be released in March. The set is called Easter Lily, and yes, I know these flowers are traditionally white. I have not yet perfected the art of shading a white object, so I opted to go with more of a daffolily. HA! Hey, it could happen. Want to see more sneek peeks? Check out the recent round-up post on the SNSS blog. You can also see some cards made with their new line of digi-stamps.

Guess what else I have to share? You are not going to believe this, but I actually read another book. I know! Crazy, right? I started yesterday morning, and finished all 200 pages in the span of about 24 hours.

Albom has written three books to my knowledge (also The Five People You Meet In Heaven, and Tuesdays With Morrie), and I've read them all. I did't care for Tuesdays With Morrie (and yeah, I know I'm in a minority there), but I loved Five People, and I also LOVED this one! It was such a touching and heartfelt story, I was honestly sad that I got through it so quickly. I passed it on to my Mom tonight, and I'm hoping she enjoys it as much as I did.

Enjoy the day!

Wednesday Weigh-In #6

2009-02-18T14:52:00.006-06:00

Well, we're already at week 6! Can you believe it?! I can't believe I'm still trying to lose weight, to be honest. So many times in the past I've started something like this only to get frustrated and give up about a month into it. I'm really trying to make this a doable lifestyle change rather than something drastic, so I'm trying to stick with it as much as possible.

That said, I knew this week was going to be difficult with Valentine's Day. My goal was to maintain for the week, and I did a pretty good job. I gained 4/10 of a pound. Saturday night we went to see the musical Wicked, and had dinner at one of my favorite restaurants before hand. When I started this journey, I promised myself I would not deny myself any food, and Saturday night I pushed that philosophy to the limits!

I had a yummy dinner that started with french onion soup (hello sodium!), then salad, then chicken alfredo with garlic bread (my favorite!). We even splurged for dessert and had these amazing cast iron cookies served while still warm with ice cream over the top. It was DIVINE! I couldn't even finish the whole thing, that's how rich it was. I also polished off a half pound box of my favorite chocolates this week. Oye. Like I said, I knew it would be a bad week, but I think I handled it pretty well. I continued to exercise daily and tried to stick with my water and eating earlier, etc. Now I'm putting my nose back to the grindstone for another month before my next big weekend which will be March 21. :o) Overall, I'm pleased with how things went.

Oh, and in case you're wondering, Wicked was AMAZING! Hands down the best musical I've ever seen (and I've seen pretty much all of them!). Highly recommended if you're ever able to get tickets. I wish I could go see it again before it leaves our area, but they're sold out for the rest of the run. Dang!

One last thing... One of my friends and blog readers is wondering if anyone has any use for some older VHS aerobics tapes? From what I understand she's just looking to get rid of them, not looking to sell them. If you're interested, visit Debby's blog and leave a comment there with your comment info and let her know. Even if you aren't interested in the tapes, it's worth a click over just to see the amazing work Debby does.... but make sure your speakers are low. Debby likes to rock it out on the blog. ;o)

Enjoy the day!

Hoppy Easter

2009-02-17T23:02:00.003-06:00

Hoppy Easter!!! Can you believe Easter is the next holiday?! CRAZY! Wasn't it just Valentine's day like, last weekend? Oh... wait... ;o) HA! Anyhow! This is a cute little card I whipped up with some of the yummy papers and accents from i {heart} papers. Isn't it adorable? I used SU's Soft Sky and Certainly Celery for the base colors. The eggs are all cut with my oval Nestabilities using the papers Isn't She Lovely/Little Lady (that's the first, third, and last egg) and Oven Door (second and fourth egg). The cute little Easter Bunny comes in a pack of four, with four of those little beaded flowers that I used for his tail. The other little flowers were from my stash, but I just noticed you can buy more of those beaded flowers separately, and they would have been perfect too. The sentiment is from the same set I used on the last card (scroll down to see it), and it's called Spring Fling. I am absolutely in love with that set. And there are only four left in stock right now, so don't hesitate if you are interested!!

I also want to share another book with you. As I mentioned before, I've cut back on blogging so that I can get back to some of my other favorite hobbies, and reading happens to be one of them. I picked this book up at a used book store recently on recommendation from a friend. I had mentioned that I loved Dan Brown's The DaVinci Code and Angels and Demons, and he suggested that I read this. Of Brown's four books (the third being Digital Fortress, which was also very good), this was his favorite. At the time I didn't even remember hearing about it, so I bought it.

By about 20 pages in, I realized I had read it before, but couldn't for the life of me remember how it ended.... So I kept reading. All 723 pages of it. Though I will say it was a very quick read, and hard to put down like all of his other books. The synopsis is a bit long, so I'm not going to post it here, but if you want to check it out, you can read it HERE. I would highly recommend any of his books if you haven't already read them, but I have to say Angels and Demons is still my favorite of the four. It will be released as a movie starring Tom Hanks on May 15. I hope it's good. I wasn't too crazy about the DaVinci Code movie. It wasn't nearly as good as the book was.

Anyhow, that's all for today! Have a good one!

Joys and Blessings

2009-02-14T00:05:00.000-06:00

...it is springtime, right? Come on. Pleeeease? Please let it be spring! Ok, so that didn't work. I guess technically it's still winter, but I can still think spring, right?!

Look at these yummy spring images and colors! WOOT! Seriously, how stinkin' cute are those flowers? And I love that you don't have to color anything in. Don't get me wrong, I love my copics and I love to color, but sometimes it's nice to not have to do it, ya know?

Everything you see here is from i {heart} papers. Kate has some awesome new spring papers in stock, so be sure to take a gander when you get a chance. I think you'll be happy with what you see! The stamp set I used for the card is called Spring Fling. It's super cute for spring or Easter cards. There are even eggs in the set, and a cute little chick, too. :) The DP you see is actually both sides of the same paper (flowers on one side, stripes on the other) and it's called Pinstripe. I used some yellow stickles in the center of each flower, and cut the flowers and sentiment out with a Labels Two Nestability.

Like I mentioned yesterday, there is a little sale going on over at IHP this weekend, but you have to stalk SCS for the banner to find out the details! Think of it as a little shopping scavenger hunt. ;o)

Enjoy the day!

Not Fat, Just Fluffy

2009-02-13T15:33:00.003-06:00

NOTE: If you stopped by for today's Bellaholic's Sketch Challenge, scroll down. You'll find it in the post below this one...

I thought with all of the Wednesday Weigh-in's we've had lately, and my low loss for this week, that this card was perfect to lighten things up! :) heehehe. The penquin is from the Sweet n' Sassy Stamps set called Penguin Hugs. Isn't he just adorable? He reminds me of that little guy from Happy Feet. :)

The background paper is SU's basic grey stamped with their old Paisley Print background stamp in basic black. On top of that I layered some of their shimmer silver, and a star DP that was a gift from a friend - sorry I don't know what brand it is. The penquin was colored iwth my copics - C1, W3, W5, W7, and 0. The beak is a color called "Atoll", but I don't recall the number off hand (I want to say YR65 maybe? or Y65?). The ribbon is from Hobby Lobby, and I used an oval Nestie to cut out and emboss the sentiment. I drew in the ground, and added some dazzling diamonds down there where the snow should be.

Do you have any big plans for Valentine's Day? I'm going to see Wicked tomorrow night! I can't wait! :) If it weren't for the show I'm sure we'd be staying in with a heart shaped pizza. lol!

Hang In There

2009-02-13T08:35:00.002-06:00

It's time for another Bellaholics Sketch Challenge! Here is this month's sketch:

And here is my interpretation of it:

I used some different DP's to create a sort of floor/wallpaper look to put around this little yogabella (I actually don't know if that's her real name, as I don't own the stamp - it was a gifted image. Sorry!). I just love the colors I used on her clothes. I'm pretty sure that's YG99 on the pants and E..... SHOOT! I can't remember the top color. It's an E though. E09 maybe? A nice earthy pink. I like to use it for lips and mouths too. The hair is E39. That I remember. :)

Anyhow, I hope you like it!

Have a great Friday! I'll be back tomorrow with an i {heart} papers card. Speaking of i {heart} papers, there's something going on over there this weekend. Stalk Splitcoast and look for their banner ad to figure out what it is! :)

I think my next project will be to get this dang snowflake out of my signature. lol! I'm ready for spring!

Wednesday Weigh-In #5

2009-02-11T15:37:00.004-06:00

Well, I have to be honest... this weight loss thing is getting old. LOL! Seriously, it is so much easier to just be over weight and eat what you want, and not deal with the guilt of bad decisions. This reminds me of a quote that one of the gals I chat with on the Toddler Mom thread on SCS has in her signature. It reads, "It's HARD to be overweight. It's HARD to lose weight. It's HARD to maintain weight loss. You just have to pick your hard!" And really, it's so true. All of these things are hard, but for very different reasons.

I've lost 2 cubes of butter this week. *sigh* That's only a half of a pound, but it's still something. The good news is that I've done a good job of exercising almost daily, and therefore my water intake is up where it should be as well (I drink more water when I'm exercising). With this .5, my totall weight loss is 12 lbs in just over a month. When I look at it that way, it sounds pretty good actually. It's just when I think about working out all week only to lose a half pound that I get a little discouraged.

Before I go, I want to share a website with you. Are you familiar with Dottie's Weight Loss Zone? It's primarily for people who are doing Weight Watchers, but the information is beneficial for everyone really. Although I'm not keeping track of points, I do use the information on Dottie's site to gauge what foods are better choice than others, especially at restaurants (she has a HUGE list of restaurants, all broken down with meal options and point values). Check it out!

So, how are you doing? Are you still with me? I've noticed that the comments on my Wednesday Weigh-in posts have declined since we started this five weeks ago. Are you still losing? Or do you feel like you've fallen off the wagon, much like my good friend Jenn who left this comment on last week's post (LOL!):

Leave me a comment and let me know how you're doing, and hang in there!

A Sweet Little Notecard

2009-02-08T14:50:00.004-06:00

Here's a quick little notecard Iwhipped up with some of my yummy papers and ribbon from i {heart} papers. I paper pieced the cupcake with Love Dots for the frosting, and Diamonds and Pearls for the paper cup and background. The stamp is from Inkadinkado's Birthday Cupcake set, and it's tied off with some of the lovely brown/pink satin ribbon. I just needed a blank notecard today, so I opted not to put a sentiment on this one. Oh, and I used an old TECC sketch as well. I hope you like it!

I also want to share another book that I finished recently:

Here is a brief synopsis of the (non-fiction) book:

Michael Patrick MacDonald grew up in "the best place in the world"--the Old Colony projects of South Boston--where 85% of the residents collect welfare in an area with the highest concentration of impoverished whites in the U.S. In All Souls, MacDonald takes us deep into the secret heart of Southie. With radiant insight, he opens up a contradictory world, where residents are besieged by gangs and crime but refuse to admit any problems, remaining fiercely loyal to their community. MacDonald also introduces us to the unforgettable people who inhabit this proud neighborhood. We meet his mother, Ma MacDonald, an accordion-playing, spiked-heel-wearing, indomitable mother to all; Whitey Bulger, the lord of Southie, gangster and father figure, protector and punisher; and Michael's beloved siblings, nearly half of whom were lost forever to drugs, murder, or suicide. By turns explosive and touching, All Souls ultimately shares a powerful message of hope, renewal, and redemption.

One of reviews listed on the back cover says something about how if you loved Frank McCourt's Angela's Ashes, you'll also love All Souls. Before I started reading the book, I thought that was a pretty lofty claim. I've read (and loved) Angela's Ashes... I can't imagine anything coming close to it. By the second chapter though, I was totally engrossed, and now that I've finished, I have to agree. The two memoirs are very similar, and equally enthralling. I was amazed at what all I learned about South Boston, and the things that were going on there in my lifetime - things I didn't even realize were happening. Granted I was miles away in Wisconsin, but still. Things were sure covered up well to not be sprawled all over the front pages of the country.

Anyhow, if you enjoy reading non-fiction/memoirs, I would highly recommend it!

Enjoy the day,