Superstah (think Molly Shannon - SNL)

Today was class day at the retreat, and let me tell you... I was truly in the presence of some Super-Scrappers. These ladies are fantastic and I learned so much! Props definitely also have to go to Tresa Black - the #1 Superstar - for her AMAZING workshop project she had planned for the afternoon. I'm very excited to show it off once I get pictures on this bad boy. You have to love her color sense too - I'm in awe. You can get a sneak peek by clicking on her name to see her blog.

I also got a massage today - oooOooOoh heaven. Normally I can't stand strangers touching me, but I make exceptions for massage. I found out recently that my insurance covers massage for just a $10 copay. I keep meaning to make this a monthly happening, but life gets so busy. Note to self: book massages every month for the next 6 months!

I'm coming home tomorrow! As much as I love this "me" time I really miss my hubby and baby. I always have a difficult time sleeping when away from home, and my daughter has me laughing every day with her antics. I'm so thankful for this time away but will be glad to be home with them.

Would it kill the moment to say I miss my computer too? Wink, wink. I'm one of those awful people who are addicted to email and IM. I miss blogging for real, chatting with Christine, scoping out my cyber friends' blogs, and drooling over fun new stamping goodies at my favorite shopping sites. And it's been ages since I checked my Facebook account. Pathetic, I know...

I've run out of cool artwork to share, so I'll leave you with one of my favorite family shots from last year. This was taken in July at my friend Nicole's wedding in Walla Walla. Aren't we cute? Don't look too close at my farmer's tan - we're Seattleites after all. Sun...what's that?

Hooray for Friday!

Do you like my meager attempts at being clever titles for these past few blogs? =) I don't want to confuse the hubby who is graciously posting for me.

So how did you do on your goals? Did you get as much accompished as you hoped? I can't wait to see all your responses.

Today was purely papercrafting ALL day long! Can it get any better than 12 solid hours of scrapbooking? I doubt it, but at the same time I'm glad we'll be doing classes tomorrow. It will do wonders for the "hunch" forming on my back from leaning over my project all day. Not sure that the classes can cure my "stampers butt" though (Unless there's a step aerobics one I'm not aware of). =) I'm going to have to hit the elliptical pretty hard when I get home to make up for all the inactivity and mass quantities of chocolate I'm consuming. Oooh yeah, baby. Gotta love retreats!

Since I can't post any of the projects I've finished while I'm here, I'll post the layout I'm teaching at my Scrapbook Class in March. The tab on the left hand page pulls out to reveal a place for more photos or journaling. As with the SBIAB, anyone who prefers "spring" to "easter" is welcome to use those stamps instead.

Supplies (ALL CTMH): Paper Garden Level 1 pages and patterned paper, Bamboo CS, Colonial White CS, Desert Sand ink, Petal ink, Sweet leaf ink, Frame of mind stamps, March Word Puzzle stamps, Circle window charms, twill ribbon, big pinks paper flowers, 3d foam, bamoo eyelets, BIG BITE setter (We R Memory Keepers).

Happy Saturday! Or umm... I guess Thursday.

For some reason, I keep thinking today is Saturday. Perhaps it's because I'm off doing fun scrappy things and normally that doesn't happen during the middle of the week.

My goal today is to get 6 scrapbook layouts done, and 1/2 of the poncho finished. I'll let you all know if I was able to accomplish this when I get back. If you feel led, post a goal in the comments section that you'd like to complete today. Then later today come back and post if you were succesful or not! I'll send a handmade card to the person I feel got the most done. =)

Since I've been posting my class projects for March, here's the other two cards I'll be teaching at this month's Card Class. Props go to Kathi for her splendid cards that inspired my "Hey Chick-a" one. Design elements were "stamplifted" from this card and this one of hers.

Supplies (All CTMH): Sweet Pea patterned paper, Crystal Blue, Buttercup CS, black ink, Buttercup ink, Tiny Typewriter Alphabet stamps, black journaling pen, autumn terracotta marker, circle punch, circle window charm, pink polkadot ribbon.

Supplies (All CTMH): Paper Garden patterned papers, Buttercup CS, March SOTM Simple Beauty, For Every Occasion stamps, black ink, watercolor pencils, waterbrush blender, 3d foam.

Planning Ahead

My flight leaves tomorrow morning at 9 am, and I won't be returning until Sunday afternoon. Since I seem to have a faithful readership going, and don't want anyone to lose interest while I'm away, I'm attempting to "pre-blog". This is actually more difficult than it sounds - so be sure to come back on Monday even if the next few days of entries stink. "Live" me will be back in action then.

I'm big on planning ahead. This is not to say that I don't procrastinate, because I do, but I like to feel that I'm living in controlled chaos. Dave will attest to the fact that the phrase, "So, what's our plan for today" crosses my lips a good 20 times a day. All this rambling does lead to a point... I'm planning ahead for my flight.

According the TSA website I can bring my knitting needles as a carryon item, but not my shampoo bottle (since it's more than 3 ounces). Does this seem a little ridiculous to anyone else? I can only magine the kind of damage someone could do with a knitting needle (considering what Jason Bourne could do with a rolled up magazine). Thankfully I don't see any reason for a terrorist to be on a 45 minute flight to Spokane - so I guess there is nothing to fear, except running out of pink yarn.

Hmm...I'm rambling. Guess I'll shut up and post some art.

This is my workshop for March 29th - it's an Easter themed Scrapbook in a Box. Those that don't want it to say Easter can stamp "Spring" instead. Pop me an email if you'd like to attend.

A closed SBIAB

Take off the lid and you have 16 flaps for photos! (I still need to add mine.)

Supplies (all CTMH): Paper Garden Level 1 sheet, Petal, Buttercup, Sweet Leaf and Colonial White CS with matching inks, March SOTM Simple Beauty, March Word Puzzle stamps, April Word Puzzle stamps, Playful Caps and Lowercase Alphabet stamps, Tiny Typewriter Alphabet stamps,

Progress

I had some time to knit last night and today. Check out my progress below... Congrats to Nic who figured out I'm making Sammie a poncho. Still don't know how she figured THAT one out! Send me your address, Nicole, and I'll mail you a little goodie. =)

If you are thinking this looks a little small for my daughter you're right. It's been a while since I last knitted anything - about 2 years - so I'm making a practice one in the 3-6 month size first. I figure it will work well for one of Sam's dollies - or if we are ever able to have any of those 2 baby sisters and or the 20 kids she keeps praying for.


I mentioned yesterday that I'll be at a Scrapbook retreat all weekend. I've been asked to teach a class there entitled "Posh Paint" - featuring all kinds of great ways to use acryic paint in cards and scrapbook layouts. Fun, huh!? I put together my class outline last night, and this morning realized I didn't have any examples of pearl paint (to add shimmer to embellishments). So I whipped this one up in about 5 minutes. It was also really fun to use 2 of my new Cuttlebug embossing folders (swiss dots and allegro). Notice how the bloom shines? I used this repeatedly in my wedding album.


I also used the Pearl paint (love the name - don't you?) to add shimmer to the stamped dove on this card. It's one of the cards I'm teaching this month for Card Class. The dove is popped up on foam to add dimension. The concept of stamping the "branches" outside the box was inspired by several of Kathi's recent cards.

4x4 Card Supplies: (CTMH: Amethyst CS, Black CS, Black Designer Ribbon, Big Pinks paper flowers, black journaling marker, sandpaper), Creative Cafe black button, cuttlebug folders allegro and swiss dots.

4.25x5.5 Easter Card Supplies (All CTMH): Heavenly Blue CS and ink, Cocoa CS and ink, white CS, Blooming Flourishes stmaps, Faith stamps, March Word Puzzle stamps, antique copper brads, 3d foam, pearl paint.

A Former Hobby Revisited

On Thursday, I'm leaving for Tresa Black's Creative University retreat in Idaho. With the way the pass has looked the last few weeks, I thought it wise to fly instead of drive. Only problem is that baggage is extremely limited when you fly. I get 2 bags, each weighing no more than 50 pounds.

Anyone who has ever been to a scrapbook retreat knows that you need approximately 60 pounds of paper, 20 pounds of stamps (these are clear after all - woodie users compensate by adding an additional 100 pounds), and 35 pounds of embellishments PER DAY. Since I'll be gone 4 days, I'll need 360 pounds more than my allotment in order to have the bare minimum of supplies. And that doesn't even include clothing!

Sigh...

Thankfully there are dozens of wonderful scrappers driving to the retreat who promised to bring the necessities, and are willing to share. (I love them already!) But I still felt overwhelmed at the prospect of what to bring. This feeling corresponded with a stroll past the yarn section at Michaels, I'd just finished two knitting themed novels by Debbie Macomber (The Shop on Blossom Street and A Good Yarn - great books btw) and yarn is very light! So in addition to the few pictures/papers I'm bringing, my main focus on this weekend away will be the project you see below:


Feel free to make a guess at what it is - EXCEPT you Christine! LOL - you already know! I may give a small prize for the correct guess. You will have until Sunday night to make your prediction and I'll try to show progress reports along the way (if I have access to a computer in Idaho and can blog).

BTW - the pattern I'm doing is not from the book pictured. I had to show the book because it is the absolute best beginners knitting book I've ever seen. If you want to get into this hobby, you must, must, must get this book (Knitting for Baby - 30 Heirloom Projects with Complete How-To-Knit Instructions by Melanie Falick and Kristin Nicholas).

Happy Knitting!

And the "Splash of Color" Challenge winner is...

...JENN!!! Congratulations! She made the incredible wedding cake card. Jenn, send me an email with your address and I'll ship out your lovely goodie (shown below).

Dave had a really difficult time voting. He spent a good 20 minutes deliberating over the 9 entries. He is quite the stickler and looked VERY carefully at each creation. If I had given him an actual point tally card he probably would have used it! So a big pat on the back to all the participants! These are the winning points of Jenn's card - according to Dave:

1. "It's so unique!"
2. "I've never seen a pastry on a card before!"
3. "I like that she stamped the background to make her own black and white paper."
4. "I like how she wrapped the paper or fabric around the card so the cake looks smooth. I also like the 3 dimensionality of the card."

Here's a little peak at what Jenn is getting from me! It's a file folio album (concept designed by Kelly English-Triggs). Colors are Kiwi, Crystal Blue, and Clover Meadow along with the Silhouette papers.

front cover (and back of album):
inside of album - tags slip behind each pages

Supplies: (CTMH: file folio, Silhouette papers, Colonial White, Clover Meadow, Kiwi, Black, Crystal Blue CS, matching stamp pads, matching markers, Friendship Word Puzzle stamps, Just bloom paper flower), Javabellas stamp, Stickles, green felt

Frozen Ballerina

I was very busy all day and had no time to make anything cute to post... so here's a few fun pictures from our trip to the little park by our house. Even though it was only about 55 degrees, Sammie was intent on wearing her ballerina leotard. We made her wear boots and a jacket (and that was a stretch for her). We froze our fannies off. She insisted she was fine. That's a kid for you - the colder it gets the less clothing they want to wear.

Just a quick reminder too - tomorrow (Sunday) is the last day to participate in my "Splash of Color" challenge! Read below for more info! Dave will be picking a winner for me (I'll try to show him the samples as anonymously as possible.) I'm almost finished with the prize, and will post that Monday with the reveal of the lucky (and talented) recipient! =)

Photo Friday Challenge - GREEN

Jenn is hosting a weekly photograph challenge, and today's theme is GREEN!

I love this picture. I love my daughter's green froggy boots - that SHE picked out. I love her hair in the french braid (first time we did that). This moment was one of the RARE happy moments of the day.

It was taken last October, when Dave, Sam and I went to Country Village in Bothell. They were having a pumpkin festival (but strangely the pumpkins didn't make an appearence until 3 hours after it started). We played on the kiddie toys, Sammie had a meltdown, we rode the train, Sam had a meltdown, she jumped in the jumpy house, had a meltdown, we ate lunch, she had a meltdown, then she (finally) was able to pick out her pumpkin...

...and we discovered they wanted $20 for them.

... So we had to leave.

... and guess what happened?!? Yep, another meltdown.

Sam usually does incredibly well when we are out and about. In fact, this was the worst she has EVER behaved in public. So we went home. Then later that day when she had a nap and we were all feeling happier, she got to pick out a pumpkin from the grocery store.

Next time we're going to save ourselves the aggrevation, headache, and $$ and and just go back to Carleton Farms (like we did the other 2 years Sam has been in our lives).

How's that Jenn? A picture AND a story!

When Bella meets the bug...

...this is what happens! I think it's love at first sight.

Sammie saw me taking a picture of the card:

Sammie: "Awwwww - that is soooooooooooo cute!"

Mom: "Thanks honey."

Sammie: "Is that me with the cupcake? I had a cupcake at my birthday." (we had a cupcake themed birthday party for her in January. She has talked about it every day since.)

Mom: "She kindof looks like you, huh?"

Sammie: "Yeah, but the cupcake at MY birthday was brown and had lots of candy on top"

Supplies: Cupcakeabella stamp, Black ink, Crystal Blue CS, CTMH markers, Cuttlebug birthday folder, CTMH pink polkadot ribbon, sandpaper, Stickles.

Dum Dum Da Dum

Here is my *NEW* wedding album as promised. I'm ecstatic with how it turned out. My scrapping style is simpler than the current CK-esque trends, but I like clean lines. And something as classic as a wedding album really deserves a look that won't go out of style in a few years. Besides, diversity of style is what make this obsession hobby so fantastic. Everyone has their own look, and it's what sets paper artists apart.

The slideshow I created is not loading properly, but slideshows are annoying anyway and I need to get to bed. So here's the first page of the album. Click here to see the rest of the slides at my art gallery.


Supplies: Silhouette Level 1 kit, Level 2 paper pack, Soulmates stamps, Friendship Blessings stamps, and Heritage Alphabet stamps, Heirloom Alphabet stamps, Good Life stamps, My One and Only stamps, Typewriter Keys stamps, Card Commentary stamps, Stickease, Silhouette Creative Basics Collection, Garden Green Base pages, Amethyst CS and TX CS, Bamboo, Black, Desert Sand, Colonial White, White Daisy, Olive, Garden Green CS, Black ink, CTMH fonts 2 cd, Black and White waxy flax, 3d foam, Big Pinks flowers, Just Blooms paper flowers, Black Designer Ribbon Rounds, Create-a-Shade Pearl Paint, Chocolate Mini Medleys, Foundry Frames, Stickles, ScrapbookPictures.com (Karen Russell borders), Basic Grey Rub ons, misc brads, buttons and embellishments.

They're here!

No time for my usual loquaciousness . I just had to post that my Bellas arrived! Yahoo! I'm in big trouble though, because I hear new bellas are debuting in 2 days. Between this and my new cuttlebug obsession, I'm going to go broke! Anyway, we're having dinner with my parents, but as soon as we're home (and after the Top Model premiere) I get to play.

Don't forget about the challenge. Christine posted some gorgeous projects. Ya'll need to give her some competition! Wink, wink...

One last tidbit (yeah, yeah... and I said this would be quick). I finished my wedding album and will be posting later tonight or tomorrow.

Splash of Color Challenge

Ever since CTMH came out with the new Silhouette Collection, I've immersed myself in the beautiful patterned papers and cardstocks in Black, White, Bamboo, Desert Sand, and Colonial White. Lately, I've discovered how fabulous a BRIGHT accent color looks with these papers. It's just stunning!

This inspired a "Splash of Color" challenge. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to create a card or layout with the Silhouette papers (or black, white and neutral colored other papers) AND one accent color.

Post your creation, and add the link to this blog's comment section. You have until MIDNIGHT on Sunday, Feb 24th. I will have Dave pick his favorite, and the winner will receive an AMAZING splash of color creation handmade by me. I can't wait to see what everyone will come up with!

Bald is Beautiful

I'm eager to show off the new wedding album layouts, but have decided to wait and post the whole album at once. It gives you all something to look forward to, yes? I'm almost done - and will probably finish it up sometime this week. Keep checking back! I promise it will be worth the wait.

Secondly, I just have to take a minute to rave on my hubby. He didn't have to work today, so he played all morning with Sam (while I finished a book), then put up our new bathroom cabinet, and then kept Sam busy for a few hours this evening so that I could scrap! Isn't he just the best? I think I'll keep him. Honey, if you are reading this I really appreciate you! Mwah!

Lastly, a big thank you to Erin tonight! I won her crazy hair blog challenge (YAY!) and am so excited for the prize to show up in my mail box. I promised her a layout of my "bald" prom pictures, and here it is. I had to go digging as these were from nine years ago and BDC - Before Digital Cameras. Can't say I like the title very much, but it was just what popped into my head at the time.

The two vertical color photos on the left hand page flip up to reveal the journaling. This is the exact same layout I'm teaching at scrapbook class this weekend ("Role Play" out of Imagine), just with Baby Pink as the accent color instead of Amethyst purple.

Supplies: Silhouette PP, Baby Pink TX CS, Baby Pink B&T (retired), Big Pinks, Black Distressing Ink, Boutique Alphabet stamps, Silhouette letter stickers, Bamboo CS, Black CS, Baby Pink bigger brads.

Non-CTMH supplies: 2" circle punch (marvey); floral brads (making memories); big bite and pink gromlets (we are memory keepers).

PS... since most of you may not know the guy in these pictures is my husband. Dave and I were high school sweethearts. He proposed the summer after this prom (between junior and senior year), and we were married in July after I graduated, just about a year later.

Be sure to check back tomorrow. I'm going to be posting a challenge of some kind and there will be a reward!

Hairs to you

Erin Grotegut is having a blog contest.... crazy hair. And, since I don't have any pictures of my latest NINE layouts I finished last night, this will be the post for the night.

1. (Show a picture of your wildest hair style). I've had lots of "wild" hair in my life, but this was the most recent. In October I was feeling bored and uninspired with my hair, and decided to try blonde (again). My husband first became romantically interested in me when I went blonde in high school, and the rest was history. I thought he'd enjoy the change, and I was ready for something different. The first attempt was, well... orange. Two attempts later it was still pretty yellow and I had a sore head. Dave and I reached the consensus that it wasn't the professional image I was going for, and the style was much cuter on 16 year old me than 25 year old me. I was back to a redish brown within 2 days.

2. (Greatest Hair Adventure) Flashback to Junior year in high school, and the cute, 16 year-old blonde me referenced above. Over Easter break I had gone to a fabulous shade of chocolate cherry brown - my hair changed monthly in those days. Then, after finding a prom dress that definitely went better with the blonde decided to change back. The day before the dance I bleached my hair and because of all the previous color changes, ended up with school bus orange results. The morning of prom, I bleached it several more times and though my roots were platinum, the ends never went lighter than canary yellow. After lots of tears and a meltdown, Dave shaved my head. Yep - shaved it, all gone, no hair... ON MY PROM DAY! Okay - I wasn't bald, but we're talking #2 razor, 1/2" platinum blonde fuzz. And for emotional support he shaved his bleached head too. We looked like a couple of q-tips - our friends reminded us of this all night. Ahhh... memories. Through all of this my mom's most memorable comment was, "Well honey, at least you have a nicely shaped head." I do have to say it was an extremely liberating experience. I felt quite feminine during that time, and it would be something I'd consider doing again.

3. (Guess Erin's new hair color). Well, since this blog's been all about the blonde, I'm going to go with that as your new color. =) Hope you pick me as the winner!

What's in a Name?

Thanks to Alyssa for sharing this informative quiz. Interestingly, I feel the comments regarding my name fit me to a T (perhaps Dave would disagree?). What does your name say about YOU?

What Nona Means

You are very intuitive and wise. You understand the world better than most people. You also have a very active imagination. You often get carried away with your thoughts. You are prone to a little paranoia and jealousy. You sometimes go overboard in interpreting signals. You are well rounded, with a complete perspective on life. You are solid and dependable. You are loyal, and people can count on you. At times, you can be a bit too serious. You tend to put too much pressure on yourself. You are usually the best at everything ... you strive for perfection. You are confident, authoritative, and aggressive. You have the classic "Type A" personality.

What's" Your Name's Hidden Meaning?

Lovin' the Bug

Here's more of my recent cuttlebug creations (using the circles and doggy folders again). The card designs are just slight modifications of Christine's challenge sketch. I also was playing with the CTMH Connections Club rub ons - they are a great quality. Hopefully we come out with more in the next idea book. As far as the cuttlebug goes, I love it so much I went out and bought 4 new A2 folders today, (and have another 4 picked out once they are back in stock) so my next few posts will have a little more variety.

And my favorites of the day:

I'm HOPING for a nice long weekend of scrapping. Dave took today off so he could finish his homework, and we are going to visit some friends tomorrow. Our men and kids usually play well together, and Sharalyn and I both love to scrap. Assuming everyone is cooperative, I'll have lots to post in a few days!

Supplies: CTMH CS: Hollyhock, Topiary, Black, Buttercup, Lilac Mist, Brown Bag, Ocean; Heavenly Blue PP; Black Designer Ribbon Round; sandpaper; black journaling pen; 3d foam; Topiary conchos; Happy Birthday stamps, white flower paper border (not ctmh); stickles.

Take the Quiz

Just had to post this... i think it's hilarious! Thanks Nic for the link! ;)

Christine's Challenge (sketch 1)

Here's the card for Christine's first Sketch Challenge. It's also going to be Dave's valentine card, so hopefully he doesn't check my blog until tomorrow. I got to use BOTH of my new toys on this card... the Cuttlebug for the embossed background and the puppy, and the Big Bite to set the conchos (aka gromlets by WRMK). Whatever you call them, they were such a breeze to set with the big bite. I normally use the flat side of a butter knife, so it was pretty amazing to just set them with one tiny squeeze. I also got to use my new 2" circle punch AND break open a brand new pack of brown bag CS. It's looking like a good day.

Today at Biblestudy, my group had the privilage of serving with the kids. One of the little girls begged and pleaded to pray for the group. With her little eyes screwed shut and her tiny hands clenched together, she solemnly prayed, "Dear Jesus, please stop my brothers from fighting. They hit each other and are naughty. Amen." It was the cutest and funniest thing. But later, it served as a reminder to me to go to the Lord about everything - even things I think are trivial. When we are in relationship with someone, often the trivial and mundane are talked about most often - and the "deep" things set aside for later. God wants us to know Him, and share the details of our lives with him. What a blessing for us that He is there for it all (especially for us housewives when our whole world often feels like the mundane).

I had looked forward to making (and then posting) more cards using my fun new supplies - but my little princess is not willingly napping today and I've used up all the time that I have. Even now she's calling.... "Moooommmmmmmeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!" Oh, you can hear it too?

Supplies for card above: Cuttlebug, Circle A2 folder, Dogs folder, We R Memory Keepers Big Bite and silver gromlets, CTMH Lilac Mist, Spring Mist, Buttercup and Brown Bag CS, Buttercup B&T (retired), Soulmates stamps, Feb Word Puzzle stamps, Sans Small Caps stamps, 2" metal rim tag, Lilac Mist and Spring Mist inks, 3d foam, sandpaper, corner rounder, 2" and 3/4" circle punches

Happy Valentine's Day!

We decided to do gifts last night, because we have some friends coming over for dinner tonight. As you can see, I didn't get my cupcake stamps... I got something even BETTER!!! It's a CUTTLEBUG! For those who don't scrap, that's a rad little gizmo that embosses and die cuts paper. My friend Christine has a card challenge on her blog, so the first few creations using the cuttlebug and my big bite will be for her sketch. Stay tuned!

The movie/goodie basket I got for Dave was made by Crista, the sister of my good friend, Laurie. She does all sorts of these incredible edibles baskets (and you get to pick the movie) so send me an email if you want more info. She'll be doing them again for Easter. The treats are all made by her and they are fabulous!

Now to the important stuff....

The winners of my first ever blog contest are...

Melanie #2 (the second Melanie to post - I think we need last initial next time. LOL!)

AND

Meagan

Congrats ladies. Melanie, please email me at nonapearl@firebin.net with your address so I can get your card to you. Meagan - obviously I already have yours! ;)

Happy Valentine's Day!

My SOTM Swap Cards

My creative slump subsided for a few hours today... and I got... (drumroll) 24 cards DONE! YIPPEE! Well, actually 25 because I tried out the Dahlia Fold today. I'd post, but first tries at anything are usually pretty ugly and this is no exception. =) Nanci Hatcher only requires 10 cards for her swap, but I always make a few extra for my stash.

To celebrate my productivity I'm going to have my first ever reader GIVEAWAY! Post a comment on today's blog, and I'll randomly select two readers who will each receive one of the cards above! I'll post the winner on Thursday, Valentines Day! (that was my shameless plug a helpful reminder to make/buy something nice for your sweetie. So Honey - if you're reading this I would love the cute little stamp set we talked about. wink, wink!)

Supplies used (All CTMH):
Flower card: Buttercup, Sweet Leaf and Petal CS, March SOTM "Simple Beauty", Black Archival ink; Honey ink, Petal, Blush, Sweet Leaf reinkers, waterbrush, sparkles.

Postmark card: Silhouette Paper Pack, Black Designer Ribbon Round, April SOTM "Express Postage", Black Archival ink, Desert Sand ink, Desert Sand CS, Chocolate Mini Medley flowers, Coluzzle Circle cutter.

SWEEEET!

Guess what the man in brown brought me today? Yippee! I showed Samantha and the first word out of her mouth was a loud, emphatic "SWEEEEET!" Glad to know she's being raised right. Now I'm just waiting for my Bellas to arrive.

So with all this great new stuff, I guess I'm going to have to actually do some crafting. My hope was to post a card or layout everyday, but our schedule has been so full lately I've had zero time to do any personal projects. These are the cards for February's card class. 9 ladies came to yesterday's class (yahoo!), and I'm teaching them again tonight and tomorrow. All products are CTMH. For a complete supply list of each one you can visit my art gallery and click on "2008 card club".

More Princess Ball

Here are a few pictures that Dave took at the ball last night, and a little movie. They had a WONDERFUL time. Sam keeps asking when they can go again.

And here's a little movie clip. She didn't learn the flappy arms and thigh slap from me, I swear!

Getting Ready

The Princess Ball finally arrived, and our little princess got as primped, prettied and gussied up as any 3 year old could. She got hairspray to hold her 'do, and a dab of perfume behind each ear. I even let her wear a touch of purple eye shadow (that matched her dress), and shiny lip gloss. These are thrilling things to every little princess.

Then I snapped some pictures (of course) and Dave whisked her off to the ball. As I imagined all the fun they were having - all the belles and their daddies - I couldn't help but think about our Heavenly Father and how he wants each one of us to be his princess. He has invited us to a ball and he longs to take our hand and guide our every step. I thought of how He longs for us to be beautifully clothed in the righteousness and purity of Jesus' blood - though our sins are like scarlet they will be white as snow. And when I imagined all those daddies dancing with their little girls gathered tightly in their arms, I couldn't help but become overwhelmed by the fact that that is how God loves us - except he loves perfectly, unceasingly, and unconditionally. This Princess Ball wasn't just about making little girl's dreams come true for an evening. It was a picture of how God can bring our lives fulfillment for an eternity.

The Floor...

In the last post, I mentioned our new floors. It's such a dramatic difference I can't help but do a little show and tell. As you look at the pictures I know you must all be thinking, "Wait, don't you have a 3 year old? Where's all your plastic crap/clutter/dangerous, spikey toys that threaten to break your neck as you walk to the potty at 2 am/crumbs and food debris?" To which I would answer that my house always looks this great because I'm a domestic goddess! Except that would be a lie. In reality, the crumbs are so deeply embedded into the carpet that we were't sure what was edible and what was floor, and we shoved all that other stuff in our bedroom so the installers could do their thing.

Now that I've let you all in on my big secret, you'll be happy to hear that our new laminate is practically indestructible, very easy to clean (even for a failure of a housewife like me) and it's really, really pretty. Take a look...

Hallway Before/After:

Living Room Before/After:

Dining Room Before/After:

The one vastly different thing between carpet and our new floors is the "slippery" factor. We've been doing (rather poor) reenactments of Tom Cruise in Risky Business all week. Sam even said to me this morning, "You gotta be carefuw momma. I don't want you to fall and get a owie!" She has discovered, however, how fast her matchbox car zips up and down the hallway.

In other news, Dave and I decided that 2008 is our year to purge and organize our home. We've already tossed out several huge garbage bags of junk, and taken a few loads to Goodwill. Tomorrow comes the fun stuff - we're headed to Ikea for some great new closet organizers, lighting fixtures, bedding, and cabinets! Yay for the tax refund!

One last tidbit - tomorrow is also the Princess Ball, and our little one is out of her mind with excitement. We've already agreed to new polish on her fingers and toes, and a special hairstyle. Dave is even going to try to swing by the florist and see if he can get her a last minute corsage. Isn't that just the sweetest thing?!