Blush Blossoms

Jersey Girl

2008-03-30T08:50:00.005-05:00

Ahhh, yes! I am a Jersey girl at heart. Bruce Springsteen- what's not to like? HOWEVER- I absolutely LOVE Jon Bon Jovi ! I have to say that when my husband brought the idea up to me five years ago about getting season tickets to the Philadelphia Soul, I wasn't all that enthused. But Joe knows me VERY well, and knew just where my weak spot was- "Jon Bon Jovi- he's one of the co-owners of the team! He'll probably be at every game- he's very involoved.", he said to me. That was enough to convince me that this was a GREAT idea! And he was right- he is at almost every single game. He works his way around the perimeter of the field before the game starts, signing autographs and talking with the fans. The boys have met him a few times now and he knows Ryan by name (surprise, huh?). Yesterday was no exception! Here's the latest installation of my photos with Jon Bon Jovi..........

Ryan's not even looking at the right camera- he's looking at the PRESS camera ( I know- that's a shocker!) I have to say that, over the last five years, I have become quite a fan of the actual game of Arena Football. I look forward to all the games (not JUST to see Jon!). It's a great family environment and the people who sit around us are wonderful!

This picture was taken right after he signed my coveted baseball hat I paid a fortune for at his concert this month.............

Now onto some stamping! YES! I have been stamping- a ton! I've took on an after school class once a week for eight weeks, and it is finally winding down. I didn't anticipate how much time it would be taking away from everything else and it's just been crazy around here. I came across these adorable treat boxes on SCS the week before Easter and thought I'd give them a try! I modified the measurements a little, made a cardboard template for the window cutout, then mass-produced them for the teachers at the kids' school. Here's a pic of a few of the ones I made:

I still had a package of Stampin'Up! window sheets that have since retired, and used those to make the window. I stamped the greeting using the White Staz-On pad. Once I got through the first one and tweaked the measurements a bit, they came together rather quickly .

Well, I'm off to church, then I have to start cutting an preparing for the stamping classes I have this week and iron out my "real work" schedule (manicurist!)

Enjoy your day!

WOW- two posts in ONE day!

2008-02-25T21:03:00.005-05:00

I had to tell you about my evening. Most of you know how I feel about the Ronald McDonald House charities- if you don't, here's an overview:
My brother Ted is only 18 months younger than me. He was born with a condition called Arthrogryposis.............in short, it's a condition that affects his joints and muscles. Although many people are born with this condition, I've never met anyone that had it like my brother. It effects every joint in his body yet I don't even notice it. He's the most amazing person I've ever met in my life. He has never let it stop him from doing anything in his life. Growing up he had more determination than I could ever dream of having. He spent a lot of time in the hospital which, for me, meant that I got to spend a lot of time in the playroom at the hospital- I still remember the layout of the playroom at the DuPont Institute in Delaware. Every summer Teddy would have to have a few weeks of intensive physical therapy a few times a day and he and my mom would stay at the Ronald McDonald House near the hospital. My dad worked shiftwork at a refinery in Paulsboro and they only had one car so it really helped that they could stay there. I played with so many kids growing up that had all sorts of disabilities that sometimes I thought something was wrong with me! I was the one who was different.
When Stampin' Up! announced their partnership with the Ronald McDonald House Charities I was thrilled to say the least. It was the perfect outlet for me to show my appreciation for all they had done for my family over the last 30 years. For the last three months I've been stamping at the local house near me- it's been the most rewarding experience I've ever had. I've gotten to know so many wonderful families and met so many great kids who are dealing with some tremendous situations. Tonight was no different. Tonight only two people stamped at my table-that's it. Just two. BUT...............tonight I met a two year old little girl (Giovanna) that had a nuclear study today because she has cancer. Her and I sat and stamped ladybugs across a grid sheet- for 30 minutes. She tried to eat my glue stick. We walked around the House and looked at all the fish in the fish tanks. We walked around the playroom - she would grab my hand and say, "come here" and we would walk...............
Tonight I met a mother who had just given birth 24 hours ago to a baby girl that has to have lung surgery to remove a cyst on her lung. We sat and talked about all the things mothers talk about- how much the baby weighed, how she is eating, and so forth.
Over the last three months I have met people I will remember as long as I live. People who have made more of a difference in my life than I ever could in theirs.
Tonight I needed to write about the most wonderful thing that this hobby has given me.

Here's a picture of my brother paying basketball with Ryan a couple of weeks ago................

Just for me!

2008-02-25T11:04:00.002-05:00

Please accept my apologies for not keeping up with this blog the way that I intended to. I took on an after school class one day a week and it's on my busy day (with nails) so Tuesdays are extra long for me! I find myself prepping for it every weekend instead of planning ahead and I just can't get caught up! It's Sale-a-Bration time and I've been busy planning for a Stamp-a-Stack the beginning of March along with regular Stamp Club. I spent all day Saturday cutting and prepping for the after school program and the Ronald McDonald House (which is tonight!). When I finally finished, I looked around at the scraps I had laying on my table and decided to make myself a card! Here it is:

I used some of the new products that will be available in the upcoming Occasions Mini Catalog. I also used the Sale-a-Bration rub-ons for the center of the flower. They are really a lot of fun!

I spent all day yesterday in bed with a terrible migraine so now I am even further behind! It's better today.......just that "fuzzy" feeling in my head, but at least it's no pain! Gotta get back to work! Have a great day everyone!

We're Off!

2008-01-23T07:59:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow we head for our Disney vacation!The boys haven't been able to sleep for a week (neither have I!). No matter how many times we go, it doesn't get old. I'll leave you with a card I'll be doing at my mini stack the end of February (the rest of the details about dates and times will be announced when I return!). This is a great technique called faux-ripped paper. It looks as if the white layer is ripped and designer paper is showing through, doesn't it? I saw Dawn Griffith do this card and knew I had to give it a try! The best part is that you can put any greeting you'd like- they are so many that fit! The other card is a birthday card I made for my oldest nephew using one of the new Sale-a-Bration Sets!

See ya when I get back!

Can you hear me now?

2008-01-14T19:26:00.000-05:00

Are you there? Are you still with me? I wouldn't blame you if you jumped ship! The holidays are finally over and we had a blast! It was filled with busy days and nights and lots of running around and now it's all over..........

Some highlights of our Christmas:

~ My brother-in-law, Nicholas was here from North Carolina- it was nice to visit!

~ The Wii- EVERY family should have this game system! I had no idea it would be as much fun as it has been! I can't believe how much I love it, personally. I throw a load of laundry in and play a gmae of tennis- LOL!

~ Our upcoming trip to Disney- we leave in 10 days and we're so excited!

I did a TON of stamping during the holidays. I vowed to use the things I bought and to use all the handmade tags I made instead of just looking at them!

Here's a few pics from our holidays:

Ryan with his "Baseball Guys"

Preston with one of his PSP movies........

I've been working on my Club projects for January and February since we'll be away. My pre-order of Sale-a- Bration stamp sets arrived today- WOOHOO!

I am headed to the Ronald McDonald House tomorrow night to stamp with the families there.....that's always a good time!
It was good to catch up- stay tuned for some great things in 2008!

Wrapping it up!

2007-12-06T09:47:00.000-05:00

I'm trying to start my wrapping early and since I'm working *really* hard at not hoarding my supplies, I'm using them! Here's 3 gifts I did last night- I have a busy weekend coming up......the Bunko Holiday Dinner is Friday night, my downline Holiday Brunch is early Saturday morning, and the last one is for our family friend, Katie! SSShhh! Don't tell her!

Here's my Bunko holiday gift:

Here's a couple pics of the one I did for the downline brunch:

This one is my favorite! I LOVE all those bright colors! Here's a close-up of the snowflake...I covered it with Bashful blue craft ink , then heat and stick powder, then dazzling diamonds glitter- it's soooo sparkly!

This one is for Katie....we just LOVE her! I included a really sparkly lip gloss for her, too!

here's a close-up of the star tag I did....I used craft inks and heat and stick powder with glitter on these also!

Thanks for stopping by today! I'll post some more pictures as I continue to wrap! Guess I better get those Christmas cards out, huh?!

That Fast?

2007-12-01T09:09:00.000-05:00

Did two weeks really fly by that quickly?! I have been busy with classes and trying to get ready for the holidays- I didn't mean to neglect you!

Here's a collage picture of my Holiday cards class.............everyone made eight different cards.

Also- LOOK WHAT I MADE THIS WEEK! Beate ROCKS! I mean, seriously! I followed her tutorial to a "T" cause when you make one of these for the first time, you need to do that. I'm gonna make a few more as gifts I think. Even if they can't use them this year, there's always next year, right?

My boys do the Lego Advent calendar every year, so now each of them can open a container everyday! Each round tin is filled with a slip of paper that says, "dinner of your choice", or "stay up a half hour later", or " trip to Starbucks" (that one's really for Mom, but they don't need to know that!), or "play a game with Mom, Dad, or Brother".......and so on! It's hanging in my dining room and I smile every time I look at it! If you do it in steps, it really comes together without too much stress!

That's all for today! I have to take a shower and get started on the indoor decorations! Preston and I went to a midnight showing of National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation last night so it was a late night! I laughed like I had NOT seen the movie a million times already! It was a special treat for Pres and a lot of fun!

Have a great day!

Have you seen this?

2007-11-14T17:26:00.000-05:00

This is a GREAT tutorial on SCS! I did, however, have a little trouble with the corners.....I'm a little "impaired" when it comes to stuff like that. After I finished scoring and cutting all the DS paper, then adhering it all, I went to assemble it and realized my corner creases were going in the WRONG DIRECTION!UGH!!! Anyways, eventually I figured it out and here is the end result:

Isn't it pretty?! Check out the tutorial- Beate rocks!

In other news: I will post pics of the Stamp Club projects for November tomorrow.............I ran out of daylight to take the pictures. Thanks for stopping by!

Soccer thanks..............

2007-11-03T10:45:00.000-05:00

Next Saturday will be Ryan's last soccer game. he has a great coach and is on a wonderful team. We will give the coach a little "thank you" next week, at the last game, for all of his time. I made this gift card holder to hold the Dunkin Donuts gift card all the parents shipped in to give him. If you'd like to learn how to make one of these gift card holders, sign up for my Tags class in December- we'll be making one for the holidays!

I am completely hooked on the textured cardstock from Stampin'Up! it is soooo nice!! Here's a pic of the inside:

I made a belly band to go around it to keep it closed. Can you believe it was the first time I had ever used the label punch?!

Thanks for stopping by tday! Enjoy your weekend!

November Specials!

2007-11-02T07:41:00.001-05:00

There are lots of things to talk about this morning! Stampin'Up! is having some wonderful promotions during the month of November. Here's the details about the first one:

Paper Party Promotion

November 1--November 30

Stock up for all your upcoming projects with Stampin' Up!'s exclusive double-sided Designer Series paper. We've got so many pretty patterned papers to choose from; you're sure to find the perfect patterns to help you show off your unique crafting style. Best of all, you'll get a FREE pack of double-sided Designer Series paper ($9.95 value) for every three packs you buy-no limits, no restrictions! Visit pages 170-173 of the Fall--Winter Collection 2007 to view the beautiful double-sided Designer Series paper. And be sure to download the patterns and instructions for all of the festive projects featured on the home page!
Contact me today take advantage of this fantastic offer!

Here's the details on the next promotion!

All in the Family

Dave Abbott Family Fund

November 1-30

Help us honour our friend and Australia General Manager, Dave Abbott. Dave passed away from a rare blood disease, and during November we're donating 100 percent of the sales worldwide from the All in the Family stamp set to the Dave Abbott Family Fund.
Campaign Details
During November, 100 percent of the proceeds from the All in the Family stamp set will go to the Dave Abbott Family Fund.

If this set is on your wish list, the month of November is the TIME to get it! I think I might buy another one just to make a contribution! I'll be posting projects made with the All in the Family set all during the month of November. It's a very versatile stamp set and can be used to make great gifts and school projects. My first post using the set is a 12 x 12 layout that I made at Scrap Club (at Gail's) in June. Aren't these the CUTEST?!

Have a great Friday everyone! Thanks for stopping by!

Weekend Sketch challenge

2007-10-28T10:41:00.000-05:00

I just happened to make this card last week and it turned out that Beate had this as her weekend sketch challenge! I {heart} the Holy Triptych stamp set- it absolutely beautiful! We'll be making a couple of cards with it at the Easy Holiday Cards Class and I think I'll use it for the Tags class in December!
Anyways, here's the card I made:

It is so sparkly!! I covered the angel's wings with Dazzling Diamonds glitter and she's stamped on Shimmery White cardstock. I made this card with someone very special in mind. You don't have to, but I created the layered oval to secure the card closed. Because it is a Z-fold, it doesn't really close tight all the way (although once you put it in an envelope, does it really matter?!) . Here's a close-up of the that:

I'm trying to catch up today since the boys and I have been down with a cold/sinus thing all week. I just finished making Ryan's sign for Halloween- he's going to be Linus from the Peanuts Gang and walk around with his "Welcome Great Pumpkin" sign. I'm so glad I saved the Tall Tales alphabet from last year! It was perfect for the lettering. Stay tuned for pictures from Halloween mid-week!
Have a wonderful Sunday!

I just realized................

2007-10-19T08:01:00.000-05:00

That I never showed the four projects form World Card-making Day! Here's one of them. I modified a card idea that was supplied by Stampin'Up! I like a lot of layers (Thanks, Gail!), so I had to change it- the one they showed up was just too plain! This is the only card that is missing in the picture of me and my friends from the House in this post.

Also, here is a great project I made using an iced tea jar (love that POM Blackberry tea- thanks , Merridith!). I filled it with Caramel Apple candy corn and took it up to my cousin's last weekend and gave it to her. Now I have about 20 if these bottles in my basement waiting to be altered! All the different flavors have different colored lids so you can modify it for almost any occasion.

isn't it cute?!

Halloween Treats for the kiddies!

2007-10-14T10:36:00.000-05:00

We're headed up to my cousin's house (about an hour and a half from here) this afternoon and I wanted to take a treat up to her four kids! I saw these a few weeks ago on Cambria's blog and HAD to try them! They were easy-peasy and I put them together in just a few minutes! I filled three of them with peanut butter eyeballs for the three older kids, then filled the last one with m&m's for little Kate!

The Ronald McDonald House

2007-10-13T14:02:00.001-05:00

On Friday, I delivered the basket of cards to the Ronald McDonald House in Camden. It was so nice to meet Sonia and Teddy! Teddy took me on a tour of this beautiful House and told me all about the families that stay there. They usually host families that are being treated at Cooper, Wills Eye, Shriner's, and Penn. They also provide a restful environment for expectant mothers who are undergoing fetal surgery at The University of Penn and then their babies are taken to CHOP. It was an awesome tour! I've been in a few other Houses in the Tri-state area and they are all different- for example, all the rooms in the Camden House are all decorated differently. I toured the Spongebob room and if any of you have ever been to the Nick Hotel in Orlando, it looked just like that! It was incredible! Teddy also took me into the Harley Davidson room- it was full of motorcycles. It even had an orange and black bathroom! I think, by far, the neatest thing in the Camden House is this mirror that is hanging in the kids playroom. It was donated by a kind woman who had an abundance of happy meal toys. She found a giant mirror at a flea market (for $5!) and painted the frame black. She then hot-glued a TON of happy meal toys all around the frame! You could look at it all day! Some of them were so old, I knew they were ones I had when I was a kid! It was an awesome sight!! There are so many ways you can help out at your local Ronald McDonald House- it doesn't have to be anything big. Here are just a few:

~You know those can tabs from cans of soda? Pop them off and save them in a jar! The houses cash them in and use the money to pay for the utilities in the House (i.e.- electric, water, gas)

~ Empty ink cartridges! The Houses receive $2 for every empty ink cartridge they recycle!

~ Going to Costco or BJ's? Pick up an extra pack of toilet paper, paper towels, or wipes- the Houses need all the regular household items that we use!

~ Gather a group of friends together and make a meal! Just contact your local House to see when you can be put on the schedule to deliver a hot meal- the families really appreciate it after a long day at the hospital.

I just want to leave you with a picture of Sonia, Teddy, and myself holding the basket of cards we donated. Thanks again to EVERYONE who participated in this event! You've made a difference in the lives of others- doesn't it feel GREAT?! Have a great weekend everybody!

World Card-Making Day!

2007-10-07T08:30:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, we celebrated World Card-Making Day by stamping cards for the local Ronald McDonald House. We had a great time and I especially appreciate the support. It was a great day of friendship and stamping! Click the Smilebox presentation to view a few of the pictures from yesterday's event.

Click to play Make your own Smilebox

October Stamp Club

2007-10-05T09:36:00.000-05:00

Sorry it's been a while since I posted- it's been a busy week. I feel like I say that ALL THE TIME! I thought I would have all this free time when the kids went back to school, but somehow,I haven't found it yet. Anyway, I had Stamp Club this week and tomorrow is World Card-Making Day so I've been busy preparing for that. Here are the projects the Club made on Tuesday night:

I wanted to teach them the FANTASTIC trick of creating faux icicles using Crystal Effects and Dazzling Diamonds glitter. Isn't it GREAT?!
The we moved on to Halloween. This is a modified version of a card that was demonstrated at the Philly Regional Conference last month- I loved it!

Next are the Dixie Cup party favors that were demonstrated at Convention this year- halloween style!

For the last card, we used the Fabulous Flowers set.

I'll post the samples from the four cards we'll be making for WOrld Card-Making Day tomorrow when we're all done! Have a great day!

October Specials

2007-10-02T14:48:00.000-05:00

October Stampin' Up! Specials!

Holiday Glitz Promotion

October 1-while supplies last
Make your holiday cards glitzy this year with a little help from the Holiday Glitz card kit. With Stampin' Up!'s precut card stock and Designer Series paper, festive zigzag ribbon, and Rhinestone brads, spreading handmade holiday cheer has never been this easy! Each Holiday Glitz card kit makes 15 handmade cards and includes:
Precut card stock and Designer Series paper (15)
Whisper White Envelopes (15)
Rhinestone brads (15)
Real Red zigzag ribbon (15)
Full-color instruction sheet (1)
There are two ways to take advantage of this fantastic kit while supplies last:
Purchase one of the holiday stamp sets listed below and get the Holiday Glitz card kit for the special price of $24.95, or Purchase the Holiday Glitz card kit for $28.95 with no additional purchase required.

Qualifying stamp sets include:
Snowfall - $23.95
The Snowflake Spot - $20.95
Big on Christmas - $18.95
Love & Joy - $23.95

Simply Sent Card Kits 20% Off!
October 4-8

In honor of World Card Making Day, Stampin' Up! is offering 20% off all Simply Sent card kits from October 4-8. Check out the available kits on pages 12-14 of the current Fall/Winter collection. Don't miss out on these great specials! Contact me to place your order!

Stamp Club

2007-09-19T11:41:00.000-05:00

The girls met for Stamp Club last night. They made 2 cards and a halloween nugget box. Here's some pictures of the projects they did:

They wanted to work with watercoloring, so they made these two cards using different supplies. The Christmas card image was stamped onto shimmery white cardstock using a Chocolate Chip craft pad and embossed with clear embossing powder. They then watercolored the image using the Watercolor Wonder Crayons and Aquapainters. The fall card was stamped using Timber Brown Staz-on ink onto watercolor paper, then colored with watercolor pencils and blended with Blender Pens- except for the leaves- they were done using Stampin' Pastels and blender pens.

Next month I'm planning a Stamp Camp! We're going to be making a Holiday Planner. This planner was shared on the Stampin' Up! incentive cruise this year. It can be adapted for any event- birthdays, babysitter info, vacations, etc. Here's a few pics of the one we'll be making.

If you'd like to know the secret to creating one of these great planners, contact me today for class information!

WHEWW!

2007-09-14T22:27:00.000-05:00

Have I had a whirlwind week! My computer took a "fit" last Wednesday and after many long hours between the computer genius and myself, it is, for the most part, restored. After taking it to the Geek Squad at Best Buy, then 4 excruciating hours on the phone with a tech support agent (in INDIA- you know how that goes) with HP, I took it to someone one of my clients recommended. This genius was able to recover my data and get the computer functioning (almost normally). My video card is screwed up, so my kids can't play games on it- I'm elated, um I mean heartbroken about that! On top of the computer trouble, it seems my car has decided to cause problems as well. Something is not right in my transmission, but I don't need a whole new one (at least not yet). Anyways, we're still working on that!
I was a mess without my laptop- how did that happen?? My next four months of classes was on it, not to mention every picture I've taken in the last 2 years and an iTunes library that Idon't even wanna guess the value of. And before you ask, yes I did back it up, but apparently, my desktop computer is missing the utility to retrieve the info off of the external hard drive- something else that added insult to injury! I have been almost impossible to live with and, being the emotional person I am, I pretty-much spent the whole week crying.
I shrugged it all off today (as best I could!) and attended Stampin'Up! 's regional conference in Philadelphia. It was a wonderful day filled with lots of great information. I love the smaller setting that the Regional conferences offer- especially since Shelli herself was there! I've seen Shelli before, but at convention you have to wait hour to get your picture taken with her. Not today! As soon as I get a chance to unload the pictures I took today I'll post it. I also got to see my FAVORITE person from the Home Office- Jaron Winder. I {heart} Jaron!!! he's an absolute scream on the stage and I love to watch him stamp - he cracks me up! I got my picture taken with him, too!

So, forgive me for not posting in over a week, but the whole computer thing was awful. Needless to say, I'm burning discs like a mad woman and perfecting my external hard drive knowledge.
I have lot of great information to share, but Ill have to do it later this weekend! Thanks for hanging in there with me!

World Card Making Day!

2007-09-02T07:28:00.000-05:00

The World Card Making Day Promotion runs from Oct. 4th - 8th . World Card Making Day is Saturday, Oct. 6th and I will be having a special event to commemorate the occasion (like I need a special event to stamp- LOL!).

When: Saturday, Oct. 6th, 12 noon - 5pm

Where: My House!

Details: Proceeds from this event will be donated, as will most of the cards we'll be making, to the Ronald McDonald House Charity. ($5 registration fee includes refreshments and door-prize entry. In addition to helping make cards for donation, you may make take-home cards for your own use for $2 each.) Please save this date and plan to join us for an hour or two as we participate in the first annual World Card-Making Day -- Help make a difference to a family in need!

As many of you already know, the Ronald McDonald House Charities is very near and dear to my heart. They have helped my family out many times over the years and I take every opportunity I have to return the favor. Please join me for a special day of stamping!

Here's one of the cards you'll be making...............

To celebrate, Stampin'Up! is offering 20% off of all their Simply Sent kits (see pages 12-14 in the Fall/ Winter Catalog).

These kits are wonderful for busy stampers. You will get instructions as well all the supplies to make at least 10 cards, including ink, paper, embellishments and even envelopes. They also make wonderful gifts!

September Stampin' Up! Special!

2007-09-02T07:20:00.000-05:00

The Fall Frenzy Promotion runs from Sept. 1 till Sept. 30th .

Spend $30 in regular priced merchandise (not inc. shipping and tax) and qualify to purchase one of each of the promotional stamp sets listed below at 30% off !

#105355 - Bitty Boos Too (page 26)
#109284 - Haunting Halloween (page 29)
#107383 - Thoroughly Thankful (page 30)
#109373 - Autumn Fest (page 108)
#109421 - Elementary Essentials (page 91)
#110366 - Stem Silhouettes (Holiday Mini page 17)

If you're interested in taking advantage of this great deal, contact me today!

Stamp Club.............

2007-08-18T07:46:00.000-05:00

Here are the stamp club projects from last night. They made two cards and one 2-5-7-10 box.

This card uses the new Designer Series paper, Dashing. They heat embossed the "L" using clear EP, the dry embossed the circles on the vanilla layer using the Dots Classy Brass stencil.

This card was shared by my upline, Gail- isn't it cute?! They masked the rhino image just a little to put the tiger on top. The balloons are made using one of the flower centers from the Polka Dot and Petals stamp set. They put a tiny bit of Crstal Effects on the balloons to make them shiny.

This is the 2-5-7-10 box they made. They just followed the fabulous instructions provided by Jenn balcer last week. They used the Doodle This set and the Doodle Wheel. I made the ink cartridge using Soft Sky ink refill and an empty jumbo cartridge.

I also showed them some samples that I put together last week for uses with the Three for You Punch Box.They were all inspired in some way by the gallery on SCS, and they were a breeze to put together!

Happy Saturday everyone!

Butterflies...........

2007-08-16T19:45:00.000-05:00

Well, it's been another crazy week around here! Only three weeks till school starts (but I'm not counting or anything- LOL!) Joe and I got away for a few days last weekend to Ocean City, Maryland......it was GREAT! I've been preparing for my stamp club meeting tomorrow night this week and I'll post the pictures of the projects tomorrow after we meet- I don't wanna spoil the surprise!

In the meantime, I'd like to share some more pictures of a butterfly that was hanging around the front porch yesterday. Butterflies are special to me.........they remind me of my Dad. When we were in St. John's and out on the boat going to scatter his ashes into the Caribbean, there was a butterfly flying all around our boat- out in the middle of the Caribbean! It was the strangest thing! It stayed with our boat all morning long .............when we stopped to snorkle, it would fly around us in the water. I swear it was my Dad................

Since then, whenever I see a butterfly, it makes me think of him. Joe and I were sitting on the front porch yesterday, and this BEAUTY came over to a hanging basket I have. It flew all around us on the porch- we could've actually grabbed it- it was amazing! It was the most beautiful butterfly I'd ever seen! Here are some pics of this one....................

the vibrant colors of blue and orange were just the most beautiful I've ever seen!

I'll be back tomorrow with stamp club projects!

Frederick, MD

2007-08-06T18:46:00.000-05:00

We went to Frederick, Maryland this past weekend to visit a close friend of mine from high school. James and I have known each other for almost 20 years- it's hard to believe! We have remained close, although our contact is sometimes sporadic, we always take up right where we left off. I absolutely adore him! So when he sent me my birthday card this year along with a postcard from Seussical (the musical) that he was preforming in down in Frederick, I knew we had to go see him! We bought our tickets and drove down for a visit on Saturday night. We had a fantastic meal at this Tapas place called Isabel's, right in downtown Frederick. If you have the opportunity, don't pass it up! It was great! The show was wonderful and James was incredible! The boys were so excited to know one of the "stars" in the play and they treated him like he was a celebrity the whole time we were there with him- it was so cute! Here's a couple pics of James with the boys after the show ended.

On the way home, we stopped at the Inner Harbor in Baltimore and did a Ride-the-Ducks tour. It was a lot of fun! Preston really enjoys history so he especially loved learning about all the great things Baltimore has to offer. Ryan was thrilled just to have the wacky quacker! LOL!

Today I worked on my stamp club projects for this month. I'll post the pictures of what they'll be making after the club meets on the 17th. Hopefully, once I finish those projects, I'll have some more time to play with my new goodies that have arrived!

My Review of paperpretties................

2007-08-03T15:14:00.001-05:00

Okay.............so we all know that I love to stamp- that's a given. So when I heard about this program that a fellow Stampin'Up! demo was starting I jumped on the bandwagon. I knew she was breaking all kinds of rules as a demo for Stampin'Up! because, clearly, her new endeavor was a conflict of interest, but I overlooked it for the sake of coveting some new stamps called Bellas and having all the work done for me. All I had to do was make the card, ya know?! I had never used unmounted stamps before and I thought this would be a great opportunity to try some. Unfortunately, a few of you joined me on this adventure, and here's what happened:

You agree to sign up for a "subscription" of 6 months for which you are entitled (this is the key-word here) to receive a "card class" in a box. Cardstock, envelopes, embellishments, and a new Bella stamp each month, along with a color copy of a card design. The price is a bit steep, but I decide to try it anyway- my MISTAKE.My very first box was due to arrive in March.................it didn't arrive till the first week of April. Apparently, it takes FOREVER for things to get here from Canada- and when it does, it looks like my mailman has walked it here himself! I open it up and check out the sample- it's okay....... I'm not in love with the card design, but it is just the first month and I figure I should give it some time. I'm hearing that others are complaining about the long shipping times and their comments are "magically erased" from the Yahoo group that was set up for the customers. I guess you can only post a comment if it is a favorable one....otherwise you get banned from the group.

The long and short of it is, the boxes arrive later and later and then the emails begin...............she's missing cardstock and the boxes will be late. Days pass before we hear anything. She sends another: the boxes shipped! She sends another: Actually, the boxes didn't ship. She's still waiting on cardstock- WHAT?! Substitute something- for crying out loud!! In the meantime, my money is still being debited and I have NOTHING to show for it. I'm hanging in cause she's asked me to be a guest designer and I should receive my box early for that month..............that box NEVER COMES. Oh! Here's another email- she's having a GREAT time on her trip to Disney World.........WHAT?! I contact her and say I'm done and I don't want anymore of the boxes. She says I'm obligated till August and she's not giving refunds. I contact Paypal, file complaints, and contact the Better Business Bureau in Canada, and her and I are emailing back and forth and she keeps saying that all of the shipping and supplier issues were " beyond her control". Apparently, EVERY problem she has is beyond her control and just because she send emails out telling everyone that their stuff isn't coming that absolves her from responsibility.

The short of it is that she does refund me for two of the boxes (after numerous emails) and says she will refund the third and final box after I return it to her and she can see whether or not it's been opened. Again, by the time the FedEx guy brings it, it looks like he walked it across the border himself and there is NO WAY I'm gonna send it back to her so she can tell me I opened it and not give me a refund, so I open it, take out the Bella stamp, and give the rest of the junk in the box to the kids....................even they are not worthy of the poor quality envelopes she puts in the boxes if you ask me.

Lesson learned- if you wanna buy other stamps, fine. Knock yourself out. But the cardstock, envelopes and other stuff out there is just NOT the same quality as Stampin'Up- in my humble opinion. Also, If it looks like duck and acts like a duck, chances are it IS a duck. She obviously didn't feel bad about violating her Demonstrator Agreement with Stampin'Up, why would she feel obligated to the people who signed her membership agreement? So be forewarned: do yourself a favor and don't sign up for Paperpretties....they are anything but. Just buy your Bellas direct from their site and save yourself the money and the aggravation!

an answer to a question........

2007-08-01T15:06:00.001-05:00

I received a question about the clear boxes I made with my stamp club this month from Stacey. They were purchased from Clearbags.com and the item number is FB86. I just ordered 125 of them and they are .50 cents each if anyone is looking for some!

Finally..some stamping!

2007-08-01T08:35:00.000-05:00

I made the thank you's for Ryan's birthday last night. He wanted to have a bowling party this year. I used an old retired set called, "Have a Ball"- boy am I glad I held onto that one! I use it at least once a year and my friend Vicki uses it all the time with her Elementary school class so it has really come in handy! I did use all new colors of cardstock and the new Simple Serif small alphabet set- I really like this set. It is so tedious to mount, but it's a great set to have!

And here's the birthday boy................ I can't believe he's 6 already!

On another note......................I received my copy of the new Holiday Mini catalog in the mail last week. There are lots of great new holiday sets in it and some awesome new wrapping paper that coordinates with stamp sets making it really easy to make your holiday gifts look great this year! I'm planning on using it in some upcoming classes this fall - so stay tuned! One of the BEST things about the stamps in the new mini (available Sept.1st) is that they are all die-cut! That means no trimming! You just mount them and you're ready to go! That'll save a bunch of time- especially around the holidays! I'm hoping this is a sign of things to come.................
Have a great day everyone!

We're back!

2007-07-26T12:34:00.000-05:00

We got home from Lake George yesterday afternoon in just enough time to get showered and get ourselves to the swim team banquet. It took almost an hour to scrub all the filth off of Ryan! We had great weather (just one day of rain), and saw lots of the Lake George area. I have a few pics to share with you from our campsite and some fishing we did on the lake. We rented a boat for a few hours and we caught 4 fish while we ere out there (3 OF THEM BY ME!). The boys couldn't believe it! The biggest one I got actually broke my line and got away just as I reeled it up to the boat. It really was tons of fun! Lake George is a beautiful area and we can't wait to go back! Here's a few shots from our long weekend................

The kickball game...............they played with a bunch of other kids who were camping around our site.

fishing on the lake.........................

And here are a few pics of a BEAUTIFUL butterfly I saw on some flowers. I'm actually gonna enter a couple of these into a photo contest Stampin'Up! is holding..........

I got my second order from the new catalog right before we left for Lake George so I'm hoping to get to some playing time this weekend- especially if it's rainy! Woohoo!

July Stamp Club

2007-07-18T10:12:00.000-05:00

These are the projects that my Stamp Club did for July. They made two cards, using new sets and In Color cardstock, and they made a set of four 3x3 notecards, also using new stuff, that fit into a clear box. The boxes were purchased from Clearbags.com . They are GREAT!

Completely unrelated, Joe and the boys and I are off to Lake George for 5 days for some camping. I sure hope the weather is good!

Happy Fourth of July!! New Link posted!

2007-07-04T09:49:00.000-05:00

Have a wonderful and safe holiday today!! I'm killing a few minutes before leaving for a BBQ and trying to finalize my first new catalog order. I usually wait till they open up expedited shipping cause I'm all about instant gratification!! I think it's almost complete! I'll post it as soon as I pace it tomorrow afternoon, so you can all see what's coming here by the beginning of next week! I want to be able to use it for the Stamp Club meeting on Friday, so that's my excuse to ship it 2nd Day Air- thanks girls!!
I also wanted to let you know that I posted a link over to the right where you can find a chart listing color combinations for the 6 new In Colors . It's a great resource and one that I often turn to. Check it out! Have a great day today and be safe!

Cowgirl re-visited

2007-07-01T21:34:00.001-05:00

Whew! It's been a crazy couple of weeks! We've had a few graduation parties, sporting events, and last night we went to see the Soul 2 Soul concert with Tim McGraw (yummy!) and Faith Hill!! The boys and my mom went with us this year- it was INCREDIBLE!! You'll notice at the bottom of the page here you'll find a YouTube video of Tim McGraw doing one of his new songs that he also performed last night. Warning- it's a tear-jerker!!! The video is of him performing it at the ACM Awards earlier this year.

Ryan had a birthday party earlier yesterday before the concert and it was a western-themed party so it was perfect! All the kids got cowboy hats and he wore his (and the bandanna) to the concert last night- it was hysterical! So what better use for the cowboy stamp from the retired set (another that I just can't bear to part with) Cowboy Kid. Since it was for a little girl, I took the opportunity once again of doing that neat little trick many of us learned of making that cowboy a cowgirl. The printed paper is from Crate, but soon enough I'll have the *new* designer paper from Stampin'Up! to use!!

Here's a shot of the graduation tins I made for the parties we went to the weekend before.

Here's another card I made for my cousin's little girl for her birthday in June. Ellen is a nature girl, so I hope she likes it! This is a take on a card we did at Stamp-a-stack last year. I just changed the colors and added some polka dot ribbon I got on a share from Jody.

Finally, some stamping!!

2007-06-15T13:19:00.001-05:00

Here are the projects my Stamp Club made last night. They were all shared at a recent downline meeting and everyone loved them! The altoid tins are the perfect size for gift cards. Thanks to my upline Gail, who always shares everything!!

Here's a close-up of each card and the tin:

More photos......

2007-06-12T10:33:00.000-05:00

I'll be posting some pictures of my stamp projects for my club on Friday. I don't want to post them before-hand since they don't meet till Thursday night. So I thought I'd share some more photos from my trip. Today I wanna share some pictures of the Kinsale region of Ireland. This was one of my favorite places on the tour. It's a small harbor town with lots of great little shops and places to eat. This was, by far, the best place to eat- in my opinion. The food in Ireland isn't all that great, but we had lunch at a little place n Kinsale and it was AWESOME!!!!

This is Don Herlihy. He was our local guide in Kinsale. He explained all about the Spanish Armada coming to Kinsale and the Charles Fort- a star-shaped fort that was built to protect the harbor. I enjoyed his tour very much. I'm not much on history, but he had the cutest Irish accent and I enjoyed listening to him speak about the harbor- he was a wonderful guide.

These trees line most of the roads in Ireland- they are everywhere. They are called Hawthorne trees ( or fairy trees, as they are affectionately known as in Ireland). It is bad luck to trim them or cut them down so they are abundant- and very beautiful!!! I'm gonna be looking for one of these to plant in our yard.

This is mom and I at the Fort. We didn't walk along for the guided tour because our local Kinsale guide had been so thorough at explaining how the whole thing worked that we just wanted to walk around and enjoy the beautiful view................

And it was just that- beautiful! We even saw a dolphin jumping around in the water following the boats that were coming in and out.

Tomorrow I'll be sharing some pictures of my other favorite place on the tour- the Dingle Peninsula. And then I'll share some stamping with you! Stay tuned..............

I'm home

2007-06-10T20:08:00.000-05:00

Well, I've been back a week and I'm finally starting to get back into the swing of things! My first week home was absolutely crazy! There is so much going on and trying to unpack and get caught up with my clients and everything going on at school- it was nuts! My birthday was Wednesday, and the boys gave me some beautiful flowers..............

It was so busy, though, that we didn't even really get a chance to celebrate at all. Usually we go out to dinner or something, but it was just too difficult this past week. Hopefully we'll be able to do that soon, though!

I did, however, get to stamp a little this week! it wasn't until Thursday, though, cause it took me that long to get over my jet lag and be able to stay awake past 9pm! I finished up some of my last minute teacher gifts. I won't post those pictures till later cause my Stamp Club is gonna be making one of the items this week at our meeting.

Here is the first installment of pictures from my trip with my mom. Ireland was beautiful and I'm so glad I got to see it. It's not my usual type of vacation, but I'm grateful to have had the experience.

The first is a picture of my mom and I at the Powerscourt Gardens:

The second is a picture of a Celtic cross taken at the Rock of Cashel.

The third, is a picture of Christ Church from my hotel room in Dublin. It played bells every hour- even through the night!

Tomorrow I'll post some more pictures of one of my favorite spots in Ireland- the harbor town of Kinsale. I absolutely LOVED it there! stay tuned!

I'm here in Ireland!

2007-05-26T05:25:00.000-05:00

I've been here a week so far and it is beautiful!!! WE have the day to ourselves today...no touring on the bus. It is a much needed break. Of course it is pouring rain today, but we haven't had much rain up until this point. I'm sitting in an internet cafe on the Dingle Peninsula............I have been able to access a computer from every stop on our tour and it has been wonderful to be able to connect to Joe and the boys while I'm away. Most of the computers in the cafes have little cameras on them so they've been able to see me while we're instant messenging back and forth. Like I said before, the weather has been beautiful up until today.......very sunny, and warm- we've actually gotten a little sunburn a couple of days! It's made for wonderful sightseeing- especially on the Dingle Peninsula yesterday, where we took in the views of the Blaket Islands..it was stunning! I'll be showcasing some of the pictures I have taken as soon as I return home. Tomorrow we head to Galway for 2 nights, and then onto Northern Ireland for a few days. The time difference is 5 hours (ahead) so it has been a little tough getting adjusted. I kept my watch on home time, though, and my mom switched hers to Ireland time. That way, I can just look at my watch to see what's going on at home. Yesterday I received a text message from Joe that had a picture of Ryan in it- missing a tooth! He lost his first tooth yesterday..........sniffle, sniffle! I hope the Tooth Fairy came in my absence! Joe is doing a great job holding down the fort at home and I'm so proud of him. I miss them so much my chest hurts, though. Well, I'm gonna sign off- it's still very early at home and I doubt the boys are up yet, so I'll be checking bakc in at the internet cafe later today- there's not much else to do since it is raining. Have a wonderful week and I'll be back to update when I return home!

I'm off!

2007-05-18T21:39:00.001-05:00

Tomorrow I'm off to Ireland with my Mom. We leave from Philadelphia on a shuttle at 2pm and fly out of JFK in NY at 9:40. I'll be gone for two weeks (I come home late on June 2nd), but I promise I'll be posting lots of great stuff when I return, so stay tuned!!! I've got lots of great stuff planned for June!!

My head is spinning....................

2007-05-16T10:07:00.000-05:00

Well, I leave for my trip in 3 days- I can't believe it! I'm nervous and excited all at the same time. I'm gonna miss all my boys so much that I can't even think about it.

Last weekend was very hectic with my brother-in-law's graduation and all of the family being in town, but it was GREAT! We took in a baseball game and had a ton of fun at the graduation party! Here's a picture of Joe, Nicholas and I at Rowan on the morning of his graduation.

There's also A LOT going on in the Stampin' Up! world. There's so much information to process during the months of June and July, both as a demonstrator and a customer! As demos, we're able to view the brand new Preview Brochure online this week. I've included a link here. Customers will be receiving a copy of this brochure in the coming weeks. It's pretty amazing! Demos are able to pre-order anything from the brochure during the month of June, so I'll have to take care of that when I return from my trip. I already pre-ordered a couple cases of the full-size Fall/ Winter Catalog that will be available on July 1st so that's out of the way! As you look at the Preview brochure, you'll notice that there's been a price increase. it seems to be about 5% across the board on stamps, inks, and everything else. Even thought the initial sticker price can be shocking, I still think Stampin'Up! offers the mot bang for your buck. I'll be showcasing many of the new stamp sets and accessories during the month of June at my Stamp Club meeting and my Punch Class on the 22nd. I'm anxious to see them in person!

Mother's Day

2007-05-08T14:25:00.000-05:00

I'm trying to whip up a couple of cards for Sunday so I'm not trying to do it at the last minute. My brother-in-law is graduating from Rowan College this weekend so it will be a busy one! I used some colors I don't use too often- Ballet Blue, and marigold Morning. For the flowers, I used Pumpkin Pie and Rose Red. I used Regal Rose and Marigold for the flower centers, which I put on Dimensionals and added some Dazzling Diamonds. I made my stems using the sentiment that comes with this set. The last thing I did was stamp the sentiment again across the top- CROOKED! UGH- I hate when that happens. It's only stamping, right?!

The card box

2007-05-08T08:36:00.000-05:00

Here's the box I decorated to match the set of blank cards I'm giving my sister-in -law for her birthday. I bought a bunch of these boxes in the fall from Papermart.com and I made them for all of the boys' teachers for Christmas. They are the perfect size for a standard-sized card and they hold anywhere from 10-12 cards and envelopes, depending on the embellishments. I cut two strips (2-1/4 x 11) to cover the sides of the box lid, and two strips (1-3/4 x 12), which I scored at 3/4" and folded over the top and sides of the box to cover the top a little. I didn't actually cover the entire lid of the box with cardstock because I was putting a card-front on it. Make sense?

Another Bella

2007-05-07T06:44:00.000-05:00

Has it really been a whole week since I posted anything?! Boy, I am a bad blogger!!! On another note, my brother-in-law, Nicholas, is graduating from Rowan this Friday and Joe's other brother and his wife , Kathy (the birthday girl!) and their three kids will be here. Since this is a milestone birthday for Kathy I thought I'd make her something special. She's a realtor down in Florida and I bought this Sellabella just for this project! I used Cool Caribbean cardstock (soon to be retired!) for the card base. The layers were in chocolate chip, and the images were stamped on Naturals Ivory so that I could use the aquapainters and the ink pads to color the image. The printed cardstock is from Paper Salon. I made her ten of these blank cards so she can use them for whatever she'd like, and I'm putting them in a card box that will have one of the card-fronts on the top. I'm also gonna make her a notepad and cover today (hopefully!) I'll post the pictures of that when it's finished.

Another busy week..................we have something goin on every single night this week and I'm trying to get the kids' clothes switched over before I leave on the 19th for Ireland. I'm trying to get things ready for Joe- I made him a calendar using Google that has all the boys' activities for the two weeks I'm away. There are 6 baseball games, 2 flag football games, swim team sign-ups, a student council event (Preston is one of the third grade representatives), he's a guest reader for kindergarten one morning, and the construction guys will be here gutting and re-doing my mom's bedroom! I actually think I'm relieved I won't be here those two weeks!!!

Kathy's birthday

2007-04-29T21:25:00.000-05:00

So my Sister-in-law will be celebrating her 40th birthday on Friday and I need to get my card in the mail (they live in Florida). This is what I came up with. I didn't buy the Office Accoutrement set in the Spring Mini at first, but I have to say it is growing on me and I'm glad I got it. I don't have many sets like this and I'm trying to breakout of that comfort zone, ya know?

This is a little different layout for me. I started with a piece of Cool Caribbean that I cut to 41/4 x 9. I then scored it at 5 1/2. I layered a piece of Old Olive on the inside at 4 x 5 1/4. I used a leftover square of Designer Series paper (Polka Dots & Paisley) from my club meeting the other night and trimmed it to 3 1/4 x 4 and adhered it to the front fold. I then cut a piece of Whisper White to 3 5/8 x 2 7/8 and stamped it with the large and small flowers in the Office Accoutrement set. I used the one of the sayings in the It's Your Birthday set and glittered the centers of my small flowers. I added the button last. The ribbon is from May Arts. I really, really, really hope Stampin' Up! starts carrying some polka-dotted organdy- it is so cute! So, that is that. It was nice to sit quietly in my stamp room and stamp tonight. Joe laid down after dinner since he didn't get a whole lot of sleep today (baseball game and flag football) and the boys were asleep.

On another note - Preston re-injured his broken toe at the baseball game today, so I'm hoping that it doesn't need to be x-rayed again this week. I think it just really *smarted*, ya know? He's a catcher and was making a play at the plate and and the runner slid right into his broken toe- OUCH! He dropped like a sack of potatoes and I took off for the snack stand for some ice- he was out for the rest of the game- what a bummer! Let's hope he's ready to go by Thursday. It wasn't swollen or anything so I think he's gonna be okay. What's worse- my brother was taking continuous photos and actually got a pic of it. Here it is, but I cropped out everything but the kids' feet- I don't have permission to put pictures of anyone else's kids on my blog so I cropped it down. O.U.C.H.! It's his left baby-toe...........

Chipboard Coasters

2007-04-29T09:35:00.000-05:00

Are these things addictive or what?! My first stamp club made a tri-fold frame on Friday night and I decided they would make great teacher gifts for the end of the year- so I made TEN of them yesterday afternoon ( no baseball since the fields are under-water). Here are some pics of them:

These are 4X4 thin chipboard coasters- I bought them from my upline, who had to buy something like 1000 of them! Another member of our Downline group, Monica (she's WONDERFUL!) found the hinges and the best price on those, so I then purchased them from her. I cut my Designer Series paper into 4x4 squares and adhered it using the Anywhere Glue Stick. Sure, you could use Modpodge, but why? It's a little messy and takes a bit of time to dry- the Anywhere Glue Stick works GREAT- you just need to be liberal about it. I embossed the sentiment using Craft inks and clear embossing powder- worked like a charm!

When the club made them we didn't cover the back of the chipboard with anything- so you could see ribbon and the back of the brads. I don't think it makes much difference since they really are meant for a shelf and you won't really be seeing the backs of them, ya know what I mean? However, for the teacher ones I did cover the back with additional designer paper- just in case they wanted to display it on their desks or something- I'm one of those anal people that is bothered by the backs of brads showing - I never put them on a card-front unless there is a layer behind them- it's just wanna of those things for me.

I even made one for the male principal at the other school that Ryan goes to twice a week for the Kindergarten After-care program- minus the frill. I couldn't help myself- I still tied a piece of ribbon around the hodgepodge piece, but it's a stitched grosgrain and I think it's a tad more masculine. Whatta ya think?

Here are the ones the Stamp Club made:

Not enough time........................EVER!

2007-04-23T18:34:00.000-05:00

I don't know about you, but lately I just feel like I can't get caught up. I am forever chasing my tail in circles.............
Last week was no exception. As most of you know, I am a manicurist (my real job) and I work two mornings a week and two evenings a week- most weeks. I am off on Fridays and the weekends. Since I started going to the gym in January, it has seriously cut into my "me" time in the mornings (when I usually do my stamping) when both boys are in school. I don't mind so much, though, since I am seeing results, S-L-O-W-L-Y, but I am seeing results. I've lost almost 20 pounds so far- which pales in comparison to my husband's 40lbs!!! Nobody even notices me because I probably seem bigger now since he's lost so much- LOL!!! He looks like a Rockstar, though, and I'm super proud of him!!! Anyway, I digress...................last Wednesday night Preston was running from the family room into the kitchen and banged his foot on the corner of the wall- OUCH!! Thursday morning when he woke up it was really swollen and bruised, but he wasn't complaining a whole lot so I buddy-taped his toes together and sent him off to school without another thought. When he came home he informed me about his day with the nurse. Apparently, he spent most of the day in her office with ice on it- why she didn't call me, I DON"T KNOW. I live across the street from the school for crying out loud! Anyway, he took off his shoe and his foot looked even worse. I called the Dr. and they took him right in............from there, we went to Radiology for the x-ray. They promptly informed us it was broken.......I felt horrible!! I am like the WORST mother in the world!! I sent him to school with a broken toe!! The Dr.'s decided he didn't need a Ortho consult and that I should give him Motrin and ice it every 20 minutes per hour. No flag football and no baseball - Pres was less than pleased. With three games this weekend, he was determined to be able to play by Sunday. I kept him home on Friday (mostly because I felt bad for sending him the day before-LOL!) and we did everything the Dr. said. By Sunday the bruises on his foot were almost invisible so I wrapped it tight and he suited up for his baseball game. He's the catcher, but Joe put him at first base instead and he hung in there for 5 innings with two great hits and a nice catch as well. Man do I love watching my kids play baseball.
Saturday morning Ryan had a game at 9:30 so we head over to the field. I was crossing the street with a bucket of balls and bats in one hand and bottled water in the other when I rolled my ankle on the side of the street- H-O-L-Y M-O-L-Y was that painful!! In fact, it was more painful than the embarrassment I felt laying in the street with the stuff I was carrying strewn all over the place. Thank goodness Joe and my mom were there cause I almost passed out from the pain. Joe thought for sure that I broke my ankle. Here's the worst part- all I could think of was all of my hard work at the gym gone down the tubes. I must have said something to that affect ( I don't really remember because I was on the verge of a blackout) when my mother, ever-so-gently reminded me that we leave for Ireland in four weeks and she could care LESS about the gym!!! It must have been a miracle.......it's not broken. To be honest, it doesn't even hurt. I don't know how......................it's really swollen and Joe makes me keep it wrapped, but I have no pain at all.
Needless to say, I haven't stamped a whole lot- which is KILLING ME!!! I have Stamp Club this Friday night so I'm busy preparing for that this week. I think I need to do an all-nighter so I can stamp for myself!!!

I promise I'll post something later in the week that I've actually stamped!!!

I've been tagged!!

2007-04-19T07:47:00.000-05:00

What's this you ask?? I have to list my 5 favorite blogs! This is so difficult for me- I don't actually have 5 favorites...............I have 91 saved blogs on my favs. list (whew! I never actually counted them before!)- that's A LOT! Anyway, here are five of the ones I visit daily!

Deb Olson- man, this chick is gifted.....................I mean G.I.F.T.E.D.!!! She is so talented!!! I visit her blog daily!

Wanda Pettijohn- she is so awesome! She makes some GREAT 3-D projects and always has great samples of stuff on her blog!

Heather Armstrong- she's not a stamper, but my friend, Gina, turned me onto her blog and it is HILARIOUS!! You should see some of the stuff with her dog, Chuck (he's on prozac) and he always has stuff on his head. I laugh out loud when I read her stuff!!

Beate Johns- need I say more??

Cambria Turnbow- She's smart, talented, and her favorite color is pink. What's not to love about her and her blog?!

This are only 5 of my favorites...............I receive email updates to at least 10 of the 91 blogs that are saved to my favorites..............man, that's a lot of time on the computer, isn't it? ! It's amazing I have time to update my own blog!!

Have a great day everyone!

Club Projects

2007-04-16T13:25:00.000-05:00

I've been finishing up my stamp club projects these last few days and I think I'm just about wrapped up. I'm not sure about putting the pictures of the ones they'll actually be making, but I thought I'd share one of the ones I made as a sample last night. They're going to be making Chipboard Coaster tri-fold frames. They seem really complicated, but they are super easy to do! This one that I made focuses on a couple of pictures I took of the boys on Saturday at Opening Day. Preston didn't have a game, but Ryan had his first "official" game and Preston coached first base for Joe and I. Even though we only have seven kids on the team, it's sometimes hard to manage them all on the field. And for most of them it is their very first experience with the game of baseball so you have to remind them that actually have to RUN once they hit the ball- it is hysterical!!! Ryan, on the other hand, has been practicing with Preston since he was about 2 years old so he's got some experience. Sometimes I feel bad that he has to play t-ball this year because he could easily move up and play with the older kids, but everyone has to do a year of t-ball- it's the rules. he doesn't mind though- anything that gets him on the field is fine in his world! He LOVES baseball! He eats, sleeps and breathes it. He's so serious (as you can tell from the picture) and he enjoys every minute of being on the field- it's wonderful to see!

I took the original pictures in color, but I use the Goole photo software, Picasa, and was able to tint the pictures to match my project and print them out like that- it worked GREAT!

As for the other cards that stamp club will be making this month, you'll have to wait till after the 27th. Here's a hint- they'll be working with Pearl-ex and bottle caps. I have to give a BIG thank you to my upline, Gail, who is the BEST! She shares all of her fabulous talent with every member of her downline and let's use anything she does. The two cards that the club will be making this month are cards that Gail showed me this past month- they are wonderful! She is THE most talented woman I have ever met and she constantly inspires me. She is so genuine and caring- I'm honored to be a part of her downline.

My FIRST Blogger RAK

2007-04-12T21:22:00.000-05:00

Today I received my very first RAK (Random Act of Kindness) card in the mail from a member of the Splitcoast Stampers Bloggers Group I belong to. Isn't it pretty? I absolutely LOVE the simplicity of this design! It came here all the way from Canada from Nancy. Her blog is great! If you get a chance, stop on by and check out what's going on in her part of the world! This is a GREAT stamp-a-stack card! I put it in my "Inspiration Folder" for the next one!

Another GREAT recipe!

2007-04-11T07:37:00.000-05:00

This one was given to me by cousin, Jennifer. It is the BEST cake I've ever had! It was requested by my friend, MaryAnne- this one's for you!

Cinnamon Sour Cream Cake

3 cups flour
2 cups sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 8 oz container sour cream
4 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
2 and a 1/2 sticks of softened butter (1 1/4 cups)
1 10 oz bag of cinnamon chips
2 Tbs flour
powdered sugar

1) heat oven to 350 and grease and flour a 12 cup fluted tube pan
2) combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl
3) beat sour cream, eggs, and vanilla, with a fork or wire wisk in medium bowl
4) add butter and sour cream mixture to the flour mixture and beat on low speed until well mixed; then beat on high for 2 minutes(batter will be thick)
stir cinnamon chips and the 2 tbspns of flour until chips are coated; then gently stir them into the batter. pour the batter into the prepared pan
bake 60-70 minutes until lightly browned or toothpick comes out clean. cool completely and then invert onto a serving plate. sprinkle with powdered sugar

YUM! This cake doesn't last 48 hours in my house! The cinnamon chips are hard to find, but I did finally find them at Wegmans- ya gotta love that store!

Recipes.....as promised!

2007-04-08T12:37:00.000-05:00

Here are a few of the recipes I made at my Bunko in March! It was a PJ party theme, so I made all brunch foods- YUMMY!

Mini Frittatas

Nonstick vegetable oil cooking spray
8 large eggs
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 ounces thinly sliced ham, chopped
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Spray 2 mini muffin tins (each with 24 cups) with nonstick spray. Whisk the eggs, milk, pepper, and salt in a large bowl to blend well. Stir in the ham, cheese, and parsley. Fill prepared muffin cups almost to the top with the egg mixture. Bake until the egg mixture puffs and is just set in the center, about 8 to 10 minutes. Using a rubber spatula, loosen the frittatas from the muffin cups and slide the frittatas onto a platter. Serve immediately.

Baked French Toast
1 loaf French bread (13 to 16 ounces)
Butter, for pan
8 large eggs
2 cups half-and-half
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Dash salt
Praline Topping, recipe follows

Slice French bread into 20 slices, 1-inch thick each. (Use any extra bread for garlic toast or bread crumbs). Arrange slices in a generously buttered 9 by 13-inch flat baking dish in 2 rows, overlapping the slices.
In a large bowl, combine the eggs, half-and-half, milk, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt and beat with a rotary beater or whisk until blended but not too bubbly. Pour mixture over the bread slices, making sure all are covered evenly with the milk-egg mixture. Spoon some of the mixture in between the slices. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.
The next day, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spread Praline Topping evenly over the bread and bake for 45 minutes, until puffed and lightly golden.

Praline Topping:
1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup chopped pecans
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and blend well. Spread over bread as directed above.

Those were the most two popular recipes requested!!

Stampers

2007-04-06T11:12:00.000-05:00

I have to say, stampers are THE nicest people in the world! They are always willing to show you how they did something, or explain a technique to you, or help you out with your Blog- which is something Wanda did for me today! I signed up for her email updates cause she is ONE FABULOUS stamper! She makes all kinds of great 3-D projects and she is AWESOME!! Anyway, today she talked about how she finally figured out how to add Labels to her Blog (*smack forehead NOW)- I've been trying to figure that out for months!!!! So I shot her an email and asked her how she did it. She got right back to me and explained everything. So, thanks to Wanda, now you can go straight for the things you're looking for! Look over to the right hand side of the Blog and right before the Archives list, you'll see the Labels- if you're looking for a particular recipe that I've posted in the past, you don't have to go searching for it- all the recipes will be added to the Label titled "Recipes". Isn't that great! I know, I know, I promised to add some recipes last week and still have not gotten around to it. It was a busy week for me- trying to unpack all the supplies from Stamp-a-Stack, I was very busy with nail clients cause everyone wants pretty nails for Easter, and the boys both had baseball and football practice- UGH! PLUS, on top of all that, Little miss LuLu got a nasty eye infection. She's been playing the sympathy plight all week.........she keeps looking up at me and squinting her infected eye- it is SO SAD! SO I had to get her to the vet.........antibiotics, eye drops, and a couple of shots- yippee. She goes back this Tuesday for a check-up. I hate to say, but it doesn't look all that much better.........UGH.
Anyway, today is Joe's only day off this week and since the kids are off from school we're gonna take them bowling. I wish you all a wonderful Easter and I *promise* I'll get those recipes up on the blog by Monday! Thanks for visiting!

Making a Difference

2007-04-01T23:38:00.000-05:00

We all know I love to stamp! But I have to say that one of the best things I've accomplished through this hobby of mine is the ability to give back to others in ways I wouldn't have known about if it wasn't for my love of this art. Many of you know that I volunteer at the Ronald McDonald House in Philadelphia and love to stamp with the families staying there. And being a Demonstrator with Stampin'Up! has also allowed me to participate in fundraising events for Breast Cancer Awareness, Tsunami Relief , the American Heart Association, and many other charities, but today I had a chance to make a difference in another way. April is Autism Awareness month. Gina Krupsky has designed an adorable stamp set for the occasion and is donating $8 from the sale of each of these sets to Autism Speaks- an organization that helps families cope with autism. Today I purchased this stamp set. It's called Love You To Pieces, and it is FABULOUS!! Many of you know someone with autism, or have a friend that has an autistic child. This is how you can make a difference. Buy this stamp set today- make a difference in the life of a family coping with the hardships of this disorder.

I'm in TROUBLE!

2007-03-29T13:24:00.000-05:00

Alright, I finally admit it- I'm an ADDICT! I can't take it anymore. Today, I was at ACMoore picking up some last minute things for Stamp-a-Stack on Saturday- which is why I haven't posted anything in about a week- I digress............... I had my 50% off coupon in hand, it was mobbed at the register (as usual), Ryan was driving me NUTS to get yet another Pez dispenser- this time for a character in the Meet the Robinson's movie, which I might add he hasn't even seen yet- I digress again.....................I ask the cashier if you can use the coupon on the Cuttlebug machine. Some say okay, and some say no. It wasn't like I was looking for it or anything.......I was just wondering.......................she said YES!!!!! So, guess what I bought today?! Yep! You guessed it! A Cuttlebug! And I got it for only $45!! What a deal!! Now what?! I don't have any embossing folders yet, no dies to use with it.............I hope it's not gonna be another thing to sit on my bookcase and look pretty- I have enough of those!!! I need help....................

I'm so busy preparing for Stamp-a-Stack and working that I haven't had any time for anything else. Hopefully on Sunday I'll upload some of the pictures of the cards the girls will be making on Saturday. I have two Flag Football games to go to also.....UGH! Baseball practice has started for the boys also.......................don't they understand how all these activities are cutting into my stamping time?! Just kidding! I love going to their games and watching them play. This year I'm coaching Ryan's T-ball team with Joe.
I also have some great recipes I want to share with you also, so I'll be posting them this weekend, too. I hosted Bunco last Friday night and I had a Pajama Party theme- everyone wore their jammies and I made Breakfast/ Brunch foods -YUMMY! We drank A LOT of Mimosas, though......................which I paid for on Saturday- UGH. But it was fun! You only live once, right?!
So keep an eye out for those recipes and pictures of the Stack cards. I'll be posting them over the weekend! Thanks for hanging in there with me!

OH YEAH- That's BON JOVI!

2007-03-22T21:25:00.000-05:00

Yes! That is correct- that is me and JON BON JOVI (and part of Ryan)at the Philadelphia Soul game
tonight!!! It was awesome!! Did I mention how much I love this guy?! We love going to Soul games- we blast Bon Jovi all the way to the Wacovia Center and it's a fun night full of action and excitement. This year, we bought the boys season tickets also and they are enjoying every minute of it. Jon is at every game and he signs autographs and chats with all the fans- he and Ryan had a great conversation tonight ( as you can imagine, with Ryan! He LOVES all Bon Jovi music and any sporting event so he had a lot to say! It was so cute!)
Preston got to shake his hand and got his autograph, too! He was on cloud 9...................(me,too *wink!)

No pictures

2007-03-22T05:45:00.000-05:00

I don't have any pictures to post today. I've been so crazy lately with everything going on here. I am hosting Bunko tomorrow night so I'm trying to make my grocery list, pull out my recipes, clean my house, and everything else. Tonight is the Home Opener for the Philadelphia Soul (Arena Football) and we have season tickets. We bought the boys season tickets for their birthdays last year because they love it so much. In the past, the games have all been on Friday nights or Sundays. Needless to say, Joe and I were disappointed when we saw that they have a few games on weeknights. My guys still go to bed by 8:30 (at the latest), so i hate them being up late on a school night like that. Well, the organization must've received a lot of complaints because they've made arrangements to have certified teachers on the concourse of the venue two hour before every game to help with homework! That doesn't necessarily solve my bedtime issue, but I think it's a great effort on their part. I'm also trying to get ready for my Stamp-a-stack next Saturday and I still have 600 card kits to cut! Plus, baseball and flag football are starting this weekend. here's my weekend at a glance:
Sat.- 9am-12 noon, Stampin'Up! Downline meeting-me
8:30 Am- boys have flag football practice
10:30 Am- Preston has baseball practice
12:30 Pm- Ryan has baseball practice- I have to scoot over form my meeting because I am the coach for this team
5Pm- Fundraiser dinner at church
6:30pm- 8:30 pm- Preston has a birthday party
Sunday- Flag Football games at 1:30pm (Ryan) and 4Pm (Preston)

Is my life crazy for the next four days??? Nuff said!

Crabby birthday

2007-03-18T10:14:00.000-05:00

Here's one of the other cards the girls will make this afternoon! This was an awesome technique for a different style opening that was shown at Leadership in January. I followed the directions on Beate's blog and it was super simple! It looks harder than it actually is! I used the Crab & Company stamp set, featured in the Spring mini and some more of that fabulous Designer Series paper from the Polka Dots & Petals collection. I colored the crab image using Blender Pens and the puddle of ink in the lid of the ink pad. I first colored him all in using Cool Caribbean ink, then I added more color where I wanted it using Taken with Teal. I gave him googly eyes cause he just asked for them! To create the opening, you use the 1 1/4" circle punch and a half-circle where you want it to go (it's easier if you turn the punch over so you can see where you're punching!)on the top fold of the card. Then stamp your desired image (in this case, the cake in the shell) onto a scrap of cardstock and punch that using the 1 1/4" circle punch. Cut the layer using the 1 3/8 circle punch and put a Dimensional on the back. Hold the card closed, remove the paper backing from the Dimensional and place the punched out circle onto the card so that the outer edge covers the half circle, thus creating a secure closure. Make sense? I promise, it's alot easier to do than it is to explain! But head on over to Beate's blog and check out the tutorial- it's wonderful!

2007-03-18T10:07:00.000-05:00

Oh my gosh! I just realized that I haven't posted anything since last Monday! Are you still there?? I spent last week trying to finish everything up for Stamp-a-Stack on March 31st. I was busy with registrations, measurements, and trying to figure out how many supplies I need for everything. I was supposed to have my Birthday Blowout class on Friday night, but I had to re-schedule because we had some nasty weather! I'm going to be having it here, this afternoon, so I figured it was safe to post at least two of the cards we'll be making. Here's the first one. It uses the Cute as a Bug stamp set- which is adorable! It's been around a while now and I have to admit that I haven't used it quite some time. I stamped the Dragonfly onto a Giga Scalloped circle punch, then I layered it onto a bigger Rose Red square that I cut out using my Coluzzle (another untapped resource that I don't use often, but it's GREAT!) I used the new Designer Series paper, Polka Dos and Petals that can be found in the Spring mini catalog and I finished it off with three brads along the bottom.

2007-03-12T13:56:00.000-05:00

Okay! So, remember on Saturday when I told you about Jody Morrow's Prima Share? WELL! Mine arrived today!!!! Remember that seen in that movie ( the name escapes me right now) where Demi Moore is rolling around in the money??? That's what I feel like doing- these Primas are GORGEOUS!!!! I don't even know how many bags of them there are in this box, but they are so pretty!!! I can't wait to start playing with them! I swear, this is the BEST way to get Primas.........it gives you a perfect sampling of all the different kinds. You should really think about joining Jody's Prima Share - she ships them PRIORITY! You get them super fast!!! Aaahhhh.......the rush of instant gratification!

Prima Share

2007-03-10T16:37:00.000-05:00

I don't know if any of you know who Jody Morrow is, but she's this awesome Texas gal who does all kinds of Shares. by Shares, I mean ribbon shares, prima flower shares, all kinds of shares. She orders an enormous amount of various ribbons and you can get a piece of the "share". I participated in a ribbon share about a month ago, and a few weeks ago she did a Prima Flower share. I missed out on that one, but she's hosting another! Since I'm now an Addictabella (and we all know how they beg for Primas!), I got in on the latest share for the Primas. I'm in for the full share, so that means I'll get an assortment of all the Primas Jody orders- WOOHOO! Space is limited so hop on over there and see if there's any room left! Happy Saturday everyone!

bunko Jammybellas

2007-03-09T07:26:00.000-05:00

Here's the finished product! I wasn't thrilled with the first version, so I made a few changes (I added a few more layers, and another Prima) and I'm much more pleased with this version. I plan on dropping these off to the girls sometime this weekend. I still have a nasty sinus drip and it's giving me a headache this morning. I'm sure my dentist appointment this morning won't be helping my headache, but whatta ya gonna do? Joe is off this weekend and the boys have baseball tryouts on Sunday so I'm not expecting to get much stamping done, but that's okay. Joe's only off one weekend a month so we try and get as much done as possible during that weekend and we usually try and go on a date also- *wink*. Have a great weekend everyone!

Jammybella.................

2007-03-08T13:40:00.000-05:00

OK! I just put this together! I *love* my Prima flowers (even though I hardly use them cause I'm such a hoarder and just like them looking pretty in their glass bottle on my shelf *wink). But these Bellas beg for the Primas!! I may have to get some more to go with them............*sigh.

I'm not missing

2007-03-08T12:50:00.000-05:00

I know I haven't posted since the weekend......................it's been kinda yucky 'round here this week! We've all been fighting some sort of sinus infection/cold/virus thing and I've been sleeping- ALOT! I actually cancelled all of my appointments on Monday night cause I felt so awful and all of my clients will tell you I never do that! I've been in bed at 8pm almost every night this week. Plus my car is in the shop - UGH.; It's just been one of those weeks! All the stamping I have done recently is for Stamp-a-Stack (Mar.31st), so I can't really share any of that stuff. It is, however, my turn to host Bunko this month and I've decided to make the invitations for that. I'm making everyone wear their pajamas to Bunko and I'm serving breakfast/brunch foods and beverages- can you say Mimosa ? YUM! I'm gonna work on the invites and I'll post a pic of my creation later today.

Baby Shower

2007-03-03T07:57:00.000-05:00

Here's the little gift card I made to go with my shower gift. One of my clients (and I use the term very loosely since most of them have been with me for so long that their more like family) is having her first baby. I'm so fortunate to have my clients (again, loosely) in my life-most of these women have known me for fifteen years or more. They were with me through the births of both of the boys-many of them at my baby showers. And they've also been there through some difficult times in my life. I cherish them and love them all deeply. Anywho.... Robin's shower is this afternoon, and I used the little gift cards and envelopes that Stampin'Up! sells. They are super cute and super simple! This went together in just a few minutes!~ there's not alot of room for embellishments on these tiny cards, so I had to make a "fake" layer. I punched a giga square shape out of cardstock and used the negative image for the square around the teddy bear. I finger-daubered Barely Banana ink all around the stamped image (with the template in place) and then lifted it off- viola!

another card

2007-03-02T15:02:00.000-05:00

So, here's another card I made earlier this week for my cousin Christine's youngest daughter, Kate. I used the *now retired* Simply Sent kit. I have to confess, I bought it just for the letter "K" and this is the first time I've used it. I'm so guilty of not using all the things I buy.............*sigh*...........Anyway, didn't this come out cute?! I didn't want to post it till I knew my cousin had received it (they live in Boston) and she got it yesterday. Happy Birthday Kate!!!

A birthday

2007-03-02T14:54:00.000-05:00

So, it's a busy weekend around here this weekend! Tonight Joe and I are taking the boys to the Phantoms (AHL) game........it's Dr. Seuss night there and they're so excited to go! Then, tomorrow, I have a baby shower in the afternoon and Joe and I have a 40th birthday party to go to tomorrow night. I made this card for the birthday party using an old retired Stampin'Up! set called Over the Hill. I borrowed it from one of my downline (thanks, Julie!) I think I'll make some extras so I have them lying around. Even though I'm not anywhere near 40 yet (LOL!), you could always use some of these. My sister-in-law will be 40 in May, so maybe I'll make a nice girly one for her!

P.S.- sorry about the double watermark- I'm still learning how to use my program and I messed it up and now I don't know how to fix it!

Bad Press.....

2007-03-02T14:48:00.000-05:00

With all the bad press/tv coverage that pit bulls have been getting lately, I thought I'd post a picture of one of the sweetest pit bulls you'd ever meet. Her name is Lulu. We've had her for almost 6 years now and, I have to say, she's the BEST family pet we've ever had!! She's never so much as shown her teeth or growled at anyone. Be warned, though, she has a LICKER license!! She'll lick you till your chapped if you let her! She loves EVERYONE. I find Lulu in all sorts of strange places...............she follows the sun around our family room to nap all day (yeah, she's got it rough!) These pictures were taken yesterday and she was so annoyed with me that I was disturbing her nap. She kept sighing and closing her eyes like it was just killing her to have her picture taken!

Career Day

2007-02-28T22:22:00.000-05:00

Today was career day at the boys' school. Just thought I'd share a picture of Joe talking to Preston's third grade class about his job at the jail. Isn't he cute in his uniform?!

Cupcakes..........

2007-02-28T22:11:00.000-05:00

Okay..............I've never made cupcakes from scratch before. The recipe is DELICIOUS!! However, my baking skills are lacking! I had to throw the first batch away because the recipe says to fill the cupcake liners two-thirds of the way up- BIG SPILL all over my oven.......UGH. I did not have time for this today!! The second batch came out better, but they don't look like the box ones that I've made in the past. They are very flat on top...............
The icing was a whole 'nother story!! It was a disaster!! Very tasty, but not what I had envisioned ................so I won't be posting a pic of them, but I will share the recipe!
Here ya go!

1-3/4 cups of Cake Flour
1-1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
2 TBS.baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt
1 cup unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch cubes
4 large eggs
1 cup whole milk
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake pans with paper liners; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment,combine flours, sugar, baking powder, and salt; mix on low speed until combined.Add butter, mixing until just coated with flour. In a large glass measuring cup, whisk together eggs, milk, and vanilla. With mixer on medium speed, add wet ingredients in 3 parts, scraping down the sides of the bowl before each addition; beat until ingredients are incorporated, but do not over beat. Divide batter among liners, filling half-way (learned from experience!). Bake 17-20 minutes, until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Dr. Seuss Day

2007-02-28T13:09:00.000-05:00

Friday is Dr. Seuss's birthday, but our kids have a half day of school that day, so they are celebrating tomorrow. I had purchased these cute mugs at Universal Studios in Seuss Landing when we were there in November. It's one of my favorite places! I bought one for the Reading Resource teacher, and one for Preston's teacher. I plan on filling them with Peppermint Patties and giving them the bookmarks. Now I gotta run and make the cupcakes for Ryan's class. I've never made them from scratch, but I heard the recipe I'm using is AWESOME! Hopefully they'll come out great and I'll be able to share a picture and the recipe for them also. Until then.............

Lucky Dog

2007-02-26T15:29:00.000-05:00

While I'm waiting for the my Stampin'Up! order to get here with some new sets I'll be using for Stamp-a-Stack, I started surfing around for some ideas for St. Patty's Day. I came across this adorable card by Trish O'Brien . I *love* this dog set so I decided to make one. I used my giga scalloped punch for the Old Olive scallop and I used the smaller scalloped circle (from the lovely Emily Giovanni!) for my main image- it fit perfectly! I think I'll send this to my grandmom - she's this cute little Irish lady! This is starting to get me in the mood for my upcoming trip to Ireland with my mom (in May) - although I heard that St. Patty's day isn't celebrated there like it is here.....................guess I'll learn all about it while I'm there!

2000 hits!

2007-02-21T07:57:00.000-05:00

I can't believe it! I've had 2000 hits on my blog already! I know I haven't posted anything since last Friday......it's been kinda crazy around here. Ryan had some virus all weekend that included pink-eye (*fun*), and I wasn't feeling so well myself. I actually think that I'm just coming down with another sinus infection......it's just that time of year.

I can't post any of the stuff I've been working on lately because I'm getting my projects ready for Stamp-a-Stack. I talked with one of the representatives from my church yesterday and she said there's nothing else on the calendar for Sat. March 31st, so it should be okay. WOOHOO! As soon as I get the "official" word from her this weekend, I will email the registration forms out. If you are not currently receiving my E-Newsletter and you'd like to attend tamp-a-Stack, please email me and I'll add you to the list. You can find my email address in the profile page.

What I can show you is a little gift bag that I made using chipboard coasters- so easy! I followed the tutorial from SCS and it worked like a charm! you can find the tutorial right here. I didn't have a Crop-a-Dile yet, but Monica (*hugs*) let me use hers for the weekend. I ordered one right away- it cuts through these chipboard coasters like buttah!!! I glued the bottom of the box together using E6000 glue- man that stuff is like concrete (but it STINKS!) I'm definitely considering doing these for a club project. I only need 3 more people to complete the club, so if you're interested or know someone that may be interested, please tell them about it! you can find the information about the club. Here are the details:

* There are eight (8) members to the Club.
* We meet once a month (for eight months) and complete 3-4 projects FREE!
* Each member takes a turn being the hostess.
* Each member commits to place a merchandise order of $20 every month (before tax and shipping) and, since there are eight members, the hostess is guaranteed a minimum workshop total of $160, so she will receive all of the regular hostess benefits, plus any additional promotions that she may qualify for!
* We can meet at my house, or the hostesses- whichever you choose!

Clubs are forming now! Please contact me if you're interested and I'll send you a copy of the Club Member Agreement. As soon as there are eight interested people, a club will begin. I'd like the Club to begin in April so I'm really trying to get enough people signed up!

And the winner is..........FLORIDAMARY!!!!!

2007-02-16T16:57:00.000-05:00

floridamary.........send me your snail mail address and I'll get these things right out to you!!! I can't believe it wasn't Allison........she had 7 tickets in the basket!! I have something for you too, Allison Thanks for sending all those people over to my blog! Please send me your snail mail address so I can send a little something your way!!!

Thank you everyone for participating in my first Blog Candy giveaway....................I'll be sure to do it again!!!!

Blog Candy................the RAGE!

2007-02-14T15:27:00.000-05:00

So I've done alot of blog browsing these past few weeks and I've discovered a ton of Blog Candy! It's basically a free gift that gets awarded to someone who makes a comment on a post on someone's blog. I've been gathering some blog candy myself this week and will have my first givaway on Friday! Leave me a comment on this post and I'll have the kids pick the winner! The drawing will be held Friday at 4pm. The prize includes some cute embellishments I've found lately......some cute little tabs that you can put on your card or scrapboook page, some star brads, ribbon slides, and other goodies! Spread the word and get an extra chance to win! Have your friends mention that you told them to stop by and enter to win, and you'll get an extra ticket in the basket. Good luck!

Closeup.....................

2007-02-14T15:23:00.000-05:00

Here's a close-up of the mug...................

2007-02-14T15:17:00.000-05:00

I also made this travel mug for Preston's teacher to go with her notecards..................one of my best friends works for Starbucks and always scores these great travel mugs for me when they get them in. You can change the insert whenever you feel like it. Cute, huh?

I created a faux layer by punching the scalloped circle out of computer paper and then laid the reverse mask onto my template. I then stamped the teachabella inside of the mask and sponged all around it to accentuate the scallop. After that, I laid the punched out scalloped circle over the image and stamped the flowers all around it. I think this bella looks so much like Pres's teacher- it cracks me up!

Bucket of Bananas

2007-02-14T15:12:00.000-05:00

So apparently, there is a problem with bananas in South Jersey this week! I went to six..........count em', six different grocery stores in search of bananas yesterday and last night! Every store I went to had bananas, but they were all GREEN! I couldn't believe it! I finally ended up buying Organic ones for 89 cents a pound!! And for what??? Today we had a snow day!!! Oh well! I guess I could've bought the green ones, cause by the time these kids get to eat them, they would've been yellow! Geesh!!!!! Anyways, here's a couple of pics of the final project...........we put four Hershey kisses in the bottom of each bag..........you gotta have chocolate on Valentine's Day!

ETA: I should say that the reason they are getting bananas is because the State of New Jersey is implementing this nutrition act in the schools and the kids are not really allowed to be given anything with sugar listed as one of the top 3 ingredients. I think they only can have special treats on designated occasions (i.e.- Halloween, Christmas, and Easter parties). Hope I don' get caught for the Hershey kisses! LOL!

My E- Newsletter

2007-02-13T08:06:00.000-05:00

Do you get my newsletter?? It's jam-packed with all the latest news in my Stampin'Up! world. In the most recent issue I talked about the awesome promotion that SU is running in the month of March. Here's the details:

~ If you purchase the Polka Dots & Paisley stamp set ($17.95) and the jumbo Petals wheel ($7.95) and a pack of the Petals & Paisleys designer paper ($8.95), you get to choose any item from the Spring Mini Catalog at 50% off!!!

~ In addition, if you are a hostess during the month of March with your total workshop sales reaching $400 (before tax and shipping) you can get any item out of the new Spring Mini Catalog at 50% off!!!

WHAT A DEAL!

Also in my latest newsletter, I announced that I'll be having a Birthday blowout class on Friday, March 16th at 7pm here in my home. We'll be making 6 birthday cards- one for every person in your life! The cost of the class is $20 and it includes all of your card-making supplies and envelopes. If you'd like to attend, please register no later than Friday, March 9th.

I also announced that we have a tentative date for our next Stamp-a-Stack! It's scheduled for Saturday, March 31st . There will be two sessions- one in the morning and one in the afternoon. There will be more information to follow!

If you'd like to be included on my mailing list, please send me an email and let me know!As always, you can click the link to the right that says Renée's Class Schedule and it will keep you up-to-date on all the classes I'm doing.

I can't take the PRESSURE!!!

2007-02-13T07:56:00.000-05:00

Of these beauties!!! I caved to the Bellas! I've been seeing these girls all over the place and I just can't take it ! As soon as I saw this Teachabella I had to have her! She looks just like Preston's third grade teacher! I've never used unmounted stamps before, and was very intimidated, so I sent an email to this wonderful girl (Christie Ortman) and she explained the whole acrylic block thing to me. Since then, Christie has opened a wonderful new website called Paper Pretties . She will be doing a Card in a Box kit that is FANTASTIC! I'm starting to venture out of my little Stampin'Up! world just a bit(even though you KNOW I think their products are simply the BEST!!!). I will use these stamps for my own personal use . I'm making a bunch of these for Preston's teacher for Valentine's Day tomorrow. The only thing that is "contraband" on this card is the stamped image itself. All the cardstock, inks, and accessories are from Stampin'Up! I used the notecards and envelopes pack that Stampin'Up! sells......they are WONDERFUL for this type of thing!

Ryan's Valentines

2007-02-13T07:53:00.000-05:00

Well..........this is what I did last night! I made 15 of these tags for Ryan's class tomorrow. He has a couple of kids in his class that have food allergies and such, so he's giving out a bananas that I'll put in a cello bag with a couple of Hershey kisses. I'll have to do that part tonight.

Monkey Valentine

2007-02-09T07:25:00.000-05:00

Have you ever woken up with an idea about a card/ project? That happened to me this morning! I awoke at 6:30 with an idea for Ryan's valentine's and I couldn't get back to sleep, so I had to come down to my stamp room and make this tag. I kinda had an idea of what I wanted, but it hadn't come full circle yet- until this morning. I had ordered a 2-line personalized stamp from Stampin'Up last week because I knew I was gonna use this monkey set. When they're all finished, I'll take a picture of the final project, but since I'm using real bananas, I cant put them together until the last minute. I had some of these large white shipping tags I had purchased a couple of years ago (and was hoarding............*wink*). I stamped the Linen background onto the tag using Creamy Caramel ink. Then I stamped the hearts, in Ruby Red ink, from the Monkey Business stamp set over top. I sponged the edges of the tag in caramel also. I stamped the monkey onto a white scrap, using Basic Brown ink, and punched it out using my Mega Giga scalloped circle punch. I sponged the edges of the circle using Ruby Red, and sponged all around the monkey image using caramel ink (it was too stark in contrast with the tag). I stamped the bananas onto a white scrap by inking with summer sun, then rolling the edges (Rock-n-Roll technique) in Creamy Caramel ink and added it to the monkey image using Dimensionals. I also popped up the scalloped circle using Dimensionals. I tore the bottom of the tag (just cause it was a bit too long), and stamped my personalized greeting across the bottom. I removed the string that was through the top hole of the tag and added the grosgrain instead.

Recipe of the Day

2007-02-04T15:17:00.000-05:00

So, I have to share this one! Have I mentioned how much I LOVE Wegmans? Well, I do! I shop there every week, and I actually cover my Menu Magazine with clear contact paper so it doesn't get ruined! Today I made the chili recipe that was in their sale paper last week. It's fabulous! And I'm not a chili lover, but I have to admit, this on is

G-O-O-D!!

Here's how you make it :

1 Tbsp vegetable oil

3 lbs 90% Lean Ground Beef

Salt to taste

2 pkgs (8 oz each) Food You Feel Good About Cleaned & Cut Chopped Onions

1 pkg (8 oz each) Food You Feel Good About Diced Green Peppers and Onions

3 cloves Food You Feel Good About Peeled Garlic, minced

4 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

7 Tbsp (about 2 oz) chili powder

2 tsp ground cumin

2 tsp oregano

1 can (15.5 oz) Wegmans Dark Red Kidney Beans, drained and rinsed

1 can (15.5 oz) Italian Classics Cannellini Beans, drained and rinsed

2 btls (12 oz each) Wegmans Chili Sauce

1 bottle (12 oz) beer or 1 can (14.5 oz) beef broth

Heat vegetable oil on MEDIUM-HIGH; brown ground beef, 8-10 min. Add salt to taste.
Add chopped onions, green peppers, and garlic. Cook, stirring, 3-5 min.
Add Worcestershire sauce; cook 3 min.
Reduce heat to MEDIUM; stir in chili powder, cumin, oregano; cook 5 min.
Reduce heat to LOW; add kidney beans, cannellini beans, chili sauce, beer (or broth); simmer for 30 min, stirring occasionally.
Option: Garnish with cheddar cheese.

It smells great in the house this afternoon! I was planning on making it for the Super Bowl, but Joe had to work a double so I probably won't even watch it.That's okay, though, cause I have some stamping I'd like to do.

I'll leave you with a picture from last weekend...........this is what I was doing a week ago today...........boy, do I wish I was back in Florida! it's freezing here this weekend!

Sweet Stuff

2007-02-02T15:57:00.000-05:00

Last night I went to our monthly downline meeting. Instead of doing our "regular" meeting stuff, we did a shoebox share. It was SO MUCH FUN! What a great group of talented women I have the privilege of knowing! Here's what my upline, Gail, did for her share. It has a heart-shaped taffy inside. These are made out of the Pocket Notes. How cute is that?! The lollipop is embossed with red EP and we doodled the edge using the fine tip of the real red marker. I would LOVE to make these for the boys' classes for Valentine's Day, but it would give me the sweats to watch their friends rip into them without a care, ya know? Maybe we'll make them for the teachers........they always appreciate them.

We're back!

2007-01-31T12:54:00.000-05:00

We're home from our weekend away with my Mom, and the boys had a great time! We surprised them on Friday morning with the trip. We told them while they were eating their breakfast! It was great! We had great weather and very short wait times at all the parks. We ran from morning till night and we came home exhausted!

Here's a picture of my mom with the boys when we first arrived at Fort Wilderness. We were waiting for the bus to take us to Animal Kingdom. It was a wonderful experience for us all and we really enjoyed doing something special with my Mom - especially on that weekend. Thanks, Mom!

Birthdays

2007-01-24T23:16:00.000-05:00

So, one of my New Year's resolutions was that I was going to send every member of my family (that I acknowledge anyway - *wink) a birthday/ anniversary card this year.............and, hopefully, from now on. Boy, is this one hard! You think the promise to eat right, go to the gym, and lay off the Bellini's is hard? No way! This one is hard ! But I am committed to it! You'd think I have a ton of handstamped cards on hand- nope! I spend all of my time planning classes that I don't get much time to stamp for myself. I've been working really hard at this. I have a separate card keeper with spare birthday/ anniversary cards......there's a file for each month so it'll make it easier for me to keep up with. My nephew and niece's birthdays are on the same day next week. They live in Florida, so I need to send them out early. I've been making my spare card-kits for a while now, so I had some girly cards on hand........................but my nephew is a teenager! I think they are the hardest cards to make! I spent an hour pacing around my stamp room trying to think of something. I actually made 2 cards and didn't like either one. I turned to the catalog..........I always forget to use it for inspiration! I saw the card using the set Ruff Play- I think it's so cute, but is it okay for a teenage boy? I still don't know, but I like the card, so I'm gonna send it. He probably won't even look at it, right? I cased the one from the catty, minus the sewing machine and the 3 slots ...........I actually did punch those slots, but they were too close together and the paper ripped- UGH! It was the last step, so I was not about to quit! I just stamped the "HB" from the It's You're Birthday set and punched it out using the 3/4" square punch- viola!

I'll b e away for the weekend- don't think I forgot about you! My mom and the boys and I are going away to spend some "special" time together- this is the first anniversary of my Dad's death and my Mom wanted to do something really special! SSHH!!! Don't tell! We're taking the boys to Disney for the weekend!! We'll be home late Monday night. I'll check back in with you on Tuesday with a couple of pictures! Have a great weekend!

A Little Latte.................

2007-01-22T08:19:00.000-05:00

I finally got around to playing with this set! It's been sitting on my stamp table neglected for a couple of weeks. Sunday nights are a great stamping night for me- the boys go to bed early, Desperate Housewives and Brothers and Sisters is on, and I can just stamp, stamp, stamp! This is the first card I made.........a little plain, I know, but I actually like it. I noticed a lot of people using Liquid Appliqué for the foam on the latte........I have one tube I've been hoarding, so maybe I'll get a chance to play with it today. I love Cranberry Crisp and Blush Blossom together!

Here's the second...for this one, I had to bring out the Giga scalloped punch! I sponged the edges of the scallop using Close to Cocoa. The "saucer", I punched using the small oval punch, then I faux stitched using my white gel pen. I stamped the steam using Creamy Caramel right onto the scalloped-circle. I stamped the mug/foam onto a separate scrap of white and cut it out and adhered it using dimensionals. I also stamped the heart and cut it out. I added glitter to the foam. I used the new Designer series paper in the winter mini..................it's so cute! I'm very happy with this one...................

Then I made this little notecard- it was so quick and easy! I used the ticket corner punch on all four corners of vanilla. I then sponged them using Blush Blossom............it's really soft and pretty!

Gray's Anatomy

2007-01-18T22:24:00.000-05:00

This is my favorite show...........I live for Thursday nights! The whole storyline with George's dad has been a difficult one for me these last two weeks. For those of you who don't know, I lost my Dad last January 28th (2006)to cancer. The situation with George's dad, and family, completely mirrored what we went through last year. Tonight was so hard.......I felt like I was re-living the whole thing over again. The only difference was that my Dad was never intubated.........he was conscious and was able to make the decision not to be. Even though it was difficult to hear him say those words, I'm grateful that he wasn't because we were able to speak with him right up until the end. It was the longest week of my life......that last one. When George said that he didn't know how to exist in a world that didn't include his Dad....................that's how I felt. I've learned, though, this last year, that he is very much with me (and my boys!), and even though sometimes I miss him so much my heart aches, he is in a better place and is not suffering anymore. I will say a prayer tonight for every family that is going through something this difficult.........it's the hardest thing I've ever dealt with. I loved my Dad................

A gray, cold day..............

2007-01-18T14:37:00.000-05:00

It's yucky outside today!!I picked up Ryan from school, fed him his lunch, and let him put the Gamecube on so I could do some stamping (*wink).........I made this card using the Delight in Life sell-a-bration stamp set . This is not your typical sized card........................it's 3x6. It'll fit in the small open-end envelopes that Stampin'Up! carries.I pulled out my Color Coach ad here's what I came up with- Really Rust (card base), Bashful Blue, and Night of Navy. I love these colors together!

2007-01-16T11:49:00.000-05:00

Happy Tuesday everyone! Usually Tuesdays are really busy for me with nail clients, but I had a cancellation in the middle of my morning so I decided to check to see the color callenge on SCS for today. It was Sage Shadow, Close to Cocoa, and Pale Plum........hmmm.................I headed over to my stamp table and here's what I made. I always have trouble with sets like this......I don't know why. But I'm trying to branch out and work with different sets...............

I'm also working on not being such of a hoarder(*wink), so I popped open one of my Hodgepodge hardware kits (antique brass). I used the ribbon buckle and two of the matching brads for this card.

2007-01-15T13:24:00.000-05:00

I've been playing around with the new Sell-A-Bration stamp sets...........I wasn't all that crazy about some of them, but they're growing on me! Here's one I did using the So Very set..........I *heart* the Paisley background stamp so much and I immediately went to the heart in the Happy Hearts set that matches it. Not a bad valentine, right?

I also made this one.....I've seen a lot of this style done (with the layered window), but had never done it myself. This will be one of the cards for my Sell-A-Bration class.......it's really cute! I'm so glad I cut the words off all those critters in the Very Punny SAB set- it makes them so much easier to stamp!

The Eagles............

2007-01-14T11:44:00.000-05:00

I'll admit, I'm not a big Eagles fan. It's not like I don't like watching football, I do, it's just that I'm not a die-hard fan. I like to watch a good game. It's hard not to get caught up in all the excitement when your home team makes it to the playoffs, though. So last night we watched the Eagles............................LOSE. It was a close game, but they didn't win. Where am I going with this you ask? Well, football season brings to mind one of my family's favorite things to eat- Buffalo Chicken Dip. It's a recipe that was shared with me by my cousin, Christine, and everyone raves about it! My family thought I was nuts when I made it this last time because I was taking pictures each step of the way..............they just didn't get it. Anyway here's the recipe:

4 boneless chicken breasts

12 oz jar of hot sauce (Red Hot)

2 - 8oz blocks of cream cheese

16oz jar of ranch salad dressing

1/2 cup of chopped celery

1/2 cup of blue cheese

8 oz shredded cheddar cheese

First, you shred the chicken in a 13 x 9 dish and pour the hot sauce over it.

next, you melt the cream cheese and the ranch dressing together in a saucepan over med/low heat until it's all combined. Then you pour it over the chicken.

next, you sprinkle it with the chopped celery..............

then you add the blue cheese over top of that..............

then you add the shredded cheddar..................

now bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes............................

YUM! Serve it with celery sticks and tortilla chips!

2007-01-14T11:21:00.000-05:00

Then I decided to do another- the sketch challenge. This one was a little harder, but after I did it I felt like I really accomplished something, ya know? I made two different ones for this challenge. The first was the pink ellies..........I guess you could tell by the name of my blog that I love pink! Remember the movie Steel Magnolias? Remember when Shelby is planning her wedding and everything has to be the perfect shades of blush(pink) and bashful(pink)- I love that! Since I'm the only girl in my family(hubby and 2 boys), I take every chance I get to do something pink! All supplies are Stampin'Up- I've really gotten into using the ticket corner punch- I love the way it looks! This one also gave me a chance to use some of the new Designer Series paper that's in the Winter mini .I realized after I posted in on SCS that it wasn't exactly the way it was supposed to be (according to the challenge), but it's my first time, right?

Challenges..................

2007-01-14T11:07:00.000-05:00

After the holidays, I felt like it was tough to get going again- like I was in a funk. So I decided to try Color Challenge 95 on SCS. The color challenges are posted by the lovely Emily Giovanni- I love her! This is what I came up with. I needed a card for my nephew, Trey. His birthday is the end of the month and one of my New Year's resolutions was to send a card for everyone's birthday and anniversary this year- good luck, right? I'm giving it my best shot! I love this Sell-a-bration set, Very Punny- the images are so cute! I cut my words off and mounted them on the side of the wood blocks. It was tough with this set- they were really close to the images!

The whole blogging thing.

2007-01-14T10:50:00.000-05:00

I have been toying with the idea of blogging for a while now. There are so many I read on a daily basis and I love the fact that you can really make-it-your-own and personlize it. I also love the fact that I can ramble on and on about lots of different things, including stamping! I need to familiarize myself with it a little better and really "figure-it-out", but I'm gonna try my best and see what happens.