Checking In...

Just wanted to remind everyone that they have until Saturday at 11pm to comment for the blog candy. See the previous post for details...

The garage sale at my parents' house is going well. Man did we all have tons of stuff! I had to work today, but will be at the garage sale Saturday. I am very very pleasantly surprised at my earnings so far. :) I have only a few stamp sets left and a lot of paper and embellishments have sold. My goal was to purge my supplies, yet give the "shoppers" a great deal. All I can say is Praise the Lord for the outcome. Who knew great prices would add up so fast for cash in my pocket! :)

Kevin is at a tractor pull tonight. I need to rest as I am literally exhausted from staying up late too many nights in a row. However, I am the type to find 10 things to do before bed. I need to let myself say no. We'll see...
Updated to say: Uh, I cleaned house for THREE hours tonight. It's only a dent in a very large to-do list around here. On that list was reading all the week's newspapers. Done! :)

Just wanted to check in...gotta go as Riley just stole both socks from the laundry basket. No joke! *off to catch the pooch*

Inseparable

There are just some things in life that just go together....salt and pepper, peanut butter and jelly, milk and cookies....oh, and Riley and Jack. They love each other so much! Just makes me smile.
I used my CM circle cutting templates. They have a new larger one, which is awesome. I just had to buy the template since I already have the blades. I also used my new template (will post picture of it soon) that helps align eyelets and brads perfectly. Speaking of brads, how many did I use on this page? Post a comment with your guess by 11pm Saturday 8/1/09 and I'll pick a winner from those who post the correct answer. I'll send some fun blog candy to the winner (USA only). Winner will be posted Sunday.

I stamped my title onto the pre-printed strip using a recently retired SU! alphabet set. I added Kiwi Kiss ribbon above and below the photo and inked the edges of the cut-out circle with Riding Hood Red ink. It is mounted with dimensionals. I cut that circle from behind the large Riding Hood Red circle. Unless you turned over the page, you'd never know. LOL! It's a way to get more mileage out of your patterned paper without having to cut a second piece.

Thanks for stopping by! I have all of my garage sale items priced and delivered to my parents' house. The sale is Friday 9-6 and Saturday 9-1. If you live locally and want directions to the location, post a comment here with your e-mail address and I'll respond. Thanks!

One

I had bought these patterned papers and matching ABC stickers a LONG time ago to do a page about Macy. I was digging in my "dog" scrapbooking stash and found these again. I decided to do a page about Jack's 1st birthday. I used the ONE to make the title, arranged the remaining letters around the photo, then added some small stickers in the place where ONE would have been. It was totally a moment that would make any math teacher proud that a 30-something-year-old was using her basic math skills to align the stickers evenly. Bwwwwwaaaaaaaahhhhh! Make sure you click on the pic for a closer look. The ABC stickers all have a word to do with dogs that match that letter. Too funny when you read them all!

I wasn't sure what or if to journal, so I just added this in the corner. I matched the Bazill cardstock to the patterned paper. It is a color called Boogieboard. Fun name, huh?

Thanks for stopping by! It is after midnight as I type this and I'm officially cross-eyed from pricing garage sale goodies and lacking sleep. Riley is just laying here chewing his bone. I think he got a second wind. Jack, however, is sacked out by my feet. LOL!

Unconditional Love

I did this page Saturday about my Grandma and Uncle Richard. They share such an unconditional love as mother and son that it is just precious. You see, my uncle has Down Syndrome and has always needed her for most everything. She still lovingly tends to his needs daily. They are such buddies. Once my Grandpa died, Richard changed a lot and deals with anxiety and a child-like regression as he ages. He will be 50 on August 1st and Grandma will be 88 in September! Wow! I just loved this picture of them and wanted to really create a pretty page to remember this moment at Julie's rehearsal this past June. *click on the pic for a closer look*

Without a doubt, I knew this was the perfect title. I used the Making Memories tiny letter stickers. They were already a tan color, but I rubbed some creamy brown chalk ink over them to age them a bit. My mom literally gave me the eyelet ribbon as I was creating this page and it adds a perfect detail I think. Thanks, Mom! You can barely see it, but there is a transparency frame overlay on the photo. That was my third "red" thing on the page....Grandma's jacket, the red flower and finally the transparency. I try to do the "in threes" rule sometimes.

I used a "naked" chipboard flourish for the stem and just rubbed some chalk ink on it to define the swirls. The smallest flower has a unique print on it. I grabbed it at my local scrapbook store and am happy it added another "old-feeling" touch to this page. I think I am going to go back and rub some brown ink on the red flower petals to tone it down a bit. In these pics it seems overpowering, but the page really is prettier in person.

Ok, now I have to tell you about one of my fav things to make/bring to family get-togethers....my chopped salad. I don't know how I got started on this, but everyone likes it and it makes me happy to prepare it for them. I make a general garden salad loaded with whatever veggies, but the secret is to chop everything into bite-sized pieces. Yum!

My mouth just watered after I chopped the tomato, celery and cucumber Sunday afternoon. Doesn't that just scream summer to you? OH, my! Love chopped salad! I vary the mix, but the one I made Sunday contained iceberg lettuce, tomato, celery, cucumber, shredded cheddar, parmesan cheese, sunflower seeds, salty and sante fe tortilla strips, croutons, and onion. Whew! Add a dab of dressing and let the party in your mouth begin!!!!!

I have other projects to show this week, but I am also in the process of purging my entire scrapbooking area to prepare for this weekend's garage sale at my mom's. I am cleaning this place out! I am just overwhelmed with goodies and can't wait for some cash in hand. I will then be taking what doesn't sell to the local scrapbook store's garage sale where I will earn store credit from my goodies sold. I price it however I want, they display and sell it for me, then I'll be a happy shopper soon! Win win, I say! So....what I meant to get out was that I'll try to be good about posting regularly this week. If not, you'll know I've suffocated on paper dust and glitter. Ugh. LOL! I already about fainted when I found a dead spider in my one drawer! I do NOT like critters!

4 from 1

I found this neat patterned paper at Archivers a while ago and made these cards last weekend. The images were arranged in the four corners of the 12x12 paper. I thought it would be neat to make four cards with a cool pattern on each. Easy! I simply cut the paper, inked the edges and adhered it to cardstock. The sentiment and ribbons were added to finish them off. Enjoy!

Zucchini Bake

3 cups diced zucchini
2 cups Club cracker crumbs
2 tablespoons butter
3 eggs
1 small onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup reduced fat milk
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

• Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a 9-inch deep dish pie pan or 9-inch-square baking dish.
• Bring 4 cups water to a boil in large saucepan. Add zucchini; reduce heat and simmer, covered, until tender, about 3 minutes. Drain well in colander.
• Press cracker crumbs on bottom of prepared pan to form a crust. Dot with butter. Spoon zucchini on top.
• Whisk eggs in a medium bowl until fluffy. Stir in onion, milk, 2/3 cup Cheddar cheese, salt and pepper. Pour over zucchini and sprinkle with remaining 1/3 cup Cheddar cheese and Parmesan.
• Bake, uncovered, 35 minutes, or until golden on edges.

Serves 6 to 8

Nutritional facts per serving: 230 calories, 14g fat, 9g protein, 17g carbohydrates, 1g fiber, 540mg sodium.

{21!}

My niece Brooke was born 21 years ago today! I was unsure what I wanted to put on her card, so I ended up using some foam numbers and symbols. I used my sponge dauber and classic ink to dab on the pink to match the color on the patterned paper. I wanted it to be fun, fresh, funky, yet feminine. Did it work? LOL!

The eyelet border punch is from SU! and the patterned paper is from a Basic Grey 6x6 pad of fun, grungy patterns (only $1.99 in Archivers Hot Spot!!!). The only other supplies were kraft cardstock for the base and three white eyelets. We're all getting together Sunday to celebrate.

Tomorrow I'll share a new recipe I tried tonight....Zucchini Bake. Yum! It was in the little magazine insert of the newspaper. I rarely try what I tear out (*rolls eyes*), but today was an exception. Kevin grilled steaks and this was the side dish. We were both full. Then, don't faint....but I also baked banana bread. I think I have a fever. LOL!

White Highlighted Image

Using the Stamp-a-ma-jig or any other stamp positioning tool, you can create a unique "white highlighted image". Simply stamp your image first using white ink, then use your Stamp-a-ma-jig to help you line the image up again a bit off center and stamp again in a different color. You will need to clean your stamp between colors. It will create a unique look. I then colored my image using various markers, a clear glitter pen and finally added some Stickles for super sparkle.
Cardstocks: River Rock, True Thyme
Accessories: Cuttlebug folder, Cutter kit, CM oval cutting system, Top Note die, bling stones, sponge, corner rounder, dimensionals
Inks: Whisper White, True Thyme
Thanks for stopping by!

Mr & Mrs

Cardstocks: Basic Black, Shimmer White, Rose Red

Accessories: glitter letter stickers, flowers, pearl bling, glue dots, eyelet paper

Click either pic for a closer look. Photo is 5"x7", Page is 12"x12"

Thanks for stopping by!

Christmas In July

Sometimes I find my creative mojo mixed up in all the scraps of whatnot on my craft table. I have been sorting things for an upcoming garage sale and rediscovered these glittery snowmen Connie had given me. I decided to make a card with the chocolate/red color combo for a fun little "Christmas in July" feel. :) My "model" Jack helped hold it in place for Momma to take the picture. *giggle*
I flipped over a ticket to have a plain background, punched the ends with the slot punch, added Mr. Glittery Snowman and added ribbon. I cut a slit in the top of the card fold with my craft knife and ran the ribbon through that and around the card front. The ends of the ribbon are taped behind the ticket. I suppose you could tie a bow,too. I stamped snowflakes with Chocolate Chip classic ink. I lined the inside with a piece of naturals white cardstock and might add a stamped saying later.

I have one more glittery snowman and two Santas yet to use. I can make more cards quickly and easily with my leftover crafty tickets. I'll most likely add the cards to my sale stash since I won't be using them personally for Christmas cards.

I have other projects to share this week. Stay tuned and thanks for stopping by! :)

Love

This is a page I completed Friday night about Ashley and Andy's wedding. I used the Cricut to cut out the title. I had seen the "scattered flowers" idea in one of my scrapbook magazines. I added the silver double heart that was actually from her wedding reception table decor. (She told me to take it as she knew I'd use it in my scrapbook. LOL!) I matted the photos using Chocolate Chip cardstock and matted the main picture with white mulberry paper. Lastly, I added some pewter Kaiser pearls to the photo corners and flower centers. You can see more details in the photo below. If you click on it, you can really see the pretty tone-on-tone embossed background paper. Thanks for stopping by!

Remembering...

Came across these photos when I was cleaning up files on my computer. Hard to believe Macy has been gone almost nine months. Made me teary-eyed...
This was on 8/30/08 at Mohican Covered Bridge trail.

*sniffle* Miss my sweet pup.

A Tale of One Sock

(rated: super high cornball factor)
There once was a little dog who liked to steal socks. He'd grab it and run and have so much fun.
One day he was sleepy and needed to rest, so he ran off to the laundry room to steal Daddy's best. The next thing that happened made his Momma grin. She found Daddy's sock up under his chin.
He carried it with him wherever he went. He played hard with his brother, I bet he was "spent". (insert puppy snoring here)

He got snug on the bed with his trusty 'ol sock (a dirty one, I might add) and didn't even care about the time on the clock. (Can dogs tell time, anyway? LOL!)

He scooted around and around and around on the bed, and as you see below he "socked" his brother on the head. (insert Momma laughing while she types this super cornball tale)

side note: If dogs could talk, I bet he was saying "Neh neh neh neh neh, you can't get it." and then shoved it in his face. Yep, they are ornery. They tend to taunt each other with things like bones, sticks and even socks.

After a bit, they were all done. Momma said "kennel" and there was no more fun. The End. (notice Jack's "I'm bored with this tale" yawn....oh well, I had fun....hee hee)

Enjoy this clip of me catching them red-handed. Or well....with the sock in their mouths. Of course, they cracked me up and you can hear that. Then, I had to use my "Jack" voice (one of my many noises/voices) at the end. My camera card was full and it cuts off at the end. Oh well....thanks for laughing with me. They are truly hilarious in person. This is just a snippet of the daily antics of two wild pups.

Mom and I are going scrapping tomorrow night, so I hope to have some pages to share soon. I have to get things sorted/priced for a garage sale, so this week might be slim pickin' in the crafty department. :)

Just Jewelry

I was invited to a jewelry open house at Vickie's house tonight. I had never heard of the company and was so excited to see their items are $10-$32! Just Jewelry is a Christian company based in Springboro, OH whose motto is "Because who you are is more important than what you wear". Vickie had met the consultant when she dropped a catalog off at our office. All the girls in the office flipped through and swooned over something on each page. The neat thing about their home parties is the huge selection of "cash and carry" items. The consultant had actually gotten a list of some of our favorite items and ordered them in for tonight, but with no obligation to buy. I picked out my fav necklace and earrings, plus some more. I had to put a few back so I didn't blow my budget. The new fall/winter catalog will be out soon and I can't wait to go to Chris' party in September. At these prices, you can really afford to have nice fashion jewelry. Check out their website and catalog HERE. I also noticed that their consultants make a 50% profit. Now, that is generous! The variety of what is in the catalog really makes them a "one stop shop" for jewelry. The fall/winter items will be geared more towards the warm tones of those seasons. This current catalog has a tropical/traditional mix. There is something for everyone in there. Love it! If you browse the catalog and want anything, I am happy to share the local consultant's name with you. Just ask.
These are the Belize earrings. They are very lightweight and won't hurt my earlobes. They might look super-sized here, but they are about the size of half dollars.

These are the Sunset Strip earrings. I like that they have the two pieces and dangle a bit. I don't have many chunkier dangle earrings and with my hair longer I like it. They also have the hammered silver finish. Different than anything in my jewelry box.

This set is my total fav! It has the 23rd Psalm and with the black suede cord, it will go nice with most anything. Can you tell my fav is silver jewelry? Although my wedding ring is yellow gold, my fav is still silver. I am just so excited to discover this wonderful new company and will definitely be purchasing their items again. Hmm...now what scrubs will I wear tomorrow that will go with my new Psalms earrings? What I hope, too, is that this will become a conversation piece. I am sort of on the quieter side about my faith (except on my blog), but I can talk to a complete stranger, too. If they ask me any questions, it will be a chance to share about the best thing in my life. Jesus. :)

Circle Circus

I went to Joan's open house today after church and made this adorable card, along with two other projects. She has just signed up to be a demonstrator and I am so excited for her new adventure! We used a new set called Circle Circus and the new Modern Label punch to punch out the sentiment. If you look closely, you can see my "assistant" in the picture...who also moved the card as I was snapping the picture. Hee hee *click pic for a close up and you can really see his whiskers!*

On Saturday, Kevin and I went to our friends' camper at Pleasant Hill campground for some food, fun and fellowship. This is their "weekend home" and is so very nice and relaxing. They visit here during the April-October season and enjoy some quiet time surrounded by nature. They invited us for canoeing and a cookout. We rented a large 6-person raft and enjoyed a 7-mile ride down the Mohican River. Another couple joined us for the cookout only, since the husband had to work. I have to tell you...that raft ride was hilarious! We felt like old farts, but had a blast and just giggled as we tried to get the hang of paddling in sync or turning just right to avoid the many rocks. At one point (or two or three) our raft got stuck over large rocks. The river was between 1-5 feet deep at most. None of us wanted to step in the water, but some other nice rafters pushed us out since they had on bathing suits. By the time we got to the 7-mile mark, our hands were almost blistered, our arms were sore and our hearts were full! We laughed so much it was quite therapeutic. Kevin kept singing the song from Deliverance when we'd get to a real quiet part on the river. Goofball! Of course, there are no pics of the river ride due to the chance of getting the camera wet. There were about a billion people out on the river and at times it was a canoe/kayak/raft traffic jam.

Their site has a nice fire pit with a swing and chairs. Kevin and Dick started the fire after the raft ride so it would be "just right" by dusk.

Their camper is more like an apartment! It's a 40-foot camper fully loaded with satellite tv, a king-size bed, full bathroom, extra slide outs for more space and a full kitchen. Wow!

If you look closely, you can see the remote control in the right chair. Hmm...I bet that's where Dick sits! Debbie is usually in the kitchen preparing or cleaning up. :)

Dick and Debbie drove us all around the campground. While at the marina, I saw this Momma duck and seven babies. I told her she had one for every day of the week. I know, I'm weird, but that's the first thing I thought of when I counted seven. LOL!

There were also icky HUGE carp by the surface of the water by the bait shop. Can you imagine if one of these snuggled up to your leg while you were swimming. I could barf just thinking about it. Eww! They are huge! Don and Vickie were teasing that they are what makes up the McDonald's filet-o-fish sandwiches. Then, of course we had to start singing the "Gimme me back that filet-o-fish" song. LOL!

The lake was peaceful and some boaters were out enjoying the water. You can see one boat just below the trees if you click the picture for a closer look. I took several pics of the water and boats. We also visited the office/activities center where Debbie works. She is also a special education teacher and has worked part-time here for 8 years.

I didn't use the flash on this one so you could see how dark it was besides the light from the fire. It was a snuggly, fun spot and we enjoyed ourselves so much yesterday! Oh and I forgot to tell you what we had....steaks, corn on the cob, tossed salad, taco dip/chips, rolls, tea, water, fruit pizza, cream cheese croissant dessert. We all brought something to share. Yeah, we kept saying we paddled our calories off and it was worth it! Yum!

Thanks for stopping by! Hope you all have a great week! I have miscellaneous this week, but will try to post again soon....or I'll have another "public announcement" from the boys to pass the time until I do post again. *snicker*

Wazzzzzzuuuuuuuuuuup!

Wazzzzzzuuuuuuuup! Hey, Jack-Man here. Just wanted to let you know that today has been a super day and my Momma hopes to get back on the crafty bandwagon soon. Until then, check out THIS song my Momma likes. Have a ter-ruff-ic day! *lick* :)

My Parents' Anniversary

Today is my parents' 46th wedding anniversary. I feel so blessed to have parents that are still married after all these years! Happy Anniversary, Mom and Dad!
Supplies: Sahara Sand cardstock, Lovely Lilac craft ink, chipboard heart, Marvy heart punch, 1 3/8" circle punch, linen thread, heart beads, Chestnut Brown & Cream chalk inks, corner rounder. (card size is 5"x 7")

I punched out the patterned circles and inked the edges with Chestnut Brown chalk ink. It is a titch lighter than the Chestnut Roan that I use a lot. In this picture, you can also see the heart buttons I tied onto the linen thread. I wanted something more than just the raw ends of the thread, so I added these. If you look closely, you can also see some of the glittery embossing on the punched circles. On the patterned paper sheet, there is a subtle glittery embossing. It is a random pattern so some pieces have more than others. I like the texture it gives, although subtle.

I lightly inked the edge of this raw chipboard heart, then stamped the sentiment using Lovely Lilac craft ink. The words are from the Mixed Messages set from Papertrey Ink. I smudged it a bit....oops!

The lighting for this photo doesn't show the true colors, but you can see how neat this multi-patterned sheet of paper is. I still have lots left over to cut strips, squares or even some of the larger patterns that weren't touched. This paper is by Little Yellow Bicycle. I had commented to my mom when I bought it that it would be neat to punch out different things. Funny how I used it on their card, huh?

Thanks for stopping by!

Fireworks

Kevin and I sat our chairs up in the backyard to watch the fireworks, which are done about 3 blocks south of here. I was outside just long enough to get a few shots before the dogs were scratching at the door to go inside.

Riley was frantic and wanted to run up the stairs to our room. I went up soon after and found him under our bed. He sat on my lap for the duration of the series of booms, then he vomited. Yep, he was that scared. Bless his heart. During the finale when the booms were loudest, Jack growled. After it was all over, Riley would barely go outside to potty. I think by today he's forgotten most of it, but he's a bit gun-shy with any unusual or louder sounds. Poor guy.

After we were all upstairs for bed, Riley passed out and Jack chewed a rawhide. I think Riley was flat out exhausted from the stress. :)

I had every intention of making and posting a patriotic card, but with working outside all day and attending Balloonfest, I never made it downstairs to my craft table. Oh well....hope you all had a nice weekend. We went to "church service in the park" today and enjoyed the free hamburger and food afterwards. The weather is so nice again today.

God Bless America!