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Pennant Birthday

2012-02-12T10:31:00.001-05:00

Pennants are all the rage right now. I cut them out of a patterned scrap I had. In fact, other than the card base (5" x & 7 1/4"), this card is made from scraps! My mom would be proud. :)

I inked the edges of everything and then curled the ends for dimension. Thanks for stopping by!

Fantastic 40th!

2012-02-11T22:26:00.002-05:00

Today is my 40th birthday! I had a great day! I am so blessed to have had such a great life so far. My heart is full. Thank you, Lord.

It all started on February 11, 1972. Look how tiny I was. I thank God for giving me the wonderful parents who brought me into this world.

Lavender roses from hubby! Gorgeous! I told them these are my fav by far that he's ever given me.

The little butterfly detail even had my birthstone...amethyst. Cute!

Soon after I got up today, I ran the dishwasher. Jack HATES the dishwasher and I can only guess he hears noises it makes that don't bug human ears. He hid (literally curled up in a tight ball) under the family room table. When I went to take his picture, he REFUSED to look at me. Poor guy, but still funny!

In the car in downtown Mansfield. I took this one while waiting for Kevin to come back from John's Hobby Shop (see photo below). He had to stop and buy some model paints.

I chose Olive Garden. All I can say is that their breadsticks are like crack and I am an addict. LOL

Kevin wasn't too jazzed about me taking his picture in public, but oh well... LOL Aww, come on. Smile! He's shy.

I'll never grow up. I used to be painfully shy and now I'm just goofy. *giggle*

Happy 40th to me! My sister brought me a mini cake from my fav local bakery...Hawkins!

Riley helped me make a wish. Uhm, actually he wanted to EAT the cake. Forget wishes. LOL

I wish you could TASTE it. It melts in your mouth. Hawkins cakes rock!

Needless to say, I TORE IT UP! Yummmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!

I loved receiving cards from co-workers, family and friends. What a blessed day! 40 is fantastic!

For My Sweetie

2012-02-10T21:14:00.000-05:00

To spread a little love, I decided to do a few special things for my hubby. On February 9, 2000 he proposed. So, on February 9, 2012 I thought it would be fun to do a "happy engagement anniversary" celebration. Why not have a random celebration of love? :) There is his pizza in the oven...some lovin' in the oven...literally.

I used my pizza cutter to cut a heart shape from a pre-made crust, then added a whole can of mushrooms and other yummy toppings. A heart-shaped pizza! I made a different pizza for me since I DETEST mushrooms. He joked that they are "HIS" and "HERS" pizzas. Yes, hon, I guess so...

On that date 12 years ago I said YES....so, he got a yummy cake with YES on it. I know, I'm corny. I used the Alphalicious cartridge on the Cricut for the letters. I initially wanted to spell it using sprinkles, but when that failed I went to Plan B. I think this looks nicer.

I think it's great to celebrate love!

I made this card just before he got home from work. I cut out the scalloped square using the Cricut. I added the woodgrain background stamp to symbolize where we had carved 2.9.00 into the wood of the Mohican State Park Covered Bridge (the spot where he proposed). I know, we were vandals. LOL We didn't gouge too hard, because we couldn't find it the next time we returned to the bridge. When he read what I jotted inside I saw that little smile emerge and he said "Well, bless your heart.". I knew this meant a lot to him. So worth the time it took to let him know I never forget that special day 12 years ago. I'd marry him all over again! So blessed.

Monkey Business

2012-01-29T21:26:00.000-05:00

My friend (and hair stylist) Abby and I assembled some pretty colorful monkeys last Friday. She is getting a head start on birthday party invitations for her daughter. I used Cricut Craft Room to weld images. Once cut out, the base is a folded card. I then cut the other layers for dimension. Aren't they so stinkin' cute?!

I know you want to say ooh ooh ahh ahh (monkey sounds) out loud. *giggle*

We used two different flower punches and bling to create the fun accent on the monkey head.

Now you can see how they fold. On the inside, we are going to put the party details and a fun picture of Kamryn in her monkey hat.

What a cute little face...

At the crop we attended, I noticed the way a lady had her Cricut cartridges organized and thought I'd share. She used the stacking containers by Snapware.

In the top container, she created a "grid" for the slots where the cartridges fit. You can fit 40 cartridges in this. Wow!

The bottom two containers house her booklets and overlays.

In order to create the "grid", she cut her plastic canvas pieces so that they interlock. If anyone is interested in the size of the canvas pieces and how far you have to cut up/down on each piece, just leave a comment and I'll get you the info. Be sure to include your e-mail. Thanks for stopping by!

Whimsical Birthday

2012-01-23T00:00:00.000-05:00

What a whimsical card! I used SU! Crumb Cake for the base and the rest of the paper is part of a paper stack from Hobby Lobby that is all about birthdays. I added a clear button, some twine and yet another Doodlebug birthday sticker. The last two details were some white gel pen dots on the flower petals and Chestnut Roan chalk ink on the paper edges.

I had to make the inside cute, too. I added a strip of patterned paper, white gel pen dots and the stamped sentiment from SU!. Thanks for stopping by! Everyone have a GREAT week!

Wonderful Day

2012-01-22T00:20:00.001-05:00

My last card created with the Basic Grey 6x6 pad! The greeting stamp is from Stampin' Up! as well as that great new flower punch. Happy Birthday is another Doodlebug sticker. For interest, I punched the left side of the entire folded card with one of my border punches. I then adhered some Crumb Cake cardstock under the edge to emphasize the shape of that edge.

I inked the edges of the flower, adhered a layered circle with a stitched button, drew a white gel pen line on the brown piece and added a nice pearl bling stem. I just love happy cards like this one. Thanks for stopping by!

Thanks, Bubby!

2012-01-21T01:42:00.000-05:00

I am behind with getting my Christmas thank yous written. This one is for my brother. Since the snow is flying here in Ohio and I really don't have to go anywhere....well, I better get crackin' on the thank yous. ha ha I used a FREE 6x6 paper stack I got in a goodie bag at a crop. The "thank you" is one of the Doodlebug stickers. I love the display at Archivers with the various card embellishments. Totally makes my mouth water. *giggle*

Pink Paradise

2012-01-19T22:19:00.003-05:00

I think it's safe to say that I am in a pink mood this week. With this Basic Grey 6x6 pad...well, how can I not be?! :) I opted for a different fold on this card and I really like how it turned out. Thanks, Mojo, for showing up long enough for me to make this.

I've seen a lot of ideas lately about making the inside of the card pretty. I simply added more patterned paper and stamped the sentiment.

Thanks for stopping by! Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Birthday Wishes

2012-01-18T00:00:00.000-05:00

Here is another card made with the same Basic Grey 6x6 paper pad and that new SU! flower punch I showed yesterday. I love how you can get a totally different look with the same supplies. For the sentiment oval, I simply punched a second oval from the dark brown, cut it in half and adhered it under the white oval. Make sense?

I punched the Crumb Cake cardstock with the flower punch and adhered it over the patterned paper piece. I have more to share so check back soon!

Celebrate Today

2012-01-17T00:00:00.000-05:00

Although the cardstock looks black, it is a super dark chocolate brown. I used various patterns from a Basic Grey 6x6 pad. I love the color combo of this collection. I used the new SU! flower punch that I WILL buy soon. I borrowed Connie's when making this card. I used a few more circle punches, a corner rounder, and added some bling. The stamps are from Papertrey Ink(card front) and Endless Creations (inside card).

Thanks for stopping by!

Man Oh Man

2012-01-16T00:00:00.000-05:00

I made two masculine style cards recently. The top one is for my nephew Charles. The bottom one is for my uncle Peter. Click on the pics for a closer look. Thanks for stopping by!

Christmas Card Showcase-Day Four

2012-01-15T23:55:00.001-05:00

Here are the last two handmade cards we received. The top one is Connie's. The bottom one is Joan's. See you soon!

Christmas Card Showcase-Part Three

2012-01-13T00:00:00.000-05:00

Cindy's card every year is an update letter and "work of art" combined. This year was no exception. Her layout and colors were directly inspired by photos she took at several U2 live concerts (uhm, she saw them in THREE countries!). She created the die-cut cover using her new Silhouette Cameo machine.

Christmas Card Showcase-Part Two

2012-01-12T00:00:00.000-05:00

Today's cards are from Sandy and Sherry. Love the snowman on Sandy's and love the dry embossing strip on Sherry's. See you tomorrow!

Christmas Card Showcase-Part One

2012-01-11T15:16:00.001-05:00

Over the next few days I will be sharing the handmade cards we received. My first two are from Ashley and Lisa. I just love handmade cards!

Relaxing Retirement

2012-01-04T22:55:00.003-05:00

One of the hospital couriers retires this Friday. I made this card for everyone in our office to sign. I used the tree and tire stamps from Impression Obsession. The leaf is from Papertrey Ink and the sentiment is from Stampin' Up!. I used Crumb Cake, Early Espresso, Riding Hood Red and Very Vanilla cardstocks from Stampin' Up!. Inks are Chocolate Chip, Basic Black(marker), Soft Suede(marker), Ruby Red(marker), Kiwi Kiss and Always Artichoke. Thanks for stopping by!

Hanukkah Card

2012-01-02T23:42:00.001-05:00

I made this card to mail to my one former neighbor in Minnesota. I used the star card from the Cricut Wild Card cartridge and some dimensional Hanukkah elements. I just remembered I forgot to share it on here. Check back later this week as I will be sharing the handmade cards we received this Christmas.

Christmas 2011 Highlights

2012-01-01T21:14:00.003-05:00

Hope everyone had a blessed Christmas. You can see highlights of ours in my Facebook photo album HERE.

Christmas Cards 2011

2011-12-25T23:00:00.002-05:00

Monkey in a Tree

2011-12-20T00:57:00.003-05:00

Riley is a such a brat. When I brought home several bags, he sniffed the PetSmart bag. I put it on the counter. He knew where it was and whined. I moved it to the spare room. He still knew where it was and whined even more. Kevin finally said for me to give it to him as the whining was driving him nuts. So, Riley got his stocking stuffer early....a cute little green monkey with a Santa hat. A few days later, I put the monkey in the tree just to see what Jack would do. Well, you'll see who the bigger brat STILL is... LOLLLLLLL! Towards the end of the video you can see just a portion of the many dog toys that litter our floor. Toys, bones and old socks. These dogs are crazy.

Monkey Smiles

2011-12-17T10:38:00.000-05:00

Sometimes life is just too serious. We all need a little laugh now and then. Yes, these are MINE. LOL

Celebrating Beth

2011-12-16T23:53:00.002-05:00

I will be giving this card to my friend Beth for her birthday. My other friend Joy had given me a punched strip of paper that I was able to cut in half and incorporate on two identical cards. Thanks, Joy! I added some embossing with one of my fav Cuttlebug folders, a stamped sentiment and my fav little leaf die from Stampin' Up!.

A closer look at all the details. Thanks for stopping by!

Fleur-de-lis

2011-12-16T23:43:00.003-05:00

My friend Christie lives in Tennessee. She turns 40 on Monday and I so wish I could be there to help her usher in this milestone. She loves the fleur-de-lis and I found one on the Cricut Accent Essentials cartridge. I was TICKLED! I think she'll "get it" when she opens the envelope....I remembered she likes the fleur-de-lis. :)

I used two different Cuttebug embossing folders...one for the frame shape on the card front and another on the bottom layer of the fleur-de-lis. I really hope she likes it. Happy 40th, CC!

Kathy's Cozies

2011-12-16T23:26:00.000-05:00

I love to watch scrapbooking/craft room/stamping videos on You Tube. One day I found a video about Kathy's Cozies. I found her blog, looked at samples in her gallery and decided I "needed" some for my craft area. You can see her blog at http://www.kathyscozies.blogspot.com . She was super fantastic to work with & kept up great communication via Facebook and e-mail. I received my cozies today and I can't say enough about the SUPERIOR quality of what she makes.

The gorgeous "after" look. Love it! I got cozies for my Gypsy, Cricut Expression and Cuttlebug.

This pattern is way cuter than the green color of the Cuttlebug. I love the little feature on the side where you can tie the ribbon to keep the cozy extra snug.

This is the front of my Gypsy cozy. I have a silicone cover on my Gypsy and the entire thing fits in this cozy perfectly. Kathy has paid great attention to detail with creating patterns for various things. You can get cozies in various colors and fabrics and for many many different machines. Please check out her blog for more details. That is where I found this fabric. I knew I wanted black and white. I simply told her I wanted the hot pink accents and she took care of the rest. You can customize your cozies which allows them to be so personal. Love them!

I have the whole "matchy matchy" thing going on. I am in love with black and white damask (as you can tell). Look how stinkin' adorable my Gypsy looks in its silicone cover and then tucked in the cozy. Not sure if you can tell, but she puts a cute ribbon loop and button at the top of this size cozy.

My camera is on crack sometimes. I turned off the flash and got this "magenta" tone. Anyway...I want you to see Kathy's signature detail...a HEART sew in every cozy she makes. Isn't that neat?!

I had two curious pups who needed to SNIFF my new goodies. I can't even imagine what dogs can smell on things. It must be sensory overload. LOL

My new scrapbook totes are from Thirty One gifts. I got this one free with my recent catalog party in November. See...I'm all matchy matchy with the black and white. It's the little things...

...and many more

2011-11-16T23:15:00.002-05:00

I made four identical card tonight using some supplies I got at Hobby Lobby. They recently had a 1/2 off sale on all of their Paper Studio products.

I love this birthday stack. The pages have glitter!!! There are 20 different designs in this stack and they coordinate with the box of cards I got there, too. The colors aren't EXACT, but they match well enough to look good together. I had originally picked out two brown card bases and two purple card bases. My idea kept building and I am much happier with this final design. I ran the brown through the Cuttlebug using my SU! Top Note die. I cut down the purple layer and put everything on a Crumb Cake cardstock base. With the asymetrical look, I wanted to add something on the right hand side. Thus, the large eyelet and Crumb Cake ribbon. Ta Da!

Just wanted to share a funny. Often, this is where I find Riley in the morning. He comes downstairs with me and while I am getting ready he finds a soft, warm spot to go back to sleep. I don't blame him. I am so not a morning person either, little buddy.

A card for Lisa

2011-11-08T00:00:00.000-05:00

Ok, this is the last co-worker card for October. I decided to make it a different size. I think it was 8 1/2" by 3 1/2" finished size. I got the patterned paper at Hobby Lobby and used yet another EK Success edge punch.

Thanks for stopping by!

A card for Katie

2011-11-07T00:00:00.000-05:00

Another card for a co-worker's birthday in October. I usually make the cards that are passed around at work and signed by everyone. Katie loves to sew and loves buttons, so I made sure to add some faux stitching to this one.

I used some epoxy buttons and a pre-made sentiment. I also love the EK Success edge punch.

A card for Terra

2011-11-06T01:23:00.002-04:00

I made this card for my co-worker Terra. She turned 30 last month. Such a pup! Believe it or not, she loves hunting and camo. I found this fun patterned paper at Hobby Lobby. I made the tag with her name using the Plantin Schoolbook Cricut cartridge (end caps feature). She loved it! :)

I told her I had to add some flowers to give it a bit of a girly touch.

Grandma's 90th B-day

2011-11-05T00:00:00.001-04:00

ha ha I just realized I didn't crop this picture. Oh well. This is the card I made for my Grandma's 90th B-day. I am IN LOVE with the little sticker titles from Doodlebug. I got them at Archivers and they have several sayings (happy birthday, thinking of you, for you, etc.) Just peel and stick! I got the patterned papers from my scrap stash, added a layered flower, bling and some ribbon at the bottom. I love these colors.

Random Shmandom

2011-11-04T23:10:00.000-04:00

I love our new sheets from Target. They remind me of patterned scrapbook paper! :)

This week I followed through with a small organizing detail in my craft room. Several of my SU! ink pads had no name on the end. I remedied that by printing labels and punching them out using the word window punch. Perfect fit! Gotta love NO MORE NAKED INK PADS. ha

One small detail. After I printed the names, I realized the others were all CAPS. So, yes...I went back upstairs and reprinted the names in CAPS so they're all matching. I know. Anal.Retentive.

I have been absent from blog land for far too long. I have LOTS of catching up to do. I have TONS to share with you. I'll try to get caught up at least some over the next week. Thanks for stopping by!

The Soapy Heart

2011-11-04T22:55:00.000-04:00

I just had to share this. I am so tired tonight and REALLY didn't want to fix supper. Instead, I thought I SHOULD do the right thing and have a warm meal for hubby when he comes home. I looked for something easy. (bacon cheddar scrambled eggs, toast, and yogurt with banana)...breakfast! After the pan cooled, I filled it with hot soapy water. I walked by the sink later and saw this. I see a HEART. You know, the only thought that crossed my mind was that GOD put it there for ME. It was as if he was telling me He loved ME for deciding to do the right (and loving) thing for Kevin by cooking supper tonight. So, my message is....just when you don't feel like doing what is loving or right...DO IT! This soapy heart has blessed me more than you'll know. But, GOD knew I needed it. ♥

2011 Ashland County Fair Entries

2011-09-17T13:15:00.000-04:00

The first page I entered is a fun, glittery summer page. Abdul, Brooke and I went swimming at a park in Monroe Falls last July. I loved the huge sun die-cut that I found at Archivers.

Here's a closer look at the glittery photo mat, stickers and bling. If you look closely, you can see the tiny circles that make up the page background all all glittery, too. Gotta love glitter!

I used my glitter pen to add some shimmer to the swirl design on the sun die-cut.

The second page is so special to me. I captured memories from when we celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary last October.

A closer look at the details on the right hand side of the page. I love the ribbon trim and different buttons. I inked the edges of various layers to add depth.

I cut out the hearts using my Cricut, inked the edges and layered them using dimensional adhesive. Instead of leaving the heart "floating" on the page, I "anchored" them by stitching with some baker's twine.

I had some of this lettered paper and was able to place everything so that the word FOREVER showed. I circled it to add emphasis to the meaning of my layout.

This last page is made using one of my recent fav pics of Kevin. We visited his Grandma's this summer and I captured this as he and I were walking to the field near her house. I love how the light is captured, the movement of his walk, etc. I distressed different parts of the page to mimic the old feel of the farm land.

Crinkled, inked, stitched and a bit imperfect....all the details needed to make this page come alive. Also, the title says HOME ISN'T ALWAYS WHERE YOU LIVE, IT'S WHERE YOU FEEL ALIVE. Perfect for summing up how hubby feels about this farm in West Virginia.

I love these woodgrain chipboard letters from K & Company. I anchored the brackets using some manly screwhead brads.

More stitching. Instead of my usual "X" I decided to keep them parallel for a different look. There's another one of those tickets like I used on our anniversary layout. I have one for each month of the year so I'm sure you'll see more of them in future layouts.

Thanks for stopping by! I am so excited for the fair this year. I have Monday off of work so I can enjoy the fair Sunday and do whatever I want Monday. I think I'll sleep in. Ahhh....

Lil Sunshine

2011-08-03T00:00:00.001-04:00

Yellow! Green! White! Hot pink! Light blue! Orange!....ahh...so many colors, but I think this page is refreshing like an ice cold slushie in the summertime!
My great niece Baylee (Charles' stepdaughter) turned two in June. After her birthday party she blew bubbles outside and I captured this adorable picture. Look at those lips!! So cute! The only thing I have to add is my journaling. However, remember the 5K page from a few days ago? Remember I said I had journaled so much on that one that I don't have to journal for an entire year? Looks like I am living up to that. LOL No, I really will journal. Just wanted to get these pics posted and at that point hadn't done it yet.

I found this yummy orange bling word on clearance for 99 cents! Baylee has red hair, so between finding this and the fun puffy circle stickers I had my color scheme for this page.

I layered the large circle die-cut over the lime green ledger paper, then added some puffy patterned dot stickers in various places. I added some scrumptious hot pink/white twine around the lower part of the page. That helped pull together all the colored accents.

Just a note....I tried SEVERAL times to photograph this page where it would show up clear and crisp. The white overlay essentially comes out looking light blue in natural daylight in my living room. I contemplated taking the layout outside, but said "eh, forget it." So, just imagine these yummy colors in a more vibrant way. *sigh*

Rock & Roll

2011-08-02T00:00:00.000-04:00

Last month, my friend Cindy visited us for a few days. We met when I lived in MN and worked at Nordstrom. She and her husband live in Long Island City, NY and she works on Wall Street in NYC. She is a true city girl! She and her co-worker/friend Kristen were traveling to different cites to see U2 in concert. I'm so glad they stopped here on their way from Nashville to Chicago to Montreal. I hadn't seen her in FOUR years!
On July 7th, we went to Cleveland to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. This layout shows the few snapshots we took. Photographs aren't allowed inside the Hall of Fame.

I saved my wristband, of course! I found rock 'n roll stickers at Hobby Lobby. The orange grid paper is by Jillibean Soup and was a piece from my stash. Orange and blue are complementary colors so they look snazzy together. Seeing the blue tones from the wristband and my shirt made me want to add that funky orange to complete the look.

I added the glittery Thickers and some fun foam musical notes. Glitter ROCKS!

What a Deal!

2011-08-01T00:00:00.000-04:00

This layout is about the FREE car Kevin and I received from his mom. Yes, I said FREE! She decided to get a new Nissan Rogue and gave us her 2002 Nissan Altima...just because. How generous!
When I went to Achivers the last time, I chose the papers I would use. I had originally thought I'd use more of the flowered paper, but once I started planning the page, it was just obnoxious. Sometimes patterns are best in moderation. For the title I used my 3/4" circle punch and chose letters from another patterned paper. I then added a clear dimensional sticker over each one.

In this picture you can see where I added an entire row of clear dimensional circles for an interesting embellishment. Also, I wanted to add a button and then thought "Hmm, how can I stitch it in a different way?" So, I got this. I threaded it through the button holes and then out again and behind the circle in different angles. Neat? Maybe. Different? Yes!

I was tickled when I found this "coupon" in my embellishment stash. It was indeed perfect for this page. Just perfect!

By the way, we LOVE our "new" car. To pay it forward, we will be giving my 2000 Pontiac Sunfire to my brother. It needs several things fixed, but he still wants it. It has been a good car for me, but I am grateful to not be spending a FOURTH summer with no air conditioning. I endured THREE summers and this year I am soaking up the cool air in the Nissan. Ahhh....

Balloonfest 5K

2011-07-31T00:00:00.002-04:00

Ok, so yesterday I posted a page I liked and today...well...I'm not too jazzed about this one. I really struggled trying to get all my keepsakes on the page, create a good design and journal about the event. I failed, but oh well. Can't love 'em all. I am grateful to have simply captured the memories of that event. I journaled so much that I shouldn't have to journal for a year. That's right Mom and Connie...a whole year. *giggle*
Remember, when you visit my blog you can click any picture for a closer look. Back when I first started my blog, pictures automatically appeared larger when posted. I haven't changed any settings on my camera and not sure if I changed something unknowingly on the blog, but they seem tiny now. Sorry. (edited to add: duh. double duh. I figured out my "size" issue. I have to choose small, med or large when I post the pic. I hope you all haven't gone blind and now I will fix it in future posts.)

More journaling. Don't faint...

Where You Live...

2011-07-30T19:00:00.004-04:00

When Kevin and I went to WV in May I took this picture. I just love it. It captures a moment of life where he didn't even know I was snapping the picture. This picture says a lot. It's not just about my husband, but because I know and love him I can see his contentment. I had to really think about a good title for this page. I knew it was about a man visiting a place that in his heart he calls home. He has spent a lot of time growing up on this old farm. The Scott Family farm in Smithville, WV. This is where his grandma still lives. I tried to add some rugged details to reflect the "old" and "outdoorsy" feel of this place. Notice the distressed blue jean paper (inked, torn, etc.), the random red stitches and the tattered edge on the right. I tried to choose paper that would help convey the feeling I get not only when I visit this farm, but when I look at this picture.

When I was choosing my embellishments, I happened upon this tag in my stash. The letters were too stark white, so I pulled out my light creamy peach "cat's eye" stamp pad and rubbed it over the word. Perfect...it came out a creamy color and blended better with the old feel of this page.

Here you can see the title better. I love those little Cosmo Cricket letter stickers. I have them in several colors and they are super inexpensive. I got them at Archivers. I used some woodgrain dimensional letters for LIVE and then carefully added some screw-like brads. Had to get some more manly details going on here. :) Overall, I was really pleased with this page. I couldn't wait to show it to Kevin and he liked it, too. That made it even sweeter!

For me, creating a scrapbook page is about the details. Sometimes less is more and sometimes I love to add just a few more touches to make it just right. I don't always make pages I love, but I love this process.

What's new, Pussycat?

2011-05-28T12:24:00.002-04:00

Meow!
It's more like "retract your cranky claws, Natalie". These past few weeks have been nothing but stressful, and quite frankly...I've been cranky. Not just a little cranky, but "leave me alone, I want to be by myself and I'm pretty much sick of everything" cranky. So, just to give you an update, here goes:

1) Kevin had been having recurring chest pain. Long story short....he had a stress test which came back "entirely normal and completely good" as his doctor put it. Although grateful for the outcome, next comes the thought of "great, when's the bill coming?". A stress test is over $3000, but thank God we have insurance. I still don't like bills.
2) Our basement flooded...not once, but TWICE in two days. Long story short...we had to file an insurance claim, the carpet/pad were destroyed and removed, mold was growing and now we have the joy of cleaning up and making sense of the ugliness left. The furniture must be disposed of and I really don't even like going downstairs right now. We got a bit of money from our claim, but nowhere near enough for us to contemplate waterproofing. So, we deal with the ugliness, clean what we can, throw out what we can and move on....and wait for the next round of water. Ugh.

The unfortunate thing is that now I am riddled with anxiety every time it rains. And, trust me...we are getting a LOT of rain nowadays. The other night when I went to bed I thought one of the dogs was moving the bed. Then, I realized it was ME who was moving. My entire body was quivering with anxiety as I listened to yet another thunderstorm roll on by. I was terrified of the thought of what water was creeping in our basement yet again. I feel like my chest is tight, I am stressed and quite frankly I am wondering if I need to make an appt. with my doc for something to calm my nerves before I have my first-ever panic attack. So, keep me in your prayers. Feeling REALLY strung out right now and I don't like it. I think the last 6 months have just been an overload from my job being so busy, to everyday stressors, to situational event stress/anxiety and it is just compounding into how I feel right now.

Now, the good news:
Kevin, his mom and I enjoyed a wonderfully relaxing weekend in West Virginia recently. His grandma lives LITERALLY on top of hill in the middle of nowhere. You have to drive through a field, a creek and up a bumpy LONGGGGGGGGGG, TALLLLLLLLLLL hill to get to her house. The whole world stopped for a while and all I thought about was the cool breeze, sounds of nature all around and the squeak of the porch swing moving to and fro. Just reading that makes me want to go back...now. She had the best ice cold well water and old-fashioned Percale sheets. Anyone that knows me well, KNOWS I LOVE SOFT SHEETS. Ahhh...

Here are some picture highlights from our visit.
Just a bit away from her house looking towards the woods where the LONG descent begins down that winding hillside "road". Pictures do not capture how steep and long this hill is once you enter the wooded area. Basically while standing here, imagine ending up at the bottom of a big hill to the FAR LEFT of yourself...yet being about a half mile away. If you know anything about WV terrain...it's super steep. Super steep! So, imagine it but I can't really show you how far up we were in this spot. You gotta be there.

The signature porch swing. His grandma's favorite spot. She has two big shade trees that protect you from the sun when you sit here and the breeze blows right across here just melting away your frustrations.

From her house looking to the left, this is the top of one of the many ridges in that area. Again, the depth and distance is hard to fathom from a seemingly "flat" picture. I love the curve of this ridge, and the contrast of all the colors on this gorgeous sunny day. Ahhhhh...

Hubby and his gun. He and I were heading "over a hill, in the pasture, along the cow path, through the soggy mud, and up a ridge" to search for groundhogs. Grandma's beagle Heidi followed us and began to bark (aka howl) as she trailed something. So much for getting a groundhog. I do love his picture though. I think it just shows my honey relaxed, soaking up the sun and heading out to do something he loves in a place so dear to his heart. Sweet.

And, last but not least....I got to scrapbook with my Girlz last night here in Ashland. I am currently working on a gift album for my hair stylist Abby. She is due any minute now and we will be excited to meet her baby girl Kamryn Lane. Going last night (I am so tired that I had second thoughts.) reminded me that I MUST keep doing what I love, giggle uncontrollably and forget about my troubles for a while. I must or I'll die from stress. So, it was great to see the ones who could attend (including my wonderful mom) and I got a lot done.

Hope everyone enjoys their extra time off during this Memorial Day weekend and don't forget to remember those who lost their lives serving our country or have passed on after their tour of duty. I am thinking particularly of my Uncle Bill who served in the Army Special Forces in Vietnam. He died in 1995 from cancer.

What's that?

2011-05-05T19:09:00.001-04:00

Never in all my life have I received an ice cream cone at a drive-thru that was as jacked us as the one I got today. The kid at McD's needs more practice. HILARIOUS! I just can't stop laughing at it! LOL

WKU Campus

2011-05-01T00:00:00.000-04:00

When I went to Kentucky last September, I visited the campus of my alma mater. A lot had changed and in ways I really felt like a fish out of water. I took a few pics around campus as reminders of my quick visit. I used 2"x3" pictures so I could fit several on one page.

I wrote my journaling around the edge of the page so it was on there, but didn't interfere with the main layout. Click either picture to see details.

Psalm 139

2011-04-30T00:00:00.000-04:00

You know that negative voice in your head that speaks loud and clear when you look in the mirror? Or what about the one that reminds you of all you do wrong? Oh and then the voice that tells you that you are a failure before you even begin? Ah, yes. The devil wants us to be defeated. But, Psalm 139 says something very differently. God loves us tremendously, flaws and all, failures and all. His thoughts of us are more numerous than all the grains of sand. Now, that is something to behold. That is the very reason I chose to do this page. To literally remind myself how worthy I am to Him. I am fearfully and wonderfully made...no matter what the sneaky mean voice in my head tells me. Sometimes I just need to read that Psalm as a wonderful reminder of His love.

Superstar!

2011-04-29T00:00:00.002-04:00

Jack is so funny. Enough said. Click the pictures to see the details. Love this dog! LOL

My Birthday

2011-04-28T00:00:00.000-04:00

I made this page about my most recent birthday. I cut out the Happy Birthday using the Cricut and then added yummy Stickles to make it glittery. The orange patterned paper had an owl on it in the top left corner, but I was able to cover it with a photo. I loved the colors of the striped ribbon and the color theme was inspired by that. Click pictures to see details.

A glittery photo mat, some fun ribbon and a bit of yellow bling to make a fun corner detail. I also used a Fiskars edge punch on the patterned sheet of paper.

Love the Spica glitter pens. I used the teal one to journal. Some more ribbon, a glittery button and some baker's twine finished off the details.

Nashville

2011-04-27T00:00:00.001-04:00

Ok, there are a LOT of details and layers to this one. Click pictures for a closer look.

I used mini alpha stickers, the Cricut, edge punch, different solid and patterned papers, and bling.

I used my sanding block to distress the edges of all the photos. You can see the detail in this last picture.

The Graduate

2011-04-26T17:56:00.002-04:00

Oops, I got a few days behind in posting...ok, back at it! :)
Brooke graduated from the University of Akron in December. Click the pictures to see the details: (glittery flowers/butterfly, stamped flowers on Kiwi Kiss cardstock, scalloped frame, etc.

I'll get busy preparing posts of the remaining pages I created at The Craft Farm in March.

He is Risen!

2011-04-24T00:02:00.000-04:00

Happy Easter!

Jeremy Camp

2011-04-24T00:00:00.002-04:00

In August 2010, my friend Tammy and I went to the Ohio State Fair to see Jeremy Camp. I admire the fact that he uses his life to glorify God with his songs. I LOVE his music! Click for a closer look at the layers/details of this page. I used patterned papers, crumpled cardstock, a die-cut shape from the Cricut cartridge Paper Lace and some different letter stickers.

I got both the chipboard letters and tiny black alphas at Archivers. I am really happy with how this page turned out. It was a fantastic concert with an awesome friend!

Love these girls

2011-04-23T00:00:00.000-04:00

My best friend Christie has three beautiful girls. When I was there in September 2010 I snapped these photos. I wanted a serious one, but had to endure their antics before that. ha

Click on either picture to see the details. The pennant style seems to be all the rage now. I bought a stamp set at Archivers recently and love that you can stamp them on solid cardstock or patterned paper for a totally different look. For this layout I chose solid cardstock in colors that matched the striped ribbon.

Black Friday Shopping

2011-04-22T00:00:00.000-04:00

I found this die-cut title at Pizazz It! scrapbook store in Pickerington, OH. How cool is this? I had this page planned for a while and decided I'd complete it at The Craft Farm. On our way there last month, I was tickled to find this die-cut. It was perfect! Their selection of die-cuts is outstanding!

I placed several different journaling stickers on the side of the layout and wrote the continous text to tell my story. I'm sure I saw that idea somewhere. Not sure how I remembered it, but glad I did!

A new punch! I got this fun starburst circle punch (Martha Stewart) at a Micheal's store on the way to the Craft Farm. I love to do "tone on tone" looks every now and then. I think doing that along the bottom of the page added some much-needed texture. In regards to this layout...I still can't believe all I spent on Black Friday was $17. I got Riley a doggy winter coat, a Snickers bar and Kevin some undies. bwaaaaahhhhhhaaaaaaaaaaa

Life really is FAIR sometimes

2011-04-21T00:00:00.002-04:00

Fair food. Ahhhhhhh....My friend Tammy took this pic of me in August 2010 at the Ohio State Fair. I used the title in two ways...to tell location and to make a statement. Life really is fair sometimes. On this particular day it really was! Yum! :)

I threaded linen thread through various buttons (one continuous string) to create a button border. I let the end lay loose for a casual feel. Does that make sense? I also made a tiny little "Levis-style" tag beside my picture to show location and date.

I colored the chipboard Thickers using my Chestnut Roan chalk ink. It gives enough color without being took dark. I used copper staples to tack the ribbon and the patterned paper strip along the left side of the layout. Click each pic for a closer look at the details.

Love my Eskie boy

2011-04-20T00:00:00.000-04:00

Fuzz, fuzz and more fuzz...that's my Jack! Love him! I had to mimic his real-life qualities by using some fun, fuzzy embellishments. Click on the pictures for a closer look. You'll want to "rub your nose" on the fur.....just like I do his real fur. OOH and touch the fuzzy Thickers letters.

I got the furry trim at Joann Fabrics. When I saw it I knew it looked just like him. I love how this page turned out! :)

Curly Kid

2011-04-19T00:00:00.001-04:00

I got this patterned paper and ribbons at the store in Powell, OH. The paper collection had a few different double-sided papers. I was able to make "ribbon strips" from some of the patterned sheets. I added a bit more ribbon on the bone clip at the top right.

Instead of "hanging" the tags, I decided to make then lay in the same direction as the ribbon. I love the one that says "licks & kisses". Riley is the lickiest dog in the world. Is that a word? Lickiest. LOL

I've had the vinyl Thickers for a while. The glue on them has gotten all gummy, but I was able to adhere them ok using glue dots. I added several descriptive stickers to the bottom right corner from a sheet of stickers that was all about dogs. I just love my little curly kid! :)

89th Birthday

2011-04-18T00:00:00.000-04:00

For Grandma's 89th b-day, we ate at the Spaghetti Warehouse in Akron. I used patterned papers and embellishments that gave an "old Italy" look when combined. Click pictures for a closer look at the many details.

Sometimes I love to use the raw chipboard instead of coloring it with my craft inks. Here, I chose to wrap the numbers with linen thread. So not my idea...I saw it in a magazine.

Adventures in Stamping 2011

2011-04-17T19:02:00.012-04:00

Thought I'd post several pictures highlighting the fun convention Connie and I attended yesterday. First will be samples that I liked for one reason or another, then pics of goodies I bought. Thanks for stopping by! Love the colors, layout and Cuttlebug texture on this one. Easy July 4th card idea! Cute, easy turtle using punches! Ah ha! Just use the textured Bazzill cardstock, corner rounder and square punchto make this cute chunky pencil. Denami Designs' booth had several samples with this looped ribbon idea. I think they most likely used glue dots to keep the loops in place. I will definitely try this idea. Anyone got ribbon scraps? What a neat way to use them up. I can see this idea using several different ribbons. Or do it in ROYGBIV order to create a circular rainbow. Neat! Love how they added buttons over the ribbon on either side of the sentiment. Love the NINE circles idea and the bling on either side of the sentiment. Connie and I laughed a lot yesterday. She let me know that the "play on words" stamps are so NOT her style. After a while we began to notice just how many of those are out there! ha ha This one's for you, Connie! :) Now that will be a running joke with us. Some of them are so corny, they make you cringe.Love this card sample. Looks like it's been on display a while....the buttons are sliding down on some of the hearts. You could easily mimic this design using various different patterned paper scraps or stamping solid cardstock to create your own backgrounds. Isn't this one sweet? You read everywhere about GOING GREEN! Well, this booth had a neat idea on how to recycle old greeting cards. They sell the "postage edge stamps" and you can cut cards or patterned paper or even photos to create a unique look. I remembered I had actually bought one of these stamps a few years ago. I need to dust if off perhaps. A closer look at one... Ok, creepy! I am not into altered art at all. Some of the Tim Holtz stuff is creepy. This tops it all. Eww.....armless dead kids. Eww...What on earth would do you with this? *shiver* Connie said it reminded her of a baby doll that had its arms ripped off by an ornery brother. Simple card. Simple layout. Love the little detail of the triangle with the brad. Cute! hahaha A funny one...I looked at this and then said out loud to Connie, "Why would someone want a stamp that says 'tiny bunny head'?" Duh. You might be blonde if...ok, that's the DESCRIPTION, not part of the stamp. Yep, we laughed. hahaha I thought that was part of the actual stamped image. hahaha Gorgeous. Time-consuming. Gorgeous. Whoa. GO GREEN...again. Pop tab=cute way to add ribbon. Attach it with a brad and there you go! No "butts" about it...you're great! And, so is that saying with the stamp of the animal butt! You look so young! (now you say it back to me.) Another great one! Over the top! Holy scrap-a-moley! Like, seriously? To complete this look, you would have to buy stamps and dies that cost way too much. Just one of the samples in the show that made me go "Wow, neat...I'd never do that!" I appreciate the art, but not the price I'd pay to mimic it with their products. No way. $$$$$$$You know it! We saw our friends Ken & Christi from Zane Trace Inn and the Craft Farm! They gave us big hugs. Good thing we've already booked for March 2012. Christi said that month is already full!Ok, now to the goodies I bought. Three loose sheets from a quaint little booth. I told the lady she looked SO familiar, then we figured it out. She used to work at the Fairlawn Archivers. Ah ha! She started her own company last year. I loved that she sold individual sheets of paper. I saw things in her small booth that I had never seen. Yay for this small purchase! Impression Obsession....I have bought things from them before. I got a "scratches" background stamp, a tree that will be so versatile, a bird, a Bible verse and a swinging tire. The wooden stamp is from Endless Creations. I loved the "handwritten" look of this Happy Birthday. The two small unmounted stamps say "My dog licked the envelope" and "I kiss my dog on the lips". ha ha One of the new tools being showcased at several booths is the Bow Easy. We got ours from Inky Antics. You can easily create various sizes of single or double-looped bows using this tool. I also grabbed up some navy/champagne pearl bling that was a good price and Scor-Tape for my stash. OOOOHHHHH....these bling were only 99 cents each. Yes, you read that right. I am sharing with my mom. Oh, and you can see my "photo assistant" in the lower right corner. Riley was laying on the spare bed when I laid the quilt down to take pics today. He has to be right with his Momma. hee hee Be still my heart. 100 flat-back pearl blings per bag for only $1.29 each. I got 19, but could have easily scarfed up all 40 colors they had available. I talked myself out of it, then I gave in. Just a weak moment for me. I twisted my own arm. LOL I will just use my small glue pen to carefully place these on my projects. Small sacrifice for this price!Mmm...a closer look. Please, feel free to LICK the screen. I know you want to!

That concludes the Adventures in Stamping highlights. Hope you enjoyed. Check back daily for the next few weeks for posts regarding projects I completed last month at the Craft Farm!

Celebrating Mom and Josh

2011-04-04T18:18:00.003-04:00

On Sunday, some of my family went to O'Bryan's to celebrate Mom's and Josh's b-days.

Ok, now make a silly face. LOL

Make a wish!

Dad, Julie, Josh, Kevin, me, Mom, Grandma and Richard

The card I made for Mom. Happy 66th, Mom! Love you!

O-H-I-O !!

2011-04-02T14:22:00.004-04:00

I made this birthday card for one of my favorite Buckeye fans...my niece's husband Josh. I found this OSU playing card at the Powell, OH scrapbook store and thought it would be perfect! I used my Papertrey ink alpha set to spell GO BUCKS. One of my fav details is the corner punch that mimics the block O. I love little details! I made this card in maybe FIVE minutes!

We all know Riley is nuts. But, why on earth would he think my shoulder was a good perch? LOL I told Kevin to run and get the camera for me. Silly dog.

Ok, then how about if he takes a short nap in that spot? My arm was getting tired! LOL

Wish

2011-03-23T20:19:00.002-04:00

This was my niece Julie's birthday card this year. While at the Craft Farm this past weekend, I saw a neat idea in a book where you punch several different strips and layer them for a unique tone-on-tone effect. I used a SU! Big Shot die for the layered flower. I ran two of the layers through again with the Mesh embossing folder. You can see more detail in the picture below.

I added chunky Stickles for a yummy glittered look. Thanks for stopping by! I'll be posting highlights from this year's Craft Farm weekend sometime soon. Believe it or not, I am going scrapbooking AGAIN this Saturday. LOL Just can't get enough...

Jammies for Christmas

2011-03-21T00:01:00.001-04:00

I did this layout about Riley's HILARIOUS pajamas. Enough said. He is so cute!

I used the Stampin' Up! ornament punch and "strung" them using baker's twine.

The Daily News

2011-03-20T00:01:00.001-04:00

Journaling says:
Same story. Different day. I sit down to read the newspaper and my lap becomes a dog magnet. Jack usually wants petted. And petted. And petted. Riley either chews his bone or takes a nap. On this particular day Tucker was visiting and Kevin took this crazy picture. Same story. Different day. I love MY daily news. Life is good!

When I was planning this page, I thought of doing the journaling like a news story. I also used some of my new Stampin' Up! patterned paper that resembles newsprint. A simple page about a simple blessing...my furbabies. :)

Tucker Pooch

2011-03-19T00:01:00.000-04:00

Tucker is so stinkin' adorable. He is the whole reason we got Riley. When Macy died, my heart was so broken. My niece had gotten Tucker, we fell in love and went to the breeder to see the remaining pups. That's when we got Riley. He helped fill a broken part of my heart with his puppy kisses. I just love them both!

I took these pictures when I visited Julie's house in January. My mom was petsitting for two weeks and we had a little slumber party. Tucker LOVES to take naps. Did I say LOVES to take naps? Yep, he's the King...of...Naps. So, he and my mom get along REALLY well. ha ha His favorite stuffed toy is also his "pacifier" and it lulls him to sleep. What a cutie!

Click the picture to see the journaling up close. Thanks for stopping by!

My Old Kentucky Home

2011-03-18T00:01:00.002-04:00

In September 2010, I went back to Kentucky for my class reunion. While there, I drove all over town and took pictures. It was so bittersweet seeing my childhood home. I had a GREAT life in this house, but so many things were different about it. It just didn't look the same. You can read my journaling in the next photo. My Old Kentucky Home. Ah, dear to my heart...

Click the picture for a closer look. Thanks for stopping by!

Daddy

2011-03-17T00:01:00.000-04:00

I call this layout a mixture of "tone on tone", "minimalist" or "less is more". I really wanted the photo to stand out without a lot of fuss on the page. I just love Riley's expression in his body language. He loves his Daddy. :)

I used my distressing tool to rough up the edges of each square. I thought some texture would be better than just slapping the picture on the page.

Zaney Girlz March 2011

2011-03-16T18:41:00.006-04:00

This was me with the other Zaney Girlz at Panera on Saturday. (Connie, Joan, Mom) We always get together for a planning session before we go on our scrapbook getaway. (who brings what, etc.) I just love these girlz! We are heading back to the Craft Farm again tomorrow. Sheer bliss!

My sweet co-worker Katie gave me this adorable tote today. She said it was for my trip. In this pic you can't really judge the true size but it is about 12x12 or larger. Perfect for throwing stuff in and hitting the road! She makes totes, purses, belts and mittens. This one was made from an old quilt she picked up at an auction or yard sale.

I just love this adorable button she added. She got it at JoAnn Fabrics.

The weather was so nice today that I had some windows open. Jack was intoxicated by the fresh air laying by the window in the front spare bedroom. This is his second favorite spot to watch the world go by...

Crack.Me.Up.

2011-03-15T23:20:00.002-04:00

Jack tolerates a lot. He made me laugh hysterically tonight. Seriously. His ears are laid back sooooo far since he was soooooo embarrassed. He does NOT like props. Not.at.all. LOLLLLLLLL

So glad that on what would have been Macy's 9th birthday I am enjoying these two crazy hounds. I'll sure miss them when they're gone, too. Joy is spelled D-O-G for me a lot of the time. So true. They are funny! :)

This 'n That

2011-02-21T23:50:00.002-05:00

Riley got a bath Sunday. So fluffy and cute!

Handsome Jack posing in the "usual picture spot".

We got a little bit of snow Sunday, but today it POURED about 8 inches of the mess! Ice, then snow. Blech!!! I am so S.O.S. (sick of snow)!

We had a belated birthday celebration with family on Sunday, too. Another Hawkins cake. Ah, a girl can never have too much cake. :)

This was my gift from mom and dad...my first Vera Bradley purse. I never would have guessed they'd get me this, but it was a very happy surprise. I love the little pockets on each end...one for cell phone, one for keys. It's reversible, too! Neat!

Adam's Wedding

2011-02-21T23:44:00.004-05:00

My cousin Adam got married Saturday. This is the card I made for them and a picture of us at the wedding.
Their colors were brown and pink. I found this yummy glittered paper at Archivers.

More Valentines

2011-02-21T23:33:00.002-05:00

This is the Valentine I made for Kevin. It's a pocket-style card with little sentiment strips. I wrote something different on each one.

We received this lovely Valentine from Connie. I love the vintage feel of it.

Valentines 2011

2011-02-14T00:00:00.000-05:00

I only made 20 Valentines this year. I used the Cuttlebug for the background texture, markers to color the sentiment, heart punches, glitter paper and some fun lace ribbon.

The good thing about the mat stack glitter paper is that it doesn't "shed" sparkles all over me. You know deep down I am a "glitterphobe". *chuckle*

I made some 3x3 notecard Valentines for my co-workers. I got the pre-cut felt hearts at Joann's.

I will say...I will NEVER buy the DCWV textured paper there again. The red paper here is made by them. Awful. The first problem is the sticker on the back of the paper. Don't try to remove it. It doesn't come off! Use Un-do and stink up your whole basement and about suffocate. Yeah, seriously. Forget it. I did that on a few, but the dumb sticker still left residue. Ewww. Don't like how it cuts either. Frays on the edges and the white core fuzzies are a nightmare. Just my opinion. Cheap price doesn't always mean good choice. Lesson learned.
Joann can keep their dumb DCWV textured paper. Sale or no sale. Blechhhhh!

Anywho. Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy 39th to me!

2011-02-13T17:15:00.002-05:00

I haven't felt the best all week, but thought I better smile for the camera on my actual birthday. I turned 39 Friday and am thankful for the great life God has given me!
Sportin' my jammies and make-up half worn off. Oh well...it's a little Hawkins cake from my parents. :) Hawkins white cake is my favorite!

LICK!!!!!!!! Yummy! I am goofy. Love the quote the hospital maintenance man shared with me this week: Growing old is required. Growing up is optional. (I refuse to lose my "kid at heart" nature, thus pictures like this! LOL)

My co-worker made this card and everyone signed it. Cute little S'mores man. :)

I got this handmade cutie from Connie.

And, this adorable one is from Joan.

I have spent the entire weekend in jammies and resting. I am finally getting my voice back a bit and haven't quite plowed through a WHOLE box of Puffs Plus, but close! Sometimes celebrating in a low-key fashion isn't all bad. I just hope when I turn 40 my body isn't retaliating and I can WHOOP it up in style. :)

It's Your Day

2011-01-31T21:51:00.002-05:00

I made this quick, easy card to send to my cousin's husband. I didn't have any guy cards in my stash and had to think of something fast. Hope he doesn't mind that the paper has some pink stripes. Oops. Sorry, Larry. But, it will be on time! ha ha I used my mini pinking scissors to trim the edge after I stamped the saying onto the patterned paper. I reminds me of a corn cob. I distressed and inked the edges of the turquoise to tone down the color a bit. Uhm....I still see that pink shining bright in all it's glory. Let's just say this card is corn and raw steak. How about that? Corn and pink, raw steak. That's masculine, right? Wrong. Oh well. Maybe better luck next year with him getting a card that screams "man". *chuckle*

Riley cracks me up. But, then again...you already knew that. He has this quirky habit about "needing" to take a toy or bone outside with him to go potty. If he takes a stuffed animal, it almost always comes back looking like this. Here's Mr. Ephelant (elephant) after his snow bath. I'm not sure why Riley does this, but since no animals are harmed in the making of such funny moments, I let him do it. Why not? God uses him to make me giggle daily. Plus, we can all use some fresh air now and then....even Mr. Ephelant. *snort*

Meet Mr. Elfa

2011-01-26T19:39:00.002-05:00

Yet again, my craft area is getting revamped. I tell ya. It DRIVES ME CRAZY! About the time I think I have it just so-so, then I start making piles of this, piles of that, etc. So....I decided to get an Elfa system at The Container Store to help me utilize more vertical space on this main wall.
This is the "you really can't tell how bad it is, but trust me it's bad" before shot. What you can't see is the 4-foot table behind the chair that has PILES on it, plus the 6 feet of floor space with PILES of stuff. Oh brother. I need an intervention. I plan to sort, purge and reorganize most of my stuff. I have to or I'll never come back down here to create again. It bugs me THAT bad.

This is the "while hubby is still at work and this chick really really really wants her Elfa together and thinks she can do it alone" during picture. Seriously, don't poke your eyes out due to the 1970s vibe of grossness you see here. I am so very grateful for my space, but seriously....1970s style. hee hee Here you can see where I pushed my 8-foot table towards the middle of the space and all of the glorious piles of "certainly I should be able to make sense of this all" that are filling both tables. Again, makes you want to poke both eyes out and call the organization cops on me. Right? Right.

Oh, I see light at the end of my tunnel. Mr. Elfa is upright! I got the free-standing version so that I didn't have to drill into this lovely "Lord knows how thick it is and what's behind it" knotty pine wood panels from the 1970s. I also had to work within a 6'x9' space, avoiding the duct work that is "hidden" behind that sassy wooden box thingy. Niiiice. Not. Anywho....What is nice about the freestanding is that I can ADD ON ANOTHER SECTION as my budget allows. Ah, yes! More space, more shelves. MORE ELFA. I've died and gone to Heaven. Oh wait....Heaven will be WAY better than this. Way better. But, for now...I'll take my Elfa. Ok, onward and upward...let's scroll down to see MORE goodness in the making...

Ta-da! A desktop! Woo-hippity-hoo! It's really three shelves end to end that create my desktop. Snazzy, eh? Ok, keep going...

Bada-bing-bada-boom! Ah........Mr. Elfa...you make me smile. The only bummer is that three of my shelf brackets needed ordered so the mini shelves aren't up yet. Do you see the WAY SUPER COOL Elfa tote bag? Oh my. They had all my little goodies all organized (imagine that...The Container Store being organized...yes, ah...love it!) and ready for me to take home. The bonus....I now have a WAY SUPER COOL tote bag to use for whatever....whenever. I just might snuggle with it in my bed when I sleep. Yes, I was THAT happy to get it. I even like saying ELFA. Come on, practice with me. ELFA. ELFA. Doesn't it make your mouth all happy to say it? I knew you'd agree. (P.S. Yes, I am this nutty. Just bear with me.)

Now, the goal is to organize said space after sorting/purging/etc. but it will take a while for me to do this process. In the meantime, sweet Elfa dreams and some day I will have a true "after" picture to show. For now, I have things all over it, but not in the manner in which it will stay. It will be a work in progress. Remember, the PILES have to be tamed before I can really do this job. I might need a candy bar to help me. Anybody got any chocolate?

Thanks for stopping by. If you don't hear from me for a while, you'll know I've poked my own eyes out so I don't have to look at the PILES. *chuckle*

Fun In Columbus

2011-01-26T19:16:00.003-05:00

While Julie and Josh are on a 2-week Caribbean cruise, my mom is staying with Tucker. They pretty much sleep, watch tv, eat and keep each other company. I went down last Saturday for the night and had a great time!
This giraffe is his favorite. He curls up with it, puts the "butt" of the giraffe in his mouth like a pacifier and wiggles his front paws like he is "kneading" it's body. Goofy dog! He had this giraffe at the breeder, so it was technically his first toy. No wonder he loves it. It soothes him to sleep.

This dog hides bones and treats EVERYWHERE. When I went to bed Saturday night, I pulled back the covers, slipped into bed and OOH WEE....my leg hit a bone he had hidden. I have no idea how he got it under the covers, but I took it downstairs to him and he acted like it was Christmas. His feelings get hurt if you "find" one or "look" while he's hiding it. LOL In this picture, he is hiding one in his mouth.

Mom was laying on the couch and he "hid" one on her arm. Ok, Tucker, that was a bit obvious. He is so funny! What is even funnier is that mom laid there and just kept chatting with this bone on her arm, even after I told her it was there. ha

Oh boy. Humans get bedhead. Tucker gets "nap chin". LOL He looks so sleepy here.

OH, and this is very common. He was laid out and sacked out all at the same time. What a dog!

I have to tell you about a fun place in Dublin we went to...not once, but TWICE! Menchie's. It is a frozen yogurt chain, but this is the only one in Ohio so far. It is self-serve and you buy it by the pound. Grab a cup, fill it with one or many flavors of yogurt, then....

...add one or many toppings in the "dry" bar.

Then, add fresh fruit, brownie bites, cheesecake bites, etc. from the "cold" bar.

Then, take it to the register, have it weighed, pay and then EAT IT UP...Yummmmmmmm!

Oh, my. LOVE cheesecake bites. I topped mine pretty heavily on day two. Wowzers! It is such a fun place, cute environment and such a happy thing to enjoy. Menchie's! I will definitely be going back again.

Mom and I also went to B&B Scrapbooks in Powell. The nicest lady owns it and they are only about 5 minutes from Julie's house. Mom and I want to go crop there sometime, then spend the night at Julie's. Convenient! :)

On Sunday, we ate at Sunny Street Cafe in Dublin. I had bananas foster pancakes. To. die. for. YUM! Then, we went to Container Store where I bought my Elfa shelving system. Love it! I drove home later that night and Monday meant back to work...back to reality.

Hot Diggity Dog!

2011-01-16T19:54:00.002-05:00

I stamped! For real. I mean, hey, I really really stamped! And, I did it at my craft table. I had about a 6"x6" space to work in, but I did it! I needed birthday cards for Dr. V and Cassie at work, so I stamped. Hot Diggity Dog! I almost forgot how to and better yet...I almost forgot how to post to my blog. So, here ya go....enjoy! Thanks for stopping by! Click the pictures for a closer look.

One Proud Aunt

2011-01-12T21:38:00.003-05:00

Julie received her Master's Degree on 1/9/11. Cheers to a hard-working student! She also works full time at Nationwide Children's Hospital in their Dublin Medical Office Building.

A proud, supportive husband with his Master's graduate wife! :)

It's official! She did it!

Brooke graduated from the University of Akron on 12/11/10. She works in Akron, but hopes to transfer to Columbus soon and work two jobs. She plans on getting her Master's Degree, too. Wow! These girls are go-getters!

Wearing a cap and gown is such an accomplishment! So proud of these girls!

Hats off to you, Brooke! Congrats!

I never said I was right. Gotta be goofy or life gets WAY too boring. ha ha

Charles turned 22 on 1/7/11. We had planned a family dinner at Jake's restaurant, but it got delayed TWICE due to snow. When we were finally able to meet, there were only the four of us. Unfortunately, the rest of the Ashland gang was sick. Crazy winter sickness! Ugh. It was still a very relaxing and wonderful time with Steve, Charles and mom. Happy Birthday! I am so proud of how much Charles has matured this past year. He has found love (wink wink), has a new job and is beginning to understand just how must responsibility life takes. I have seen such a positive change and I thank God for that. :)

HOT HOT HOT wings! Yee-ow-zaaaaa! I tried the sauce and it set my tongue on fire! I do not know how he eats these! ha ha Thumbs up to that!

Make a wish, birthday boy! Love you! I remember when he was born and weighed a little over five pounds. Now he is taller than his Nanny! :)

Sweet Charles. I look forward to see what this next year brings and I hope it is full of blessings!

So, you see...I have a lot to be proud of even as an aunt. I thank God for these three precious people. They have shown me love in a way only an aunt could know. Priceless. Just warms my heart. :)

Christmas 2010

2010-12-25T15:28:00.002-05:00

To save the time of uploading to two different sites, I have decided this time to share a LINK to my photo album Christmas 2010 on Facebook. To see our pictures, just click HERE. Once you do that, it will show you all the pictures together. You can then click on the first picture, read the caption at the bottom and simply click previous or next at the top right of the photo to advance and see each one. Hope that makes sense!!

Hope you have a very Merry CHRISTmas!

Riley's new jammies

2010-12-19T22:17:00.003-05:00

All I can say is....I can't stop laughing at how stinkin' adorable this dog is in his new jammies. I would like to hug the person who invented these because in less than 24 hours I have already laughed enough to last a lifetime. Priceless!
If he looks embarrassed...well, he certainly was! He was not feeling right with his back legs covered and the thing in the back so close to his bum. He got used to them. I'm glad because I think he is just too cute. He slept in them and hung out all day Sunday in them. Kevin was kidding him and asked him, "Riley, are you going to do anything today? You've been in your jammies all day!". LOL Yes, we entertain ourselves with these pooches. LOL

Ok, take a deep breath. I know you are probably laughing so hard right now that you've got to pick yourself up off the floor. Once you do, look at the next picture.

How could you not LOVE this? I mean, come on. A little dog in candy cane pajamas is cute! Not just plain cute, but STINKIN' CUTE! HA HA HA

Oh my!

2010-12-09T21:34:00.003-05:00

For real? It has been a MONTH since I posted on here. Oh my!

Right now, life is on overload. When I catch my breath, I will be able to get back in the groove.

I did go scrapbooking with mom last weekend, so I really do have goodies to show you. It just might not be happening until January. Seriously. Between the many, many changes at work and the overload in my job, I am just whooped after I get home. Another doc is joining our practice and my dept. alone is taking on new job duties. Lots of change right now for everyone. I spend time at WW on Monday night, the Y various times during the week, cook supper for hubby and misc. around the house almost daily, preparing things for Christmas, etc.

I am here, just not on HERE.

Have a very Merry CHRISTmas in case I don't see you before then. And, check back at least weekly to see if I made it on here yet. I will. Don't worry. I'm just REALLY REALLY busy right now. Plus, with my dinosaur computer...nothing happens fast online. Some day I will join the laptop generation. It will be later than sooner though.

Thanks for stopping by my very dusty corner of the internet. LOL

Twelve Paws

2010-11-10T14:23:00.002-05:00

Tucker (Riley's real brother) came over to play on Saturday for SIX hours. That meant twelve paws running, six eyes staring, and three tongues drooling. So fun!
Tucker on the left, Riley on the right

Jack having a nap after doing Puppy Nascar outside. hee hee

Riley deflated his ball when he bit it. He was quite happy though, because he could finally carry it around in his mouth. It went "bye bye" when he wasn't looking though. Sorry, kid.

Oh my...they even got to lick my popsicle stick. Tucker was in 7th Heaven since he usually doesn't get people food. Shhh...don't tell.

Tucker is always welcome here. He just makes himself at home (aka sometimes is the bully). He's just too cute! I am grateful all three of them play together nicely. I love having all three here, but whew...it's harder to keep track of them sometimes. Once he left, my boys passed out! LOL

Politics Schmolitics

2010-11-04T21:16:00.002-04:00

I am not into politics, but I do believe it is important to exercise my right to vote. So, hubby and I go to the polls together. I secretly love the little sticker you get after voting. This picture is my message to all the "bozos" who bashed each other via mailings, phone calls (ahem, too many phone calls!!!), and commercials. So much mud-slinging and so much yackity yack talk. Just be honest, people. What will you do or not do for this city, state or country? Enough bashing. So, thumbs up to the right to vote. Thumbs up that all the ones I voted for also got elected. I love being a Republican! I make no apologies for my conservative views! *wink*

Halloween Pooches

2010-11-04T21:03:00.003-04:00

Crack me up! These silly pooches finally let me keep their costumes on just long enough for some scrapbook moments. I can't wait to use my "little monsters" paper that I bought LAST year. These were supposed to be last year's costumes, but they were not cooperative then.
They were busy watching all the trick or treaters going by and a few firm words like "stay" kept them in position for this shot. hee hee Gotta love my little "one-eyed blue monsters". I have no idea if this blue monster is from a kids' movie or what...

"Hi, my name is Jack-a-ma-dack and I do not like costumes. My smile is a thin disguise for the curse words I am saying loudly in my doggy inside voice." LOL Oh my gosh...how cute is this dog!? Adorable, I say. These poor costumes were too big, but oh well. So worth the laughs.

"Ok, Momma. I'm done. I have kids to bark at through the big window." *sigh* Is he not the cutest stinkin' little peanut?! Gotta love his t-shirt being on, too. It was chilly so he had to dress warm.

Jack was getting some help from his rascal brother, Riley. I think they were both glad when the "annoying costume" photo shoot was over. *chuckle* Gotta love these pooches! :)

Tears for a Stranger

2010-10-24T14:08:00.001-04:00

Remember when I posted HERE about a man battling cancer? I was so sad to read that he passed away Friday morning. I didn't know him, but I bawled when I read his wife's blog post. Please say a prayer for the Buhler family as they say goodbye to a dear husband and daddy. Thanks!

Pumpkin Dip

2010-10-24T12:52:00.001-04:00

1 16 ounce can 100% pumpkin (not pie filling)
1 pound powdered sugar
two 8 ounce bars cream cheese
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg

Beat cream cheese until smooth. Add pumpkin, then powdered sugar. Add spices. Serve with graham cracker sticks, vanilla wafers or ginger snaps. Enjoy!

Thanks, Jen for sharing this yummy recipe!

Croptoberfest 2010

2010-10-24T12:10:00.005-04:00

Our friend Amy periodically hosts crops in downtown Mansfield. This Friday and Saturday my mom and I went and we had tons of fun! This was on Saturday after we had cropped 'til we dropped....or, well in my case, made cards. Amy is a sweetheart and is so generous with her events....Only $15 for two days, door prizes, etc. This is part of the usual cropping group: Connie, Joy, Holly, mom and me. Joan and Tammy couldn't make it this weekend. :( We all love to misbehave together. hee hee

Like I was saying....

Oh, and seriously....we NEVER get in trouble. Just before we took these zany pictures, two Mansfield cops got out of their cars to go into Coney Island next door. Amy said something funny to them, but they acted like they didn't hear her. Party poopers! We love our G-rated fun! Well, ahem...it's sometimes PG-rated. har har

Holly provided Stampin' Up! make-n-takes each day. She is a sweetie! In this pic is: Holly(aka Whitney), Joy (aka Gabby) and Robin.

Connie (aka Lolita) made some yummy cupcakes to share. The wrapper says "tricks and treats". If you're wondering...the "aka" nicknames are something silly we started when we first went to Zane Trace Inn a few years ago. Instead of our real names, we acted like we had different names...and they stuck! Since then, Joy and Holly have joined the craze , so they picked names, too. Connie=Lolita Layout, Joan=Bambi Bling, Natalie=Trixie Texture, Stephanie=Janie Journaling, Joy=Gabby Gadget, and Holly=Whitney White pen. Yes, we are zany...but man do we have tons of fun!!!!

Amy and Jen

Amy had a fun guessing game. Guess how many flowers, buttons, etc. in the jar...

This is the door prize table after a few things had been won. Amy has a good variety and gets such good deals on things to share at our local Ollie's store.

This is one of the many tables where croppers spread out their goodies and create wonderful layouts, cards, etc.

We even had a 90-year-old scrapping with us! This is Rose and Jackie (grandmother and granddaughter). Rose was working on heritage albums. How wonderful!

Ok, then there's the FOOD at these crops. Here, Joy was having a moment of silence in regards to the TO DIE FOR pumpkin dip. I will post the recipe below or in an additional post. Holy cow, YUMMMMMMMMMM!

And, yes...lots of "face-so-red-it-matches-your-shirt" moments were had by the Zaney Girlz! Joy is one of the FUNNIEST people I know. Her one-liners really make me laugh so hard I might need a Depends. For real! LOL!

My "usually-quiet-but-has-an-ornery-streak" mom often has tricks up her sleeve. Oh my! Momma, YOU ARE CRAZY! :) ha ha

I feel so blessed to share such good times with true friends. I hope Joan and Tammy can join us next time. And, thank you to Amy for another GREAT crop! Croptoberfest was a blast! I didn't get a picture of Megan, the Creative Memories consultant that also did a make-n-take. Oops!

Two Years Ago

2010-10-23T09:59:00.003-04:00

Hard to believe two years ago today, we were dealing with THIS. Still makes me teary-eyed. I miss that sweet face! So grateful for the two furbabies we have now though. Goodbye is never easy and I dread the day I have to say it to these boys, too. :(

Our 10th Anniversary

2010-10-17T21:02:00.004-04:00

October 14th was our 10th anniversary. We celebrated a day early with a little road trip to Rockne's in Medina for some yummy food. We also stopped at the Lodi Outlet Mall and picked out some new tennis shoes for both of us and I took a quick stop in the scrapbook store. The weather was just perfect, as was the meal and shopping fun! Here's to the next 10 years!
With the sun on our backs and a smile in our hearts. We are so blessed to have each other!

Oh. my. gosh. Where is the hamburger under ALL those fries? Holy cow are they yummy! They taste like fair fries and we added salt AND malt vinegar. Yes, we ate them ALL! I brought home half of my salad just so I could share the fries! :) Kevin had never eaten there before and was super pleased with everything about Rockne's!

We also watched the big tv, as the Chilean mine rescue was happening live. Amazing!

The hostess was kind enough to take a few pictures of us inside and outside. How sweet!

This was the sky on our ride home. Wow. God is amazing! Who else could paint a sky so beautiful?!! No one but Him!

Hubby behind the wheel. I think right as I took the picture he was saying, "And, why are you taking my picture?". He is not fond of the camera pointing in his direction. LOL

We ordered dessert to go. This is what we enjoyed after we got home. He had the mini red velvet cake and I had the mini cheesecake. YUMMO! It was a tasty ending to a perfect celebration. Happy Anniversary to US! :)

Daddy's 67th Birthday

2010-10-12T22:05:00.003-04:00

A wonderful daddy and his baby girl

Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday-with-your-adorable-Eskie-cake-made-out-of-two-cupcakes..... (whew deep breath)....

Happy Birthday to you!

Actually, what I really sang was "you look like a monkey and you smell like one, too!" Silly!

Not sure what you wished for, but my wish is that we can celebrate together for many more years!

This little Hawkins cake looks like Jack! When the lady asked if I wanted white cake or chocolate, I chose chocolate. Guess we needed to get some "brown" in there to represent the other pooch, Riley. We delivered the cake to Papa for them. :)

Here's the card I made. I thought the sentiment was especially appropriate this year. Dad almost lost his life in February to a major heart attack. I thank God he lived to celebrate this birthday! :)

Check out the "shining" headlights. Thanks to Stickles glitter glue! :) We tucked some car wash vouchers inside. I added some lyrics to "Born to be Wild"....Get your motor running, head out on the highway, look for an adventure and whatever comes your way...Well, I changed them just a tad. Have a fun adventure in your clean car and enjoy celebrating your wonderful life. Love you, Dad!

Coughmania

2010-10-02T13:57:00.003-04:00

I've been hit this week head-on (pun intended) with a cold and cough. Oh brother. I hope to be back to normal and in the groove of sharing pics/projects again soon. In the meantime, I have a date with my cough syrup and jammies. Poor Kevin had a fever for three days, saw his doc and now I have this. We've been so energetic this week...NOT! *cough cough* See ya soon!

Ashland County Fair 2010

2010-09-25T09:00:00.004-04:00

I had taken so many pictures in KY and TN that I had to actually delete a few to take these pics at the fair on Wednesday night.
We didn't watch the tiger show, but walked past and saw them when people were using the long red sticks to feed them raw meat. My, what BIG paws they have!

Love this picture, but won't ride the ferris wheel. It's a bit too high for me!

Love the goats! These two little rascals look ornery. Well, all the goats look ornery. Perhaps that's why I love them so much. I talk to the animals. Yes, I do! I love animals!

Somebody was REALLY into his food that night. His head wasn't stuck. If he dropped it, he'd pick it back up again with his head and try to lick in the bottom of the bucket. Hilarious! Yes, another ornery goat!

I love the sheep, too! All I can think about when I see them is how gentle their little faces are. And, how I was once a lost sheep, but by the grace of God I am no longer! I actually got teary-eyed talking to them because of that very Godly reminder their little faces brought to me. And, who can resist their BAAAAAAAA!

This owner was bottle-feeding her some fresh, cold water. Her name is Chelsea. Pig snouts rock and really, really make me laugh. OINK!

When we arrived, we saw our buddy Irvin near the tractors. Kevin was chatting with him here.

Here's us with Kevin's Allis Chalmers (we nicknamed her Alice)! He decided to display it this year at the fair. I like to kid and say this is a picture of a boy, his girlfriend and his wife. :)

Every tractor has a tag with the make, model, year and owner.

A boy and his tractor....this thing gives him something to be proud of and tinker with on occasion. :) The only bummer...I lost my garage parking spot to her! Oh well...

Nashville!!!

2010-09-23T17:57:00.006-04:00

My dear friend Christie. We met 20+ years ago in college. For my trip last week, I drove straight to her house in Gallatin, TN. I spent all but one night (Saturday) with her family. On Friday, she and I went to Nashville for some much-needed girl time!

This was in the sidewalk at the intersection of Broadway and Second Avenue. Reminded me of a visit to Los Angeles where the stars' names are in the sidewalk. I had to add my sassy red toenails in this one. LOL

Loved all the neon signs downtown. Hard Rock Cafe is at the end of Broadway, just before the riverfront.

Overlooking the river to the right of Hard Rock Cafe...

And, to the left...the Titans stadium. It's hard to imagine just how much water rose in this river in order to flood downtown. Amazing that this town recovered. If I hadn't know it had flooded, I never would have realized it since everything looked great there. Nashville is my favorite city!

Got boots? I'm not crazy about this lame pic of me, but I do like the boot!

Ah, the buzz of the city! The weather that night was divine and the city was packed!

more neon signs...You can see Christie's forehead on the bottom left. ha ha

This is our view overlooking Broadway from the balcony of The Big Bang dueling pianos bar.

To the left of the balcony is the Ernest Tubb Record Shop. This was the first time I didn't go in there and buy some classic country tunes. I guess because I have plenty and don't really listen to it much anymore.

The Big Bang...yep, this was our first stop. The guys in there were so talented. They not only knew how to play any requested song, they also knew the lyrics. Now, that's incredible!

Love the iconic "Batman" building. It just completes the Nashville skyline. I love it!

Another lame pic of me, but what a neat guitar!!

Ahhh...those gorgeous Ryman Auditorium windows....

And, the green glowing lights at the entrance. Gorgeous. Someday, I want to go inside!

The Stage was our second stop. There was a live band playing mostly country tunes, but then they switched it up and played things like Guns 'N Roses and AC/DC.

In The Stage, we sat up in the balcony and just watched people. It was packed in there!

Ah, good times with a great friend. Love you, CC!

20-year high school reunion

2010-09-22T14:14:00.004-04:00

Although you may have NO clue who these people are, I thought I would still share some highlights from my 20-year high school class reunion in Glasgow, KY.
I used to not be able to tell these twins apart. I have no trouble now, but back in elementary school, I had to look at their shoes. One had a blue stripe, one had a red stripe. ha ha

Sonja's eyes are closed, but I still like this picture. Jonathan got voted "most hair left". He totally reminds me of the actor John Ritter! He said he gets that all the time!

Beshka and Terri Jo have been best friends since high school. Terri Jo was homecoming queen and at the reunion got voted "has the youngest child". Her daughter is 7-months old. We do have a classmate who is pregnant, but she didn't win since she couldn't attend. I always thought Beshka was one of the prettiest girls in our class. She still is!

Virgil used to have a crush on me in middle school. ha ha I told him my fav memory is when in middle school someone shoved him in a locker and shut the door. Yes, he was that little and could fit! ha ha He had no idea I was making this goofy face when they took the pic. Gotcha!

One of my best friends, Linda. She and I were close buddies mainly in elementary and middle school. I literally had not seen her in 20 years! Linda was always athletic and it impressed me that she could skate backwards. She still can! We just laughed about that and she told me all about her sweet sons. I sat by her at dinner and caught up. So good to see her again!

Julie Nelson Craddock had "scottie blue" for her manicure. I thought that was neat!

Julie was our class president and Claire is one of my dearest friends ever! We were in Girl Scouts together and her daughter's name is Natalie Claire! My name is Natalie Clare (without the "i"). :)

I thought Bruce Leeson had changed the most. He and I had a good conversation and I got to meet his fun wife!

My other best friend from elementary and middle school, Stacy. She and I were Duran Duran FANATICS! And, I do mean FANATICS! We just hugged each other and told each other how much we loved and missed each other. Gosh, it was good to see her again. Another one that I had not seen in literally 20 years!

Meridith, me, Jon, Claire, Jennifer. I knew Jon mostly in band and Meridith and I have known each other since elementary school. Jennifer, Claire and I used to hang out together since they lived on the same street. It was the kind of group where three WASN'T a crowd. Such nice friends!

I joked with Amy and Scott that I wanted a picture with my 6th grade crush and his wife. The neat thing is that they have been together since 6th grade!!!

Gina traveled the farthest from Washington D.C. I was next in line for that award since I came from Ohio. Instead I got voted "least changed". I'll take that as a compliment! Some people joked and asked me what wrinkle cream I used, etc. I think my secret is that I wash my face nightly and stay out of the sun. Wish the rest of me looked 20 years younger. ha ha

Billy, Gina, Tony, Claire, Kim, Julie, me and Linda...what a great group!

I had taken over 40 pictures, but this is just a snippet of the night. I was so stinkin' nervous before I went, but after all was said and done, I am so so glad I went! Can't wait 'til the next one! I think this time about 1/3 of our classmates showed up. I really hope more come next time.

GHS Class of '90 rocks!

Get Well Soon-Part 2

2010-09-20T00:00:00.000-04:00

Get Well Soon-Part 1

2010-09-18T00:00:00.000-04:00

I made several Get Well Soon cards and never posted them. I am breaking this down into two parts...or two posts. I realize now that I never cropped and labeled these photos. Oh well...Enjoy!

I LOVE this trim. I got it at JoAnn's. Look closely. Depending on which side shows, you get two totally different looks. Neat! Check back in a few days for Part 2. :)

Riley's 2nd b-day

2010-09-16T00:00:00.000-04:00

Hi, I'm Riley! Or, as Momma calls me...Punk! I just had a birfday on Sept. 5th. I am a big dog now. I am TWO! Momma's out of town right now, so I'z uh sneakin' on the compooter to type. I have wittle tiny paws so it's easy for me.Wook at his handsome birfday shirt I got! You will see later what it says. I was outside playing wif one of my new squeaks. Jack and I like to run. He's my bully big brother. Well, ok, I lied. I am the bully. But, I'm cute!

Does this "muffin top" make my neck look fat? Geesh, fashions these days just don't flatter a cute boy's figure. *sigh* My Momma cain't dress me right. She yanked it down too far, huh? But, I'm cute!

Here I am wif my brudder, Jack. He doesn't like squeaks. So, I get to hog them all! You cain't see it here, but there is a speshul peanut butter treat under my chin that we shared. It was DEEEE-lish-us. Momma buys us good stuff. Plus, I'm cute!

Now, for the message on my shirt. It says I am the boss. Well, I am. And, I'm cute!

Being a cute dog is hard work. After all the 80,000 picshurs Momma took, I was tired. When I get a new toy, I like to keep it right by me. Next year, I bet Momma gits me a semi load of treats. Whatcha think? Well, I know one thing....I'M CUTE! :) I had a good birfday. Luv, Riley

For Richard

2010-09-14T00:00:00.000-04:00

I made this musical card for my uncle Richard last month. The musical device is right under the Happy Birthday greeting. Simply press on the button and it plays "Happy Birthday". Cute! I got the musical button at Pat Catan's ages ago, but knew I wanted it to be for his card. I used my new Fiskars edge punch to add the neat "dots" detail along the bottom.

I used my circle punches to get just the right size to cover the front of the musical button.

Because the device had a weird back, I had to punch a hole in the actual card, adhere it very carefully, then cover the back. You can see the side view here. Thanks for stopping by!

39.6

2010-09-13T22:50:00.002-04:00

Well, today was disappointing. I was hoping to have the 40 pound goal written in my Weight Watchers booklet. At weigh-in I was down .8, for a grand total of 39.6. It kind of took the wind out of my sails. I was down 41 pounds per my scale on Saturday and down 40+ this morning on my scale at home. It was a loss at the scale, but seriously....I just WANTED the 40 lb goal before my trip. Was another .4 too much to ask of myself? I should have never eaten breakfast this morning. I thought I was safe. I'm complaining and now I'll stop. I've come a long way. I know that. I just wanted to be over that mark by now. *sigh* I've been pouting all night. It just ruined my oomph today. Sorry. Ok, back to the regularly schedule posts for the week. I know it all adds up in the end, but .4? I needed it, people. I just needed it. *sniffle*

For Rachel

2010-09-13T00:00:00.000-04:00

My college friend Rachel lost her beloved grandma last month. I mailed this to her to let her know I cared.

This week is going to be pretty busy...I am heading to Tennessee on Wednesday and won't be back until next Tuesday. I will be spending the majority of my time with my best friend from college, Christie. My trip, however, was planned around my 20-year high school reunion. That will be held in my hometown of Glasgow, KY. I will be there Saturday and Sunday. It has been 8 years since I have traveled to either place. I am not looking forward to the long drive, but during that time I can think, pray, laugh, cry and sing out loud like no one is watching. :) I will try to have a few posts ready for you to enjoy while I am on vacation. As always, I appreciate those who stop by my blog.

Chapman

2010-09-12T14:02:00.002-04:00

I made this frame for my niece to give one of her best friends for a shower gift. Jenn and Josh just got married yesterday on 9/11/10. I was tickled when I found out they had it on display at the reception. That must mean they really liked it! :) I got the white frame at either Flower Factory or Pat Catan's. Gosh, I can't even remember! I used the Bazzill cardstock with the embossed pattern, a real peacock feather (part of her wedding theme), colored cardstocks, tiny bling stones and Making Memories alpha stickers. This top picture looks a bit dark, but I had a hard time taking a picture with no reflection or glare. You can see more details in the next pic.

Congrats to Jenn and Josh! May you be blessed with a long, happy marriage!

Make a Difference

2010-09-06T20:17:00.001-04:00

...and visit Julie's blog. You can read about her husband's current struggle with cancer. You may wonder how you can make a difference? Please say a prayer for him. I don't know him. I don't know Julie. I enjoy her blog and God just put it on my heart to post this here. So, please...take a quick visit to her blog HERE and say a simple prayer for Russ. It will make a difference. Thanks!

Mom & Me

2010-08-27T21:20:00.002-04:00

I created this layout about my mom and I. The pictures are from March 2010, when we were heading to the Craft Farm for a fun weekend getaway. Click on the picture to see all the details....the stitched corners and title block, the journaling, my mom kissing my cheek in the smaller picture, the textured ribbon, the various paper flowers with button centers, etc. The picture is kind of crooked and it makes the page look crooked, but Kraft cardstock is the 12x12 base, with the scalloped/patterned paper adhered over that. I added the stitched corners to "ground" the Kraft piece and then added all kinds of texture, color, etc. to jazz it all up. It's funky, but I like it.

I had all intentions of entering the Ashland County Fair again this year. This layout would have been one of my three entries. However, I won't be doing that. My Kentucky/Tennessee vacation is during fair time and I won't be here to take the entries to the building. I will also miss half of fair week, so I decided to skip it. I would have been so proud to enter this page as it means a lot to have such a great relationship with my mom. I {heart} my mom! :)

I am REALLY behind with sharing layouts, ideas, etc. Life happens sometimes and maybe some day I'll get caught up. This month has flown by! I was trying to figure out what all has been happening since I posted here last. Well, I checked my calendar to find out. The main thing was that Kevin had a terrible time with his new medication. Between ER visits and one night in the hospital, the last two weeks have really been about me focusing on taking care of him. Aside from that, throw in working full time and exercising most every day, well....August flew by! Kevin is doing better, I am still exercising and losing a bit more weight, etc. I am looking forward to traveling to KY for my 20-year class reunion and visiting some dear friends along the way. I can feel the air changing and have seen a few crinkled, fallen leaves in the yard. Fall is just around the corner. Hoping you and yours is having a blessed day! Thanks for stopping by!

Random Cards

2010-08-07T10:41:00.002-04:00

I have lots of catching up to do on here, but for now I will show you one card I made and the last three were made at past card classes with Holly. Have a great day! Thanks for stopping by!