thank you

Hey there!  How is everyone tonight?  We were talking about all the tornados today and I hope everyone stays safe for the ones they are predicting for tomorrow.  Batten down the hatches!  We will include you in our prayers tonight.

So, with yesterday being Leap Day and all, I thought I would get some stamping done.  I have 2 card classes coming up in the next few weeks.  I need to design 8 different cards. 

Nothing like procrastinating eh? 

So, instead of designing cards for that, I decided to make some Thank You cards.  I've had an idea floating in my head for a few months now and decided last night was the night to make it happen.  I guess I thought I'd be extra inspired because of Leap Day.  Yeah, I don't know either................

So, here ya go:

Thank You Kindly set.  Tempting turquoise, pumpkin pie, lucky limeade and whisper white cardstock.  Pumpkin pie, melon mambo, lucky limeade, tempting turquoise, elegant eggplant and black Stazon inks.  Big shot, polka dot embossing folder, lace ribbon border punch, bitty buttons, bakers twine, boho blossoms punch, sponge daubers and dimensionals. 


I hope you take notice that I didn't use any Crumb Cake cardstock.  I know, I couldn't believe it either.  It must have been the Leap Day thing.

I have had this idea of using the Lace Ribbon Border Punch as a mask.  It worked pretty well. 

Now that I'm looking at it though, wouldn't it have been easier to just ink up the cardstock and put a white punch out on top?  Yep.

Or even ink up the cardstock and punch that out and lay it on the white? Yep.   ( Actually I think this would be pretty cool.)

Oh well.

I'm not sure I even like it all that well.  It may just go in my sample basket and I'll be even later with my Thank Yous. 

Story of my life.

I do have something else very exciting to show you.  I got a package last week.

Hmmm......what could this be? 

Oh yeah, I got me some Project Life in the house!  I know, I'm very late to the party.

They've been out of stock for months.  I'm pretty darn over the moon about this. 

Almost 2 years ago to the day, I had an epiphany. 

I thought I could do this with just my regular page protectors but then things I wanted to scrap just started piling up and I never did get them onto a scrap page. 

What I needed was this nifty program.  I didn't buy the whole core package.  The colors and designs she has just don't float my boat, so I bought the Big Variety Pack 2, the 3x4 grid cards and the 6x12 page protectors. 

I don't plan on doing it weekly.  I would set myself up for failure.  I plan on doing it monthly.  Just bits and pieces for the month. 

There is no right or wrong.  Just go with the flow.  As soon as I get Jan. and Feb. done I will be showing you. 

Alrighty then, thats more than enough chit chat for tonight. 

Oh but wait!  I wanted to talk to you about Downton Abbey.  I finally watched the finale.  I'll save it. 

Thanks for stopping by.

Blessings, b.

happy birthday dad!

Howdy!  I hope everyone had a great day.  I mean, its Friday after all. 

A few weeks ago when we were in New Mexico, we celebrated my dad's 71st birthday. 

Of course I was super busy getting everything ready to go before we left our house and forgot about making him a birthday card............until the last minute.  Of course :)

I also had to make a Thank You card for one of our friends that was going to drive The Boy to the airport to get to N.M. later in the week.

Well, after putzing around for too long, I realized that I only have maybe 2 sets that are somewhat manly.  And my dad has seen them all. 

What to do, what to do.............. 

I know!  I'll pull out the grass.  I like grass.

Woodgrain background, Inspired by Nature, Thank You Kindly, some old alpha I had.  Soft suede, early espresso and naturals white cardstock.  Soft suede and old olive inks.  1", 1 1/4" and 1 3/8" circle punches, linen thread and dimensionals. 


I think they worked out great!  My dad liked them.  He asked where I buy my cards.  "Oh, there's this little place I know."  He doesn't really understand how involved I am in stamping. 

The thank you I made into a gift card holder.  I keep thinking I should have made something peek out of the grass.  Or maybe just clouds.  I need to make another one for my neighbor that watched our zoo and watered the garden.  Maybe I'll get extra creative with his. 

Okay, while I've got you here, I need to ask a favor.  I'm sure my neighbors, if they happen to look out the window, get a kick out of watching me "pet" my plants every morning looking for bugs. I need to get a life. 

I need to identify some bugs.  I know, just what you wanted to hear right?  I tried looking on the internet to figure out what they are but just got grossed out.

So maybe you can help me.  I have so many crows in my yard that I think are trying to eat the bugs.  That may be why I haven't seen many grasshoppers.  As much as I dislike the crows, I guess they can hang out.

These guys especially like the sunflowers

I only have 2 tomatoes the size of grapes on my Celebrity plant and this guy was halfway inside one! 

This guy I found almost dead in my onions.

Okay, this is not bug related.  This tree hangs over my fence and drops these cherry looking things every summer. 

They are the size of cherries. 

They don't have a pit, but they do have seeds.  They are hard when they fall and are crunchy.  They have a kind of bitter taste.  Are they crab apples? 

Alrighty then, thats all for tonight.  Aren't you glad?  I promise no more garden/bug/plant stuff, for a while anyway. 

I have more stampy stuff to show you later.  Thanks so much for stopping by and thanks for your bug/plant/garden knowledge.  Big cyber hugs to all of you. 

Blessings, b.

big day today

A big big day today.  First of all, 16 is now...........................................................17!

(this is from the Iowa pictures that I haven't gone through yet)

She is now 17, a senior, a licensed driver, getting ready to apply to colleges, looking for a job.............next thing you know she'll be getting married and having babies. 

Ugh.  Seems like yesterday she was learning to talk and everyone kept telling me she had such a low voice.  Her voice is normal by the way.

We had a fun day planned but then something happened this week, we had to buy a new frig and the delivery day was today.  So the fun day got revamped to accomodate.

We got a deal at Best Buy.  It was dinged and damaged on the outside so it was even more of a deal than the sale price.  Being dinged up a little doesn't bother me any.  I mean, look at me.  I'm a little dinged up too.  Or is that dingbat? 

Its HUGE!  It does stick out alot more than our old one but I don't care.  It has a bigger freezer and water and ice in the door.  WooHoo!  I know, we're a little behind the times. 

So after the frig got all set up we went to Olive Garden to celebrate.  It was so good!   

Then we went to the movies to see Cars 2.  I know, not your typical teen flick but nothing else was playing she wanted to see. 

We had the theater all to ourselves until the movie started.  Can you see how Olive Garden affected the hubs? 

You may notice The Boy isn't at the movies with us.  He had to work.  Did I tell you he got a job?  With this economy and the fact that he had no prior work experience, we are truly blessed that they hired him. 

Then home for homemade ice cream cake.

It was really yummy! 

I also got to stamp with my card ladies this week.  I just love hanging out with them and am so lucky they keep inviting me.  Thank you ladies!  I haven't taken pics of those cards yet but, I'll get right on that. 

I do have some to show you though.  Lucky for us The Boy had some more thank yous to send out. 

Thank you Kindly set.  Basic black, whisper white and real red cardstock.  Black Stazon ink.  Big shot, square lattice embossing folder, top note die.

These were really easy to do.  I used the school colors again. 

The whisper white is 4x4 and layered on the 4.25 x 4.25 black.  Makes it easier to write on the inside. 

Alrighty then, its past my bedtime.  Tomorrow we are celebrating my MIL birthday and 17's birthday again.  Good times! 

I think Monday will actually be a free day for me.  I can't believe how busy I've been.  Seriously, something going on everyday.  I'm pooped out. 

Thanks so much for stopping by. 

Blessings, b.

recap

Hola mi amigos!  How is everyone today?  I've caught up on all the things I was behind on last week but this week is getting crazy too.  Every single day for the next 10 days is packed.  Jam packed!

So let me recap the very important week I had last week.  Lots of pics here tonight.

First I have to show you an award The Boy got.

I laughed quite heartily when I saw this.  Does his teacher know him well or what? 

Then there was..........GRADUATION! 

Hmmmmm......I did much better with this than I thought I would.  I was so busy the day before and day of, that I didn't really give it much thought until................they started playing Pomp and Circumstance. 

Then I wanted to lose it.  But I didn't.  Just 1 or 2 tears.  The rest of the time I kept it in check and my eyes only welled up.  I hid behind my sunglasses.  Don't want to be the embarrassing mom you know.  Well, sometimes I do ;)

See the medal?  He was an Honor Graduate.  So proud of him. 

Most of my pics of him look like this.   He was looking into the sun but the expression says, "do you have to do this?"  Yes I do.  I told him he had to pose for some pics.  This moment needs to be documented.  The other boys were more happy to pose. 

He has known these 2 boys since they were 8.  My heart just about bursts when I see how much they've grown and stayed good boys.  They are all going off to college (2 different colleges right next door to each other) and then all hell will break loose probably.  But for now they are good boys.  One of them is even an Eagle Scout. 

He got 2 graduation gifts before we even sent out the announcements so I made up some 1/4 sheet note cards for him to write thank yous on.  They don't fold.  He slipped them in with the announcement when he sent them.  He wrote the best thank yous.  I was quite impressed. 

It uses a very old retired stamp from the set Sketch and Event.  I saved the hat because I knew I would need it someday.  It also uses Thank You Kindly. 

In the few days leading up to the last day of school, Grace and I had to make gifts for her teachers.  This is what we came up with. 

Grace decorated some pots and we planted some flowers and made a little Thank You banner.  Like my last minute pic in the back seat?

Flight of the Butterfly and Inspired by Nature.  Old olive and rose red inks.  Crumb cake and naturals ivory cardstock.  Natural hemp and a bamboo skewer.


Why did I take a pic of the uglier one?  The other banner just seemed cuter.  Anway, I used the hemp to bind the banner to the skewer.  The teachers seemed to like them.


Then I also had a baby shower to prepare for.  2 of the ladies at work are expecting within 2 weeks of each other right when school starts again.  So we won't see them again until after they have the babies. 

A Word for You set (on the inside).  Early espresso, regal rose and whisper white cardstock.  Big shot, simple serif alpha die, square scallop duo die, square lattice embossing folder, white taffeta, neutrals button, paper piercer and dimensionals.

Can you guess that they are both having girls?  Almost everyone I know of (with the exception of 1) finds out what the sex is.  Why?  They say they want to get the right color.  Well, what are they going to do if the next one is a boy?  Buy all new stuff again in blue?  I think its better to just be surprised on delivery day.  Makes that special day even more special. 

So I'll laugh my head off if one of them turns out to be a boy.  I'm just mean that way. 

 

I tied the button on with some white embroidery floss.  Nice and tight.

I used the initial of what the baby's name is going to be.  The j was a little too tall  so I just chopped a little off the top. 

I think the square lattice looks like a soft blankie here. 

Speaking of blankies, I found these blankets at Target.  OMG!  They are so soft!  The reverse side is even softer!  I bought diapers and then swaddled them with the blanket.  I remembered how to do it!  I used a diaper pin to secure the tail. 

The white ribbon is just the ribbon that the blankets came with. 

Alrighty then.  I have to make some cards for the people that are leaving my school next year.  They are closing my school and reopening it as a charter school.  So lots of people are leaving and going to other sites.  I have no idea what I'm going to make. 

Father's Day is Sunday.   I guess I'd better get on that too.  It never ends....................................

Blessings, b.

band, books and blah blah blah

Hola people!  I hope everyone is having a fantastic Saturday.  This has been a busy week around here.  The kiddos have their last day of school on Wednesday, so this week (and next) is full of activities.  We've had an AVID banquet, band banquet, a field trip and an author's brunch.  Next week is the big day though.  Graduation.  (big sigh)  My baby will officially be a college student.  (bigger sigh)

So I got things to show you.  First up, at the very last minute before we left for the band banquet, I asked the boy if he had gotten anything for the percussion coaches.  He is the percussion section leader and in charge of this, so of course he didn't even think about it.  So I whipped up a little somethin' somethin' just in time.

Thank you Kindly set.  Crumb cake, real red, whisper white and basic black cardstock.  Black Stazon and crumb cake inks.  Newsprint DSP, top not die, big shot, 1.25" and 1 3/8" circle punches.

These came together really quickly.  Not the best thing I ever made but they served their purpose and they loved them.  This is the very last of my music pattern.  I wonder if there will be more in the new catty.

Ahhh............aren't they cute?  This is the clearest shot I got.  Maybe its time for a new camera.  Anyhow, these are the 4 kiddos,

and these are the 4 kiddos moms.  I had just told him to turn off the flash because the camera refused to take a pic with it on and as soon as he got us positioned again they turned down the lights to start the show.  Whatever!   Sorry ladies for the horrible pic. 

High school band is officially over.  Forever.  And ever.  Well, unless Grace gets into it. 

No pictures of the AVID banquet.  I know......I know, you were so looking forward to those pics weren't you? 

I do have pics of the Author's Brunch.

Each year the kids get to write and illustrate their very own hardcover book.  There is a program they do it through, I don't remember the name.  Let me know if you want it and I'll find it.  I love it because I have books from each kid all through elementary school.  Fun keepsakes.

They all got their books and 2 of the 4th grade classes got together to do readings and have brunch.  If I'd known it was going to be outside, I would not have let her wear this top.  We both got a little sunburned. 

They got into groups of 7 and 1 adult and took turns reading.  I had a blast!  Some of these kids are so articulate. 

In other news, I am going to Iowa again.  This time the whole family is going.  If anybody lives near the West Des Moines area, can you give me a few things to do around there?  The hotel has a pool but I'm wondering about zoos or museums or something.  Give me a shout out will ya? 

Alrighty then, I do have a few more cards I haven't shown you.  One even has a tutorial with it!  Plus I have a ton of cards to make before school gets out.  I guess I'd better get busy huh? 

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Blessings, b.