Happy Birthday card & bag set.

Woo-Hoo, it's the weekend again!

Today is my baby boy's 8th birthday, so I had to post birthday something (even if it's not for him). He's not even here with me - he and my husband are camping for the weekend. We asked him if he would have a problem not being with his mommy on his birthday and he said "hmmmm....well, as long as I can have an extra s'more!" Yeah - dumps mom for an extra s'more - what.ev.er!

It's OK - my daughter and I are having girls weekend. We've got a lot of things planned - baking cookies, shopping, eating out - just some good old-fashioned mother-daughter time.

So this little card and bag set feature patterned papers and embellies by American Crafts. The little blue bag is another that I picked up at Walmart - will probably head there too and stock up on these this weekend. Last time I shared a gift bag here there were questions about the stitching. I stitch the edge on my sewing machine, then finish off the bag front and then adhere the entire thing. I use a "real" sewing machine - not a craft one or a mini or anything like that. The kind that if I wanted to make a dress, I could do that. But seeing as I don't know how to, I never will *giggles*

Hope your Saturday is a fun one!

TYVM.

Happy Friday, Girls!

I've got a fun card to share with you today - another no stamping card. I did however ink the edges of my cardstock, so points for that *giggles* I've got some patterned paper from October Afternoon, some pretty lace trim from Webster's Pages topped with some seam binding and then a little Webster's sparkler on top of that, finished off with some old Thickers from American Crafts.

Don't forget - today is the last day to enter this week's giveaway!

TGIF!

The last of the cruise pictures.

Happy Day, Girls!

Today I'm sharing the last batch of pictures from our Alaskan cruise. Sort of a hodgepodge of pictures, but little pieces of our trip.

My son slept in the window sill. Pretty nice view to wake up to every day, no?

View from our table at breakfast.

What a lovely sunset.

The kids just loved dressing up! - - and I loved that they got more wears out of their good clothes.

The pretty chandelier in the Pinnacle Grill - that's the fancy schmancy restaurant on board.

And the matching lamp.

Little brown bear in the center of this picture.

Glacier Bay.

Glacier Bay.

Glacier Bay.

The little towel animals the steward left for us at bedtime - a little doggie this night.

One of my most favorite pictures ever!

Have a wonderful day!

Don't fret, Dearie.

Happy Halfway-There Day, Girls!

I tell ya', I have got a full-on love affair goin' right now with the Coredinations cardstock by Jenni Bowlin. I just love it. I had no idea how much I would love it - so much so that I am running low on it and I need to get some more. Good thing all the paper manufacturers are releasing new stuff pretty quick here and I'll get to add that to my order from Two Peas. Anywhoooo.... So yes - I have a base of that cardstock, with some Jenni Bowlin patterned paper and then I topped that with some Hawaiian Shores buttons from Papertrey Ink and some bloomers (flowers) from Webster's Pages that I thought matched nicely. A different color combination, but I like!

Thanks for stopping in today!

Christmas in July.

Hey Girls!

I don't do challenges. I don't like them. I've said this before. I find them stifling of the creative process when you have to use these colors or these shapes or follow this sketch. Just not me at all. Not knocking anyone who does challenges because I know a ton of people do, but for me, it doesn't work. All that being said - I'm participating in Jill's Christmas in July challenge - LOL BECAUSE all you have to do is make a Christmas card. Doesn't matter what's on it, what sketch, what colors, what stamps, what papers. THOSE kind of challenges I CAN do - heh.

So I've got a cute lil' Christmas card with mostly Papertrey Ink stuff on it except those trims (lace from A Million Memories and the brown trim is by American Crafts).

Have you started working on Christmas cards & gifts? All my Christmas cards are handmade - and no 2 are alike...I hate mass-producing. And I want to make a lot of the gifts this year too. So yeah...Christmas stuff...in the works.

Have a great day!

Have a splendid day.

Hello - it's Monday again (in case you needed a reminder).

So today I've got a couple of lazzzzy cards to share with you. Because I work a full-time job, and I come home to 2 cute lil' redheads and an adoring husband, I really need to find those pockets of time to create. Sometimes I force myself to create at night - even when I don't feel like it - because it gets me back in to it, I generate new ideas for the next project, things like that. So these cards were made only with what was on my craft table (or on the floor piled next to it). Which is why I've got a lot of mixy-matchy goin' on.

I've got more of that great Coredinations cardstock by Jenni Bowlin giving my cards an extra layer of texture with no additional work on my part. Then I've got some fun American Crafts patterned papers, embellishments and that great stamp is from them too. And the trims are various - Webster's Pages, seam binding from ETSY, and that lush linen ribbon is from Practicing Creativity Designs.

Cheers - it's a new week!

Be sure and scroll down for this week's giveaway!

:: It's Another Giveaway - Calabasas Candy Co. ::

Good Morning, Girls!

I've got another YUMMY giveaway for you all this week. Miss Cheri over at Calabasas Candy Co. sent me the most AMAZING box of gourmet sugary goodness ever. I mean for real.

I'm just going to go straight to the best - pistachio nougat candy. Ohhhh my land-o-be! HEAVEN. I had just gotten home from my cruise where I had wayyyy too much pistachio ice cream and I get this to enjoy. If you love pistachios, and you have a sweet tooth, this yummy, chewy, nutty goodness is going to make you cry tears of joy - LOL Seriously I could not believe how YUM this was.

She also sent me some caramels....lemon zest caramels. Those Brach's caramels that you get at Halloween time ain't got nuthin' on these. So creamy and sugary and buttery and smooooooth and with a lil' citrus kicker. Ohhh yeah....love.

And last but certainly not least: gourmet marshmallows! Shut up! The ones that you see here are cinnamon & sugar. I got me some coffee ones all rolled in powdery mocha goodness. Incredible.

Is your mouth watering?

Do you want some of your very own?

Well that's good because Miss Cheri is sending one of you fine folks a surprise assortment of (3) different candies.
Ohhhh the excitement!!

So here's the details.....:

Comment on this post by end of day Friday, July 30th.

For extra entries:

(a new comment for each entry must be left for these extras to count)
01. Leave a comment on this post.
02. Blog about this giveaway with a link to this post.
03. Be - or become via the link in the top right corner - a follower of this blog.

(3 chances to win, post a separate comment for each.)

ETA: this giveaway went unclaimed :(
Please contact me via the contact me link on the sidebar.
The winner will be announced HERE ON THIS POST on Saturday, July 31st.

* - PLEASE READ MY GIVEAWAY FINE PRINT - *

Giveaways run M-F with winner being announced on the original post on the Saturday after the giveaway ends.

Winner has 1-week to contact me via the contact me link on the sidebar.

I am not going to track down the winner to tell them they've won.

Giveaways that go unclaimed will either be re-drawn for a new winner, or put up again (up to the sponsor).

Thanks for your understanding.

Adventures in couponing.

Happy Sunday, Girls!

Got another couponing trip to share with you all. First though let me apologize for the picture. My husband always sets out the stuff for me to take the picture, and this time it was too wide and I couldn't have you all seein' the crap pile on the hutch behind the table, so he stood up on a chair to take this picture.
Hold on one second....

....OK, sorry, had to drool over those Sara Lee cherry pies that are so not something I can eat right now (losing weight again, go fat girl, it's your birthday).

Alright, so here's the digits:

(14) boxes of Pop Tarts - the 12 pks.
(7) boxes of Act II Kettle Corn popcorn
(6) cans of Libby's vegetables
(6) cans of Old El Paso refried beans
(5) boxes of Wheaties Fuel cereal (this is Wheaties that's sweetened and has some puffed rice - yum!)
(5) bags of Kraft 100 calorie cheese packs
(4) bottles of Marie's dressing (dressing is ridiculously expensive, isn't it?)
(2) boxes of Wheatables crackers (so good - sweet & nutty...kinda like me - LOL)
(2) Sara Lee cherry pies - - like individual ones
(2) bags of Ghiradelli dark chocolate squares

Actual retail price: $179.81
I paid 31.27....
....but then I got things on my receipt to take phone surveys which got me another $2 each, and I got a $1 Catalina from the refried beans.
So that takes me down to paying $26.27.
That's an 85% savings - take that!

Notables: the Wheaties were on sale for $2.50 and I doubled $1 coupons paying 50-cents per box of cereal. The popcorn was on sale 10/$10 - I doubled .40-cents off one and $1 off of 2 coupons making 4 of those totally free and 2 of them 20-cents. The Wheatables crackers were on sale for $1.50 - and I had (2) $1.50 off coupons - no doubling needed to make them free too.

Seriously girls, if you aren't couponing, you're paying too much. I was looking at the regular price on some of this stuff and it's straight crazy. $4.19 for a box of crackers? Who would pay that? And $5.29 for a box of cereal? That's just insane. Even sale prices are a rip-off. It's stuff like this that makes me totally guilt free when I hit the "place order now" button at Two Peas and Papertrey - LOL

Have a great Sunday!

Love U.

Happy Weekend, Girls!

You know, for as much as I love matchy-matchy, it really tickles me when I go mixy-matchy too. This card features patterned paper and die cut from BasicGrey, and then I've used some trims from Webster's Pages and a glittered chipboard letter from Pink Paislee. I bought I think 8 sets of these glittered chipboard alpha sets (4) in black and (4) in that pinky/orange color they had....salmon maybe it is....but I just love these letters. No ink...no stamping...love it!

I've also got a great little deal to share with you all.



Canvas People has these specials every once in a while where you can order a free canvas photo. Basically you upload your picture, and then they put it on canvas and wrap it around a wood frame. It looks really cool. I ordered one of these before and just did 2 more separate orders to get 2 more. The 8x10 is free - you pay $14.95 shipping. It's high quality, decent shipping time and a really unique gift. I'm all about giving the gift that no one else is going to. This is a great gift for your husband to put up a picture of the kids at the office, or to send to grandparents far away. I don't know how long this deal is going to last, so if you're interested, get on it - it'll take you less than 10 minutes (the longest part is deciding on the picture you want to use!)

I'm off to make cards and do laundry...
...what are you up to?

A lil' birthday giftie set.

Happy Friday, Girls!

Today I've got a lil' birthday set that I made for my friend Becca. You just can't give a papercrafter store-bought stuff, you know! So I decorated a white SU! gift bag, and made a card to go with. Papers and embellies are from Echo Park Paper's A Walk in the Park collection.

Just a reminder that today is the last day to enter this week's giveaway!

TGIF!

Food, glorious food...

Is it dinnertime yet?

They should change that "it's 5 o'clock somewhere" thing to "it's dinnertime somewhere" - LOL

Well today I've got some more food pictures from our Alaskan cruise. I'm a foodie. I don't cook all that much - like at all - but I do love watching the Food Network, and I do get those Taste of Home magazines, and I certainly love to eat, so, if you're anything at all like me - enjoy!

Dinner the first night - they had me at prime rib.

Veal something...with yummy potatoes & onions.

Filet mignon and shrimp (surf & turf).

An even bigger and better surf & turf.

Breakfast on the lido deck - waffle with strawberries and chocolate and fresh cream; sweet mother!

Room service. Love me some *free* room service.

I don't drink. I'm not a drinker.
But I did have a strawberry mojito...or 2...or.... And we had the bestest cocktail waitress ever. She knew who she was catering to and brought me a carafe of nuts, stole me some popcorn from the movie night and a plate of chocolates too. She got a nice little tip from us on the last night. The kids always wanted to be at the kid program at night so my husband and I had our special couch outside of a piano bar where we would park-it and talk and laugh and admire the views.

Just keepin' it real....

Hope you've enjoyed!

Lovin' Delovely.

Happy Halfway-There Day, Lovelies!

Heh - just a little play-on there because today I've got a couple more cards I made with Cosmo Cricket's Delovely collection. They have got the bestest chipboard embellies to go with their paper lines, don't you think?

- - oh, and by the way. The yellow ruffle ribbon is back in stock at Practicing Creativity Designs. Already ruffled for you for those of us that are ruffle-challenged *wink*

Have a good one!

And then he said...

Happy Tuesday, Girls!

Today is my 14th wedding anniversary, so I'm sharing the card that I made for my husband. I went way old school on the paper and brought out Cosmo Cricket's Get Happy because I liked the sentiments that were already on the paper. And then I just filled in the "I do" with some alphabet stickers from Echo Park Paper. I'm trying my hand at faux stitching with a Uniball Signo broad white gel pen recommended by Kristina Werner - and I love it. I love the look, and the great flow of this pen! - but not my technique yet *wink*

Tonight we're heading to Tucanos Brazilian Grill for dinner - all you can eat meat...and everything else. Because it's a special occasion I might be naughty and have me a flan. My son got one of those free meal on your birthday postcards, and my daughter is still young enough to eat free - so we're eatin' a lot on the cheap tonight!

Have a great day!

Friends forever.

Hello and Happy Monday!

I have been totally addicted to Coredinations embossed cardstock that is out under the Jenni Bowlin name. If it says JB, it's got to be good. Because I'm a lazyyyyy cardmaker, I love to use things that have all the work already done for me - like embossing the cardstock! So I've got a base of that, some fun paper and stickers from Echo Park Paper, buttons, ribbon & sentiment from Papertrey Ink, some fun stitching, and it's a party!

Cheers - it's a new week!

Be sure and scroll down for this week's giveaway!

:: It's Another Giveaway - Fancy Flours ::

Good Morning, Girls!

Oh have I got a COOL giveaway for you this week!

The fine folks over at Fancy Flours have got a really ingenious idea for you all - - one that marries stamping and baking!

What do you think of these stamps.....

....and this cookie cutter.....

...to make these cookies?!

Would you not be the hostess with the mostess if you threw a baby shower and presented these stamped cookies? Oh I can't even imagine the oooos and ahhhhs when creating something like this for a party of any kind. Have a baby shower coming up? Like to stamp? Like to bake? This stamp set and the cookie cutter could be coming your way!

So here's the details.....:

Comment on this post by end of day Friday, July 23rd.

For extra entries:

(a new comment for each entry must be left for these extras to count)
01. Leave a comment on this post.
02. Blog about this giveaway with a link to this post.
03. Be - or become via the link in the top right corner - a follower of this blog.

(3 chances to win, post a separate comment for each.)

Congratulations, Shelly!
Please contact me via the contact me link on the sidebar.
The winner will be announced HERE ON THIS POST on Saturday, July 24th.

* - PLEASE READ MY GIVEAWAY FINE PRINT - *

Giveaways run M-F with winner being announced on the original post on the Saturday after the giveaway ends.

Winner has 1-week to contact me via the contact me link on the sidebar.

I am not going to track down the winner to tell them they've won.

Giveaways that go unclaimed will either be re-drawn for a new winner, or put up again (up to the sponsor).

Thanks for your understanding.

Completely unrelated to the giveaway, I've got to refer you to my 2 favorite pages at Fancy Flours. Dragees and Sugar Pearls. Really hard to find. Oh how I love my little ivory sugar pearls. Just frost and dip in some dragees or pearls and you've got instant cupcake beauty!

Congrats (baby).

....and it's another bebe card!

Keepin' my Sunday post short....patterned papers by Webster's Pages, sentiment from Hero Arts, some fun stitching, and some super cute pins (y'all know how I love me some pins).

Thanks for stopping in today!

A new baby.

Yay - the weekend is here again!

Time for laundry and cards! Today's card is a fun one. I've got some patterned paper and a little chipboard embellie from Little Yellow Bicycle, some more of those fun glittered chipboard letters from Pink Paislee, and those great pom poms are from A Million Memories.
Anyone havin' a baby? I would love to send this card out!

Have a great Saturday!