Vroom...

Another card for my co-worker. This one is for her car-lovin' husband. I love the background stamp Connie let me borrow (Thanks, Connie!). The main shape was cut out twice using my Nestabilities. I simply cut the Kraft one at the point where the shape narrows in order to layer over the Dusty Durango carstock piece. I used the edge of my stamp pad to ink the dark chocolate piece. Reminds me of distressed leather. I added faux stitching along the top and bottom edges of the car to mimic stitching on a car seat. I also made the green layer look like faux suede. Just run the cardstock strip over your bone folder several times to break apart the paper fibers. Carefully peel the two cardstock layers apart to reveal the "suede" side.

Lastly, I added some "chrome" dots to the corners of the focal piece. Gotta add "guy" details, I guess. ha ha I hope she likes it. :)

Best Buds

Best buds. Enough said. :)

Get Well Soon

Another card I made for my co-worker. She will add this to her stash of cards I am making. Why is it I get so nervous when someone asks me to make something for them? Eek! Well, I do. I just really want her to like them all. I used three different colors of marker on the stamp to get that watercolor effect. Click for a closer look at any details. Thanks for stopping by!

Santa Boys

Ok, readers...just humor me AGAIN. This is another layout about who else...Jack and Riley. You know if you visit my blog that since I have no kids, you read about dogs. Why do I feel like I'm writing an apology? Sorry, I still will always have dog news or dog celebrations or dog layouts to share...read if you wish.
Anyway....I think it's so stinkin' hilarious to dress dogs up. You can call the animal welfare gang, but if they visited here they'd see that these two pups are more than loved and they'd probably take a picture, too. ha ha I sent the top left pic in our Christmas cards. Aren't they handsome little guys? Click for a closer look at the white captions on each picture. The top right one says "fa la la". You know it looks like he's singing, right? Seriously, I laugh at these dogs so much. How can I not share about them. :)

I've already got my posts set up through Wednesday, so check back for more ideas. :)

Jack's 2nd Birthday and a Card

This is my fav pic from Jack's birthday. It captures his personality...Mr. "I'm-laid-back-don't-bug-me-or-take-my-picture". He loves to hang out and enjoy life. We certainly feel blessed to have him as our dog.

We bought Frosty Paws dog ice cream for the boy to enjoy on Jack's 2nd birthday (March 25th). Let's just say that nothing could have interrupted this delightful lickfest. :) Slurp, slurp...YUM!

I just love when I get goofy pictures like this one. My dogs make me laugh. Notice the ice cream face on Riley. What a delightful messy face. Yummmmmmmm...

Then, it was back to the bone after the ice cream was all gone. Like a kid, I was on the floor with the dogs. Whatever makes you happy, Natalie....right? Well, these two sure do!!

Mommy loves her pooches! They know it, too!

Jack got some lovin' from his Daddy after the lickfest, too. He just melts in our arms and soaks up all the lovin' we'll dish out. The whole "on the back, paws relaxed" pose is just too funny. Ok, enough typing Mom...more petting please. :)

He was really washing his face like a cat does, but I like to call this one "mom, stop taking my picture!".

On Wednesday, we had sunshine and 60-degree weather. This is what happened Thursday night. Bizarre Ohio weather, I tell ya!! The dogs love snow, so they were thrilled to go out in it.

My poor daffodils! Oh, they will recover. Even though they bloom early they seem to survive that last burst of winter we normally receive. Thank goodness, as they are my favorite flower!

You thought I lied, right? In my last post, I told you I'd show crafty stuff and this post started out with none other than my goofy dogs. Well, don't worry. I knew you'd want something made from paper. This one is for my co-worker. She has asked me to make cards for all her family members' birthdays and this is one in the bunch. :) Thanks for stopping by!

Zany Girl

I'm not right. What can I say? Must be side effects from childhood. No, just kidding Mom and Dad. ha ha Ya know...I was painfully shy as a child. I am just letting the beast out now as an adult. *snicker* Click on the pic for a closer look at details and journaling. Some of you may ask yourself why on Earth would I do a page about a stupid face like this. Well, you see...even though I don't have kids to pass this scrapbook fetish to, I think maybe just maybe somebody might want to remember my personality flaws. Zany me and all! Go ahead, scrap about yourself. It does NOT make you a narcissist. It makes you a memory keeper. Big difference. *wink*

Toby Mac Concert Highlights

On Sunday, Kevin and I went to Toledo for the Toby Mac/Skillet concert. I snapped this pic of the Toledo skyline as we approached the city.

Once we parked, we tried to cross to the Lucas County Arena via the walking ramp, but the arena doors were locked. As we were turning back around, I spotted the band buses and semis parked outside. Woo hoo for that scrapbook moment! We went back out of the skywalk and down to the street level to wait in the chilly cold weather. So worth it!!

Another Christian band called Skillet opened the show. (OH wait...another band really opened the show...House of Heroes. Then, Skillet was on the stage.) I had only heard one of their songs on the radio, so we had no idea what to expect. They are more of a heavy metal band...but the lyrics are all Christian. Might seem like an oxymoron, but I guess it's not what the music sounds like, but rather what message the lyrics hold, right? Other people like mainstream heavy metal music, but the message isn't the same. So, Skillet was created by people who like to jam hard and share a good message. The lead singer joked that he knew their name was stupid. LOL! At least he can laugh about it. They were incredible musicians, by the way. Incredible. The main four band members were joined by a violinist and another guitarist. You'll see more about the violinist below. So you wondering what heavy metal and a violin have in common? Well, let's just say they make it work and work well.

We thought these "elevator" platforms were neat. The musicians stood on them, played their instruments and they moved up and down. Don't worry, there were safety bars for them to lean on.

Heavy metal and fireworks go hand in hand. What else can I say? There were fire blasts,too, that felt like they could melt my hairspray. I was a bit taken back since they had such a jammin' metal sound, but we survived. Once we got used to it, it was all good. Kevin has since bought their latest CD and really likes it. So, they gained a new fan from this show. :) I wore ear plugs for that part of the show. Whew! I'd be deaf today if I hadn't. Then..............

......Toby the man came out! Of course, there was a short intermission as they set up the stage for Toby and his band Diverse City. Oh, I forgot to tell you that our tickets were for the general admission "standing only" section up by the stage. Can you say.....uh, I danced like a girl I knew in college who loved to jam to techno music and dance until she ached? Yep, that girl was ME in college and me on Sunday night! It was so awesome to dance, sing and raise my hands high all while praising God out loud. Can I get an amen? Mmmm Hmmm....

Ok, back to the picture. You see the man with the black hat who is facing the left side of the photo? Yep, that's Toby Mac! He was THAT close as he walked through the crowd. I snapped this pic, walked over and squeezed his shoulder. Not a squeeze to say "you're my idol", but rather a squeeze to say "praise God you use your life to glorify Him". Big difference. Back in my Duran Duran days it would have been the opposite of that. Just raw lust for a hunky rock star. shame, shame Toby Mac is so not in that category for me. Attractive, yes. Lusty idol guy...uh, no. I just love his music and LOVE that he uses his talent for one purpose. God.

So, once Toby made it onstage, he joined the rest of his band as they finished the opening song, Tonight. Remember I mentioned it and posted a link to it in the last post? Oh, let me tell you...it was even better in big arena live sound just oozing with goodness. MmmHmm...loved it! Rock on! The guy in the center is the lead singer of Skillet. He sings on that particular song and we wondered if he'd show up for it. Yep!

This humble man took the time to explain some much-needed goodness about our awesome God. He is so real and so down-to-earth. He could have taken his talent in any direction. I am so glad it is always pointing UP! Not in this pic, but later on...he actually read a passage from the Bible that led into his next song. How refreshing to pay good money to see remarkable talent and hear the Bible being read. I didn't just go to a concert, I went to church that night! Amen! I know I sound like a Jesus Freak. Very interesting he called us all that....you got that right...and proud of it! He and his previous band DC Talk recorded a song by that title. Jesus Freak.

He later went back to the small stage at the back of the arena. This is where he read the Bible and did a few more songs. Then, back to the big stage again. I loved that he arranged it so that all the fans in the arena could enjoy him more close-up. As a joke, he sang a bit of that wacky song off American Idol called "Pants on the Ground". If you watched the early parts of Idol this year, you'll get that one.

Here's Toby with his bass player. See below where I met him!!

After a wardrobe change and giving us even more of his great music in live-Toby-Mac-jammin' style, it was time to say goodbye. Bummer. I could have danced for God all night long. I can't wait 'til Heaven when I am singing His praises forever and ever. Forever and ever. Wow.

Boom! Yep, the confetti shower flew. Wow! Kinda neat to be up by the stage and get a serious bit of it all over me. It was just made out of tissue paper. I started picking it off of me and shoving it in my pocket. SCRAPBOOKERS save EVERYTHING! Yep, I am a maniac. At least God loves me the way I am.....confetti savin' and all! :)

I stopped, took in the moment and then thought to myself to take a pic of the confetti all around me. OH and the dark spots on my pants.....the band was flicking their water bottles on the crowd and it made it all the way down me and on my face. I love water so no big deal. I just kept dancing and singing like no one was watching. OH and the girl in the top right part of the pic...well, she stole by body and I want it back! She was seriously so stinkin' skinny. ha ha

After the show, some of Toby's band members came out and mingled. How cool is that!??! This guy was so humble and nice. I was so super impressed with the kindness of these people. Gotta love how his 'fro was so big that when I stood in to snap the picture, it smooshed my hair down. I loved his hair! One kid asked to touch it. He is an amazing bass player. Wow! Whew, can you tell I am still "high" from this concert? Love them! Love their music. I think I've made that point quite clear by how much I've typed so far on this post. *giggle*

See that smile on my face? So happy to be there and so glad our trip was safe going and coming home. God blessed us in another awesome way that night. The pants I wore....well, I found a $20 bill in the side pocket with the button-down flap. I had bought these pants at Goodwill for $3.50 and they've been worn and washed a couple times. When I went to put my cell phone in the pocket I felt something crumple up. I just beamed and knew exactly who had put that there for us. Thank you, Lord. We enjoyed a nice meal on the way up with that $20. I still get teary-eyed when I think of that blessing. OH and I forgot to mention....FREE PARKING! I had found a map online of the parking garages in Toledo. The one closest to the arena was where we targeted to park. So glad we skipped the open lot for $10 and turned left to find the garage with the skywalk. We parked for free and yep, remember that photo opportunity of the buses/semis. So not a coincidence we parked in the garage. So not. :)

I really, really wanted the gray Toby Mac shirt with the shiny blue letters and girly bling. It was $35 so I skipped it. Instead, I'll use that money to scrapbook about my time at the concert. I can cut letters out using the Cricut that sort of look like that and use my bling to make a shiny "O". :)

Last but not least, here is Jonathan Chu. He is the uber-talented violinist for Skillet. He and the other guitarist were right in the lobby area by the merchandise stand just visiting, taking pics and signing autographs after the concert. Here he is with Kevin's ticket. Such nice people. Such a great night. Such great memories. Thank you, Lord.

It took a looooooonnnnnnnnggggggggg time to upload these pics on my dinosaur computer that has PMS!! I will try to post some more crafty things I have saved on here that I completed at the Craft Farm. I wanted to get this Toby one done and then it will be all crafty for a while.

P.S. Thursday is Jack's 2nd b-day. He's such a sweet furbaby! We got the boys Frosty Paws (dog ice cream). You know I'll be taking pictures. :) Thanks for stopping by!

Toby Mac

My current favorite musical artist is Toby Mac. He is a Christian artist that sure knows how to get his groove on! I most often listen to him when I am exercising and believe you me he really gets me moving. If I met him, I'd have to thank him for helping me lose weight. Seriously!

Kevin and I are going to Toledo Sunday night to see him live. I am beyond ecstatic! I am going to praise God out loud and burn some serious calories dancing up a storm to all his funky music! I hope they'll allow cameras in the show so I can capture some wonderful scrapbook-worthy moments and catch a little live action with my video feature. We'll see. If so, I'll share later. :)

You can see his video for the song Tonight HERE. Love it!

Yogurt

Dog+empty yogurt container+scrapbooker momma=pictures and layout of one adorable dog! In the natural light, it looks like my felt letters and punched-out stars are two different greens. They aren't. *sigh* :) Click pic for a closer look at details and journaling.

Blessed

Made this page using my fav pic of us from Thanksgiving. The tiny bronze tag says "blessed". Enough said, I'd say. :) Click pic to details.

Silly Monkey

Made this page about Riley's back seat antics. He used my ear as a butt rest! LOL! Click pic to see details and journaling up close. :)

The Craft Farm-Part I

Mom and I packed up her Kia and headed on the road about 10am Thursday. We met Joan and Connie closer to Mansfield and followed each other south. We stopped in Columbus and had lunch at Panera Bread, then shopped at Archivers.

My favorite scrapbook buddy. I love you, Mom! xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

At my house, the dogs sure were wondering what Momma was up to. I had five bags, plus clothing and overnight stuff. They probably thought I was moving out! Riley was checking out Mr. Bear here. He is a magnet that my co-worker got from a drug rep. He has traveled all over the U.S and even to Canada. He hadn't been anywhere lately, so Vickie let me take him to the Craft Farm.

A girl's gotta take what a girl's gotta take, right? We laid down the back seat and filled 'er up!

This is Charlie. He lives at the Craft Farm. He smelled like skunk, but was otherwise super adorable. He was licking his chops here just wishing he could come in and scrapbook with us. :)

Each guest received a scrapbook caddy and some delicious chocolate! I ate the whole thing!

The crop room seats 10, but we hogged a bit. This is my space on the end and mom and I overflowed onto the table to my right.

...uh and yeah...more stuff in the corner. I overpacked, but oh well. :)

We managed to spread out since we arrived a day earlier than the other two guests. When they came, they had four tables on the end opposite where I sat. Plenty of room for 10, but oh so fun to hog when there's only 6 people!

I wanted to share this unique idea. Joan has saved tags from clothing as an idea of something to add to her pages. I thought that was so cool. Some have neat words or sayings, others are shaped (Ex: the frog). It would also be neat to cut out the tag of your child's fav shirt and add that to a page that has a pic of them wearing it. You'd cut the tags out only if it wasn't being worn anymore or if it was too stained to sell or donate. I just thought that was too cute to not share.

Ok, scroll down to read Craft Farm-Part II. If you want any info on the Craft Farm, be sure to visit their website HERE.

The Craft Farm-Part II

We have to have a least one major wacky joke per trip. Connie provided us lots of laughs with this t-shirt. :) We had to keep our girly figures in check so we did request a light menu for the weekend. There were some splurges, but overall it was tasty, yet healthy. I didn't take pics of all the food, but here are some highlights.

Friday lunch was homemade veggie soup and grilled cheese paninis. I dipped mine in salsa. Yumm-O! Mr. Bear took this photo opportunity to show his appreciation for the good food. Basically he looks passed out, but he was smiling. I promise. ha

Ken made his to-die-for yummy homemade pizza on Friday night. There were four varieties: cheese, pepperoni, chicken bacon ranch and ham/pineapple. Yep, I ate too much and then some! Yumm-O! Made the perfect late night snack, too. Just ask me how I know. *blush*

Saturday lunch was salad bar and baked potato bar. My WW leader would be proud of this lunch. :) If you haven't had the baked Ruffles in the cheddar and sour cream variety...well, try them. Yumm-O!

Now, there HAS to be chocolate somewhere on the menu. We were burning up so many calories scrapbooking that this little beauty HAD to be eaten. It was a triple-layer mint chocolate brownie cake. Yes, go ahead....lick the screen. I'll never tell.

What about these cookies and cream parfaits? *slurp* Just make Jello white chocolate pudding as per box directions. Chill pudding overnight, then stir in crushed Oreos just before serving. Halleluiah! Amen! Gotta love Oreos!

Chocolate comes in many varieties, but have you ever had GLITTERED chocolate bars? Well, Connie left her wrapper open and after shuffling around her glittered papers.....she got this! ha ha I bet that's a first!

Just read the label. Need I say more? Remember what was on the menu, then you'll get it. bwahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa! Too funny! I'm not too shy to say I laugh at barking spiders.

On Saturday afternoon, we drove into Somerset to visit the quaint little scrapbook store that is next to Zane Trace Inn (Ken and Christi's other B&B). This little guy greeted us, let me picked him up and gave me a bunch of puppy kisses. His name is Max and he's a Maltese. He is just a few days younger than my Riley. He sort of looks like Riley, except he's all white of course. He is a cutie!

This is the pic I took of the front of the Craft Farm as we drove away on Sunday. Such an overcast day and this pic doesn't do this place justice. The house is way bigger than it looks here. It is a great place in the country to be pampered and relax....oh and to scrapbook, too!

The Craft Farm will accomodate 10 guests, but there were only 6 of us this weekend. Front row: Mom, Me, Joan. Back row: Carol, Megan, Connie. Carol and Megan are mother and daughter and came to visit from Canton, OH. They were so fun and so sweet. I'd love to crop with them again. Might get to since they go to the Akron Archivers now and then. :)

Guests are encouraged to leave a message in the journal. We all put something in there as our visit came to a close. So many good memories here!

I zoomed in on the one pic to show you the t-shirt I got at the quaint little scrapbook store. SMILE.LAUGH.SCRAPBOOK. I think I accomplished all of the above this past weekend. So much fun! Be sure to check back this week for my cards and pages I completed. A few still need journaling, so I'll share them at some point. Also, don't faint that I have posted here again. I know it's been a while. :) Thanks for stopping by!