Thursday, October 30, 2008

Give a Shout Out to the Birthday Girl...Kyrsten!

Four years ago...

Free Smiley Courtesy of www.millan.net
2008









Hi, All!
Today is my oldest daughter's birthday! If you have a chance, click on the post title (it will send you to her newbie blog) and send her some birthday love! [ETA: Sorry, but she's had to make her blog private.](would have posted a baby picture, but my scanner died! Free Smiley Courtesy of www.millan.net )


Can you believe she is 17 years old?!

I'm not that old...right? (NOT asking you, Jesse!) And yet, here she is almost half way through her senior year, making college plans (finishing up those apps, right sweetie?!), planning for her future. Sigh. They grow up too fast, too soon.

Kyrsten is a great kid. She's smart, beautiful, loyal to a fault and so much fun! I love having her around!

She certainly helps to make my life interesting...we live in a village that is not close to much...everything seems to be at least 20 minutes away, the good stuff even more.

One day K. and I were having a "discussion" and she was generously sharing with me the fact that she didn't get to do things she wanted as she needed to depend on someone to drive her.
TRUE STATEMENT

I "kindly" informed her that driving used resources, such as gas, time and planning, and the coordination of schedules - particularly mine and that I wasn't going to rearrange my life every time she wanted to go do something...
TRUE STATEMENT

She then preceded to educate me regarding my priorities...

"You've already lived your life!"

FALSE! FALSE! FALSE!

What was she thinking?! I'm not dead, yet!

Anyhow, we've worked this out and I'm over it now.

Besides...she wants kids one day.Free Smiley Courtesy of www.millan.net

{{{heart}}} you, Kyrsten!

Sunday, October 26, 2008

Want some candy? Blog candy!

What?! 2 posts in one day?! Just a quickie...Ryann over at The Inked Spot is offering blog candy! Blog candy? Gifts of goodies, usually randomly given away by a blogger, sometimes because they have reached a certain number of hits on their blog, or some other special occasion or in this case, just because!

Get over and take a look no later than October 31st! She has lots of paper goodness to oogle (oogle? I don't know what it is lately with the words...) Love her blog banner!

I'm really going to have to start spending more time crafting and less time blurfing! (haha!)

G'night!

Angi

Christmas Shoebox Swap!

(ETA: I added the names of the designers of all but 2 of the projects...anyone know their names? Also, a BIG WOOHOO!!! to Andrea and Tasha for organizing this shoebox swap and making it happen!)
Not a lot going on around here today…Jesse left early this morning for a trip to the desert – Nevada desert, that is! Sigh. He was home for a week, now out on the road again; he seems to be home almost long enough to get back into a regular sleep schedule, then off to another part of the world, another time zone. I don’t know how he does it - if I stay up too late, I spend the next 3 days catching up!!!

Lucky for me, on Saturday I didn’t have to stay up late – I paper crafted for over 4 hours with a fab bunch of ladies in the afternoon! My lovely, sleep deprived hubby, stayed home with the kids (while packing for his trip) so I could have this little bit of ‘me’ time! This shoebox swap has been in the works for over a month…if you know me…that’s amazing! I usually don’t plan fun too far ahead…part of the job of being a wife to a very mobile military man is being able to flex those scheduling muscles often!!!

It was just meant to be.

Everything worked out great! I was almost on time Free Smiley Courtesy of www.millan.net and they started a little late, so I didn’t miss a thing! We chatted for a few, partook of the lovely potluck dishes and got to work!

(A shoebox swap is where every participant designs a project and then provides directions and enough ready materials for each participant to make that project. When it's all over, every participant will have made everyone else's project! I don't remember names very well, but I sent an email to the ladies, so I can credit them with their designs - will edit when info is received!)

(Sorry for the not-so-good photos...my camera is in the shop and I had to make do!) There were 12 projects…and I’m going to show you them all (like I said...had to make do with the camera, but IRL (in real life) these projects are gorgeous!!!)

In no particular order…check them out (click on the pictures to enlarge)!


Designed by Meg Reyes
This card is not as difficult as it looks! Can't you just see the possibilities - any holiday, birthdays...the punched circles are suspended with gold cord and how yummy is that wired ribbon?!

Designed by Phyllis Jachowski
This technique is "stained glass" using vellum cardstock. I know it's been a long time since I've colored anything, but this was fun! The cardinal is stamped in Staz On and then colored on the back of the vellum!

Designed by Judy Sankey
This card is so cute! Felicia says, "There are no mistakes in stamping, only embellishment opportunities!" Well, I forgot that craft ink takes longer to dry and after I had cut my ribbon and had started to place it on my card, I noticed that I had gotten the white craft ink all over my fingers and then on that lovely red ribbon! So, I stamped it, too - crisis avoided!

Designed by Donna Way
This picture does not do this card justice!!! One of my fave techniques is heat embossing. There is just something about taking this grainy looking powder and heating it to lovely shimmery goodness!

Designed by Heather Moriyama
This was one of those cards that I thought I knew how to put together, but then realized I had not paid enough attention to the original! The original had the tree on the left, but I was too busy chatting and had already put adhesive on the card when I realized that I didn't punch out the window for the sentiment! When I turned over the cardstock, I saw that the only place clean enough to punch was on the left...thank goodness this wasn't a complicated card - and didn't it turn out so adorable?! (And to top it off, she brought the Sakura Quickie Glue Pen for us to use...been wanting to see one of those for weeks! Check out the glitter on the tree's swirl!)

Designed by Kerry Porter
This was the only card that I didn't complete at the swap - I think 4 hours is about my limit! I did stamp the tree before I left and gathered up the rest of the project, but I couldn't remember how the card was put together...the presents were on this side and cut out and the stars...uh...the ribbon...hmmm. So, I had to figure this one out on my own...those are not black dots on my card pieces...they are really Elegant Eggplant! I just didn't realize how dark the color actually was before I started coloring with it.

Designed by Andrea Nigg
Is this not too cute?! I know you want to run out and eat a box of Altoids right now! I've been telling you that you want to come to Paper Junkies with me...anyhoo...those are glittery tags, red and white string and those oval tags are cardstock stickers!!!

Here's the box closed with the matching belly band.

Designed by Tasha Enderby
I love the patterned paper on this card and the River Rock cardstock (retired SU!) This card was another one that looks more complicated than it is. I keep putting off getting the SU! tag punches, but here's another reason to them on my next order!!!

This was another card with lots of possibilities...sweet way to send a picture! That twisted, red cord is gorgeous! I think I'd like that holly stamp and some dew drops for the berries...

This is the "OMGosh I need that snowflake punch!" box, a.k.a. the Peek-a-boo box! This was another one of those projects that looks super complicated, but when someone else has already cut out the pattern, scored and sliced in the proper places and has only left the creative stamping for you to do...well then it's easy peasy!!!

Yep...I did good! Was so glad that the side gap disappeared after I added some shredded paper and a little something to the inside of the box - I thought I had messed it up! (and now you're going to look at the first picture to see what "gap" I'm talking about, right? lol)

This card held a surprise!

Designed by Chris Treat
Lookie, lookie - a gift pouch! Isn't this great?! This was one of the easiest projects to put together! At first I thought it was some kind of designer paper...but it's stamped!

Designed by Angi (heehee!)
This last card is mine. The sample card had white dots in the middle of the small snowflakes and dew drops down the middle of the top half of the card, but someone took it (you know who you are! bwahahahaha!). I wasn't sure how complicated to make the cards, so I stopped there for the swap. My original card has glitter on the snowflakes and on the reindeer's nose.

Wow! If you read all the way through this post...thank you!!! So, tell me...did you have a favorite?

Stampin' hugs!

Angi

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

All About Me



Yes, that's a picture of me. No, I don't like it. It's not often that I am actually in the picture and certainly even less that I might like it! Awhile back, I found an idea for an album that I put on the must do sometime in future list... Truth is, most of the items on that list don't usually come to fruition (who actually says fruition?!) but this idea is different.


Growing up, my mother didn’t share very many details of her life. I don’t know the name of the town where she grew up, I don’t know the name of the place where she met my father…I don’t know much about her before me. I didn’t get the opportunity to find out more. She died when I was in my early 20s.


I have one box of family photos. Only a handful of the photos in that box are actually of my mother. There are some photos of my mother in the early days of her marriage, a few when I’m young and even less as she got older. I had so many questions that went unanswered, so many questions that I can’t ask her now. I often wish she had left some history, some journal…something that would speak to me when she can’t.


Today is the beginning of my new project! Since my birthday is the 13th (of February…I'll wait while you write that down…Free Smiley Courtesy of www.millan.netheehee!) the plan is to post on (or really close to!) the 13th of every month with a self-portrait (ugh!) and some journaling…maybe what I did that day, advice, random thoughts… Who knows where this will go? At least I’ll post once a month! Heehee! I’m thinking that eventually I will have the posts printed and bound…or at least scrapbooked...a bit of my own family history!


So, for my first entry…

Melanie tagged me awhile back and I’m finally getting around to posting it!


Rules:
1. Post the rules on your blog.
2.Write six random things about yourself.
3. Tag 6 people at the end of your post.

6 random things about me

1) I’m a better loser than winner. (The hubby doesn't agree with me - go figure!)


2) I usually take a glass of water with me to the bedroom at night, but I don’t take it out in the morning. (I tell my husband I leave the half full glasses of water decorating the top of my radiator to humidify the bedroom – he knows better!)


3) I’m not organized…(what?! you didn’t know that?) at least not in a way such that someone else could find things in my chaos! I’m a piler.


4) I love dresses and heels, but rarely wear them.


5) I love dogs – but can’t stand the way they smell – except when they’re puppies and have that kind of “new baby” smell!!! (I have an Australian Shepherd that I adore, but have to rinse my hands every time I pet her…)


6) I love "big boy toys" - trucks, ATV Quads, sleds (snowmachines), dirt bikes, paintball...adrenaline junkie?! Maybe in another life...


I'm tagging:

Kyrsten

Marie

Krista

Andrea

Felicia

Staci

Thursday, October 16, 2008

And Now a Word from Our Sponsors

Hi, All!
Just letting you know that I am working on a post, but I have a few homework assignments (4)/tests (1) that are due in the next 72 hours, so priorities must prevail! (that's why i'm talking to you!)

{{{hugs}}}

Angi

Monday, October 6, 2008

He loves me...

Okay...so it's been almost 2 weeks since my last post...I've been busy!

The kids have been taking turns getting sick - they aren't considerate enough to all get sick at the same time! Has your family caught that cough that just lingers?! My kids would start off with a little cough, then it would get worse; they wouldn't get a restful night of sleep, then they couldn't inhale without coughing...on and on...I think it took us all about 4 weeks to get over this thing! Ugh! Now it looks like Jess may have picked it up...after all it is his turn!

Almost finished with the dental appointments. This week (hopefully!) will be the last of them. J.T. was the only one without any cavities! The tooth fairy has been visiting our house often this last month...she nicked 4 teeth and left a small fortune! E. has another loose tooth...this will only be her second...the tooth fairy may need to get a second job!

In between all the appointments, the homework, the tests, and weekly activities, I have been making time to create!The last time Jess went TDY he brought me back a lovely bunch of goodies! Reams of cardstock, Primas, lots of glitter and embossing powders, did I mention flowers, glitter and embossing powder?! I haven't used all the new stuff, yet, but I'm working on it! And he brought me home my favorite lipgloss - I think he loves me!Free Smiley Courtesy of www.millan.net
(If you're not sure how glitter, cardstock, paper flowers and glue translate to love...you haven't hauled around reams of 110lb. cardstock and glass bottles around an airport...)


Mostly making cards, mostly birthdays, a painted and stamped tile, a box...I feel like my creative mojo is right around the corner! I've been checking out my fave blogs and galleries to search for inspiration and I wasn't disappointed! I'm working on getting the photos of my projects on here...for now I'm getting them uploaded to my SCS gallery (the link in right column.)


How is your creative mojo? Need a little warm up? If you're not busy Wednesday, come join us for a morning of stamping, papercrafting and fun! It's free! (Click HERE for details!)