Fun Time Sunday!

There is some fun times going on here! Alexa and Ben had tons for fun with a new toy we got each of them today. Brad and I are surprised about how long they have been content with it (it's been well over an hour since the FUN began). There has been no screams about hitting, stealing toys or anything else a 4 and 2 year old can complain about - so we are extremely happy with the purchase.  Here are some pictures of the FUN!

Alexa playing with the Rice Box.

Ben digging for treasures. 

Needless to say, the mess afterwards was well worth all the quiet fun time they had!

Swiftly Created Challenge #5

Tegan at Swiftly Created has been busy with school lately, but she still found a few minutes to challenge us. Her inspiration picture was so beachy - as you can see - so I wanted to use my Summertime Fun set by CC Designs.

Colors include: Very Vanilla, Ballet Blue, Bashful Blue, Real Red and Tempting Turquoise

It also gave me a chance to play with the sketch challenge (#14) over at the "All That Scraps" Blog. 

Here is how my intrepretation of the colors from Tegans Challenge and how I used ATS sketch.

Enjoy!!

Stamps: CC Designs Summertime Fun

Paper: Water Color Paper, Very Vanilla, Ballet Blue,

Bashful Blue, Real Red and Tempting Turquoise

Inks: Real Red, Tempting Turquoise, Chocolate Chip, 

Creamy Caramel and Close to Cocoa

Accessories: Cuttlebug, Spots & Dots Embossing Folder, Aquapainter, 

Real Red & Bashful Blue Grosgrain Ribbon, Dimensionals and adhesive

Thankful Thursday - #8

Today's I am thankful for:

"A Good Movie"

The kids and I were supposed to have this hectic, crazy busy day today. We watched Maddy, a little girl down the street, this morning and then we were supposed to run all these errands before Dad got home. Well, after Maddy left we had lunch and then it started to rain a little (another thing to be thanful for) so we decided to wait until it stopped before we headed out. In the meantime, we all sat down on the couch and snuggled in and watched "The Little Mermaid". I had forgotten how much I really liked this movie and I was so happy that Alexa & Ben enjoyed it as well. I hope you all see a good movie real soon!

Feel free to leave a comment on what you are thankful for - I would love to know! Until next time, take a moment to think of something you are thankful for, then smile!

Kristina Werner's Color Inspiration #20

I got some time to play in my craft room today and accomplished several cards that I needed to get done. YEAH!! The colors for Kristina Werner's Color Inspiration #20 were perfect for an Anniversary card that I needed to do - so off I went.

Inspiration Colors:

Chocolate Chip, Regal Rose, Pink Pirouette, Certainly Celery and Very Vanilla

This Big on Spring stamp set is one of the only ones that I have that will work fo wedding/anniversaries. The "Love" stamp has "you" in the letter "O", but I chose to leave it off and just make it a "Love" card.  I used my VersaMark stamp pad and Heat & Stick Powder to get the glitter on the heart. I think the whole card turned out so cute! Enjoy!

Stamps: Big on Spring

Paper:Chocolate Chip, Very Vanilla and Bella Rose DSP

Inks: Chocolate Chip, Regal Rose and VersaMark

Accessories: Heat & Stick Powder, Heat Gun, Glitter, Chocolate Chip Poly-twill Ribbon, Scallop Edge Punch, Dimensionals and adhesive

Sister's Purse Color Challenge #2

It's Wednesday and that means that it's time for a new "Sister's Purse Color Challenge". Becky got to pick the purse today and here it is! This cute little Roxy clutch can be found on eBags.com. If you are interested in the details for it click HERE the price is a pretty reasonable $26.00.

The colors to be used this week are:

Orchid Opulence

Pink Passion

Gable Green

Basic Gray

You can add a neutral color if you like, but it's not necessary.

Becky's card is first since it was her week to choose (on SCS - HERE).

Stamps: Frolicking Frogs

Paper: Orchid Opulence, Pink Passion, Gable Green and Basic Gray

Inks: Basic Black

Accessories: Buttons, dimensionals and adhesive

Here is mine (on SCS HERE):

Stamps: Best Kind of Friend

Paper: Orchid Opulence, Pink Passion, Gable Green, Basic Gray and Whisper White

Inks: Orchid Opulence, Pink Passion and Gable Green

Accessories: Scallop Circle Punch, Circle Punch, Glitter, Heat & Stick Powder, Heat Gun, Brad, Unigel Pen, Dimensionals and adhesive.

Just an FYI on this card - I used a sketch (HERE) that I came across from Mothers and Daughters Creations blog. If you get a chance check it out, there is some pretty inspiring cards to see. YES - I did put glitter on that little brad! I love how the whole card turned out. I may do a tutorial for the glitter brad at a later time. 

If you are interested in playing along, here's the details: Each week (on Wednesday) we will post a picture of a purse and list the colors for our challenge. Along with the challenge information our cards will be posted as well. If you would like to play along - and we hope you do - leave us a comment on this post where your card is located. If uploading to SCS please use the keyword SPCC02 (Gallery HERE) for this weeks entry, so we can find your card quickly. We will pick our favorites and post them with next week's challenge. Should be lots of fun!

Change it up Tuesday #6

I am short on time today - I am getting ready for a SU workshop this evening, but I did have a few seconds to pick a card and "Change it Up" for this week. The card I chose was a super simple one and really doesn't need any explanation. Enjoy!

My old card - "Birthday Wishes" (details can be found HERE on SCS)

My "Change it up Tuesday" card - "Birthday Wishes - Take 2" (details can be found HERE on SCS)

How to play: Take a card you previously created and only change the colors used. The layout and the stamped images should remain the same. Then leave me a comment where your cards are located or if you upload to SCS use keyword CIUT06. For fun, I will pick from those commenting (with or without a card) on Monday (9/1) and I will send you my "Change it up Tuesday" creation. Have fun and I can't wait to see what you come up with!

Our Benjamin!

Our Benjamin has been quite the handful lately. I believe they call it the terrible twos?! The whole idea of terrible two's is new to me - I know we have Alexa but she never had this many consecutive days of tantrums, the need for constant attention and all the other whatnots that Ben has had. I am hoping that it is just the boy in him and I pray that we get through this quickly. One example of an activity that required attention is below - this all happened in the matter of minutes yesterday while I was folding laundry. 

YES - we went through TWO WHOLE SPOOLS of ribbon for this game! I think he may have gotten this idea from "Tom & Jerry". He loves that cat and mouse, but I think I may have to be more careful and screen the episodes prior to him watching them. 

Although he can be a challenge at times, it is moments like this that I cherish!

Halloween Cards - already?!

So when I saw this card on Dawn's blog - Dawn's Stamping Thoughts - I just knew that I had to make one of my own. Of course I couldn't resist doing the Bride as well. Alexa got in on the fun and made her own too. It was a girls stamping day - Halloween Style!

Here's my cards:

Frankie Card - details HERE on SCS

& his Bride Card - details HERE on SCS

Frankie & his Bride Together - details HERE on SCS

And here is Alexa's:

Didn't she do a great job! I didn't help her at all - she did everything by herself, even fringing the eyelashes! I am a very proud mama! Enjoy and let us know what you think.

Thankful Thursday - #7

I almost forgot that it was Thursday and I needed to post what I am thankful for. So, besides being thankful that I remembered before the day was done, I am also thankful for:

"A Silly Dance"

Every once in a while it feels good to just do a silly dance. A couple days ago Alexa and Ben were dancing up a storm to the Backyardigan's "Float Flutter Fly" song. They were copying those cute animated figures almost perfectly - see pictures. Well today we all got down and danced for a what seemed like am eternity - ok so it was only 20 minutes, but geesh! I will be sore tomorrow and hopefully they will sleep soundly through the night, so it will be worth it. Now go DANCE!

Feel free to leave a comment on what you are thankful for - I would love to know! Until next time, take a moment to think of something you are thankful for, then smile!

Kristina Werner's Color Inspiration #19

Kristina has finally gotten her blog up and running again - so another color inspiration was needing to be done. We are on #19 - WOW can you believe it?!

Inspiration colors:

Basic Black, Basic Gray, Whisper White and an accent color of your choice

There is nothing to hard about this card, it's pretty much what you see is what you get. I tore the edges to give it a softer look and assembled everything together with adhesive and dimensionals (these little guys are the best ever!). My accent color of choice was Pink Pirouette - I like the subtleness of it and I think that it makes the card feminine. I also added a few rhinestones - I know, rhinestones again. I have been on some sort of kick with them, I really have no idea why other than the container has been sitting on my craft table and I think why not use them. I may need to put them away so I won't be as easily swayed the next time. Enjoy & let me know what you think. Also be sure to check out my color challenge - HERE - and play along if you like.

Stamps: Boho Backgrounds

Paper:Basic Black, Basic Gray, Whisper White and Pink Pirouette

Inks: Basic Black

Accessories: Rhinestones, Dimensionals and adhesive

Sister's Purse Color Challenge #1

My sister and I have decided to start a color challenge of our own. I know that there are so many excellent color challenges to choose from - if you read this blog regularly you know that I do a lot of color challenges. But in order to make this challenge unique we wanted to do a challenge based on pictures of one of the things we have in common - our LOVE of purses! 

The details: Each week (on Wednesday) we will post a picture of a purse and list the colors for our challenge. Along with the challenge information our cards will be posted as well. If you would like to play along - and we hope you do - leave us a comment on this post where your card is located. If uploading to SCS please use the keyword SPCC01 for this weeks entry, so we can find your card quickly. We will pick our favorites and post them with next week's challenge. Should be lots of fun!

I got to pick the first purse to showcase. I found this beauty on the "Vintage in Style" webpage - check it out HERE (note: you will need to scroll down a bit to find it) and could be yours for only $75 - what a bargain! 

The colors to be used are:

Pink Passion

Green Galore and

Tempting Turquoise

You can add a neutral if you like as well.

This is my card. All the details can be found in my SCS gallery - click HERE to go directly to the card.

Stamps: Doodle This and For a Friend

Paper: Pink Passion, Green Galore, Tempting Turquoise and Sahara Sand

Inks: VersaMark, Tempting Turquoise, Pink Passion and Green Galore

Accessories: Clear Embossing Powder, Heat Gun, Corner Rounder, Rhinestones, Dimensionals and adhesive.

This is Becky's Card: 

Stamps: Frolicking Frogs

Paper: Pink Passion, Green Galore, Tempting Turquoise, Whisper White

Inks: Basic Black, Tempting Turquoise, Pink Passion, Green Galore and purple

Accessories: BoHo Punch, Dimensionals, decorative scissors and adhesive

Thanks and we hope that you will play along.

Change it up Tuesday #5

Sorry about not posting my "Change it up Tuesday" entry last week. We had visiting relatives and it left no time for stamping. But now that things have slowed a bit, I did have a chance to do one for this week. The card I chose was a really simple one I made right when I first became a SU Demonstrator. This time around I wanted to use a couple of the NEW In Colors and I wanted it to be a little mono-chromatic. Enjoy and play along if you like.

My old card - "Happy Card" (details are located HERE on SCS)

My "Change it up Tuesday" card - "Happy Card - Take 2" (details are located HERE on SCS)

How to play: Take a card you previously created and only change the colors used. The layout and the stamped images should remain the same. Then leave me a comment where your cards are located or if you upload to SCS use keyword CIUT05. For fun, I will pick from those commenting (with or without a card) on Monday (8/25) and I will send you my "Change it up Tuesday" creation. Have fun and I can't wait to see what you come up with!

Family FUN!

After all the landscaping was done last Saturday, we went over for a visit with Brad's family. We had such a good time. Alexa and Ben loved feeding Great Grandma Sharp's fish with Aunt Della. They could of spent all day doing that.

Ben enjoyed a game of horseshoes with Uncle Eric and then it was off for a swing with Alexa. 

It was a warm day, so we headed inside for some cooling off and a piano lesson with Great Grandma. Of course, no day would be complete without a handstand or two!

Landscaping

We had so many projects to do this summer and we waited to do this project. Partly because we knew that landscaping projects are costly and the other was that is was going to take a lot of work and time to complete. Brad worked really hard last weekend on it finishing it and I tell you - it looks FABULOUS - good job honey! He did have a couple of cute little helpers (hinderers) that enjoyed playing in all the dirt as well.

Thankful Thursday - #6

For my "Thankful Thursday" post this week I am thankful for:

"Cool Gadgets"

My wonderful hubby came home with Alexa from gymnastics class with a fun new gadget for me. There are two reasons for this cool gift:

1. It's an early (one day) Anniversary gift; and

2. He thinks that when we are out and about that we will be able to keep the kids at bay by having a way to play their favorite shows - it might work, it might not, but it was a sweet gesture.

Feel free to leave a comment on what you are thankful for - I would love to know. Until next time, take a moment to think of something you are thankful for, then smile!

It's time!

Today is the start of the new Stampin' Up! Idea Book & Catalog - I am so excited as I am sure you all are too. All of my boxes of the new catalogs have finally been received and I am ready to PARTY! So ladies be on the look out for information for the next Stampin' Up! party - hopefully I can get things finalized quickly and get the info to you this week. In the meantime, if you check out my sidebar you will find a link that will direct you to the new catalog.

Also, just to let you know there are a few great specials to go with the launch of this catalog. Be sure to check them out and let me know if I can get anything for you.

CLICK HERE for 15% off a few NEVER-BEFORE-SEEN stamp sets from the new catalog

CLICK HERE for information on how you can sign up to be a demonstrator for only $99.

Taylored Expressions Cupcake Challenge #28

This week I came across another challenge - Taylored Expressions Cupcake Challenge #28 - that I wanted to give a try. I had looked at Taylor's blog before and admired everything she has posted, so instead of being a bystander I thought it was about time to join in all the fun. This is the sketch for her challenge.

Now I won't lie, I had difficulty with this card - it just didn't end up being as fantastic as it turned out without a few things being thrown into the trash. I had initially wanted to use a cute little monkey from CC Designs stamp set Monkey Love, but I just couldn't get the coloring to work out the way I wanted. So, I threw it in the trash out of frustration and my lovely Alexa asked "Mommy, why did you throw that away? It's a cute little guy". Well then we had a discussion about how sometimes things don't turn out how you expect them to, doesn't mean that you don't like them, it's just that it would not work for that task and mommy should have not thrown it away because it could be used somewhere else and it would be perfect. She then thought of the perfect place for it - on a cute card for her friend Hana.  

OK - so enough with all rambling. Here is my card and the details on it:

Stamps: SU Pun Fun

Paper: Kiwi Kiss, Not Quite Navy, Bashful Blue, Whisper White, WaterColor Paper and striped designer paper

Inks: Black StazOn, Tangerine Tango, So Saffron, Not Quite Navy, Green Galore and Real Red

Accessories: White Grosgrain Ribbon, Circle punches, Aqua Painter, Dimensionals and adhesive

Enjoy and let me know what you think.

Swiftly Created Challenge #4

As promised here is one of the cards I made while playing with Alexa in our craft room yesterday. This one is for Tegan's Swiftly Created Blog Challenge #4. She made up a sketch this time around and I was really surprised how easily this card came about. Here it is in all it's glory! Enjoy!

Stamps: SU Best Kind of Friends and Hugs and Wishes

Paper: Very Vanilla, Wild Wasabi and Groovy Guava

Inks: Wild Wasabi and Groovy Guava

Accessories: Stamp-A-Jig, Copper Brads, Paper Piercer,

Dimensionals and adhesive

Just a note!

Nothing too exciting to report today. I have been fighting off a head cold, that has now proceeded into my chest - darn airplane ride! Anyways, Alexa coaxed me into our craft room today and we made a few cards and a really big mess - so you could say that we had lots of fun. Ben even joined in and was excited that he got to try out the small paper cutter I have. I think he chopped up about several hundred pieces before he found something else to get into. We then cleaned things up and did some house chores before Brad got home. Like I said, nothing too exciting happening around here. Now, tomorrow will be a different story!

I'll post pictures of our fun projects sometime this weekend. I am off to go through my new STAMPIN' UP! catalog! 

Kristina Werner's Color Inspiration #18

Boy - does time just fly by or what. Kristina has issued another color inspiration (#18) and as you know I love participating in these challenges. There is just something I find exciting about them.

Inspiration colors: Basic Black, Pumpkin Pie, Rose Red 

with the option of 

Summer Sun and/or Green Galore

I wanted to make a card for a little boy and this is how it came out. The card was pretty easy to do - there is nothing difficult about it. I don't know if you can tell from the picture, but I did a little embossing on the card base just to give it a little extra touch. I inked up my "Ahoy, matey" stamp with my VersaMark stamp pad and then embossed it with clear embossing powder and my heat gun. I think it turned out so adorable! Enjoy!

Thankful Thursday - #5

Sorry for the late post, but it has been quite a day. For this installment of "Thankful Thursday" I would like to say that I am thankful for:

"a great bookstore"

I was able to get away for a couple hours this evening and have an enjoyable, and much needed break from the kiddies. I headed to the bookstore because Brad wanted me to pick up a gift and I ended up browsing around, which I can't remember the last time I was in a bookstore, let alone in a bookstore by myself browsing. It was great and it was relaxing to be away, but I did notice something I thought was very strange. As I was aimlessly walking around I realized that I could come up with more kid's book author's than adult book authors. Guess I need to check out the best sellers list to reacquaint myself. So today, I am thankful for bookstores - well at least the trip to the bookstore!

Change it up Tuesday #4

This weeks "Change it up Tuesday" entry I decided to use a card I made for a card swap. I like to see how different the cards are with the change in the colors - the challenge keeps it interesting. I usually like the first card I did better, but I like the second try better this time around. Enjoy and play along if you like.

My old card - "Mandy's Card 1" (details are located HERE on SCS)

My "Change it up Tuesday" card - "Mandy's Card 1 - Take 2" (details are located HERE on SCS)

How to play: Take a card you previously created and only change the colors used. The layout and the stamped images should remain the same. Then leave me a comment where your cards are located or if you upload to SCS use keyword CIUT04.  For fun, I will pick from those commenting (with or without a card) on Monday (8/11) and I will send you my "Change it up Tuesday" creation. Have fun and I can't wait to see what you come up with!

We're back!

Please forgive the lack of postings, but at the last minute we decided to take a short vacation. We went back to one of our favorite spots in Orlando - no we didn't do anything Disney -  we just stayed at the resort and hung out at the pool. It was GREAT and so much fun! Here are a few pictures from our adventure.

We were sitting on our patio and these two birds just happened to walk by - well walk right up to the patio to say "Hi"!  We all ran inside at that point and this is how it played out: Ben frightened - yet intrigued; Alexa asking 20 questions then referring to a booklet to find out what they were; Mom & Dad in the background laughing. Here is a picture as proof!

With the birds long gone we took to the waterpark at the resort and this is where we spent most of our days and evenings. Alexa could not get enough swimming and Ben loved to take the "floating donut" in and out of the water. With all the fun by the time Saturday rolled around Alexa and Dad were all for more swimming and Ben and I were ready for something else.  My favorite thing was that Ben kept saying "No more swimming cool - I done". We had lots of fun and will go back again and again, I'm sure.