Amber Ink #2

Alright...

here's my 2nd AmberInk project for you!

Again I'm using digi papers...

and keeping it simple.

No.

I'm not slacking.

I've got one more kiddie to get out of school this week...

then Mom gets to play whenever she wants!

OK...

not necessarily true...

but a girl can dream...

right?

So did you go check out AmberInk?

This is another of their digi papers...

love the colors!

And those tiny little sprouts...

too cute!

And it is so incredibly easy...

so incredibly convenient...

once you try digi...

you will wonder how you ever survived without them!

I actually printed this as a 5x7 and why did I do that?

Because then I can print another paper on the other side and have 2  patterned papers on 1 sheet of cardstock!!

How genius!

Now it does "shrink" your image just a bit...

but unlike using a small portion of a 12x12 sheet...

you don't lose any of the image...

and if you're making cards...

it's fabby!

And did you check the sentiment?

That's from AmberInk ...

and digi too!!

And the great thing about digi images...

you can size them to whatever size you need!

BIG...

small...

whatever size you need for the project you're working on! 

Seriously...

go check out AmberInk.

Go!

The Details:

Cardstock: PTI New Leaf

Patterned Paper: AmberInk

Sentiment: AmberInk

Die: PTI FF #10

Misc: ribbon, flowers

Memorial Day

A typical Memorial Day is welcomed for the long weekend it brings for most Americans.

It is celebrated with bar-b-ques...

great sale prices at every retail establishment imagined...

the opening of every pool in America.

It brings friends and families gathering together to celebrate the beginning of Summer.

And though we turn it into a day of celebration...

in truth it is a day of memory.

It is a day we should stop...

and reflect on the real meaning of this day...

a day to remember our fallen.

Those who gave their lives for the freedoms that we enjoy...

take for granted.

And even today...

somewhere a mother cries...

her arms heavy with emptiness...

her heart lost in memories.

Somewhere a father sits in silence...

remembering the child who once held his hand...

who came to him for advice...

who made his heart swell with pride.

Somewhere a young wife gazes at her wedding portrait...

touches her wedding ring as she reads love letters written from the heart...

cries at promises that could not be kept.

Somewhere a child asks...

"When is mommy or daddy coming home?"

They will visit where their heart now lives...

and they will place a wreath upon their headstone...

a flag beside a photo.

They will remember.

And during our celebrating today...

amidst the sun...

the laughter...

the food and fun...

we should take a moment to remember...

and say a "Thank You"...

to all the men and women have given the ultimate sacrifice for the freedoms we enjoy.

We are the home of the free...

but only because of the brave.

The Details:

Cardstock: PTI Pure Poppy and Kraft

SU Brillant Blue

Die: PTI Parisian Doliy

Vintage Images:Vintage Holiday Crafts

Misc: flowers, pearls, ribbon and pin


My card will be entered at The Kraft Journal for their Memorial Day Challenge

CFC #4

2nd post...scroll down for explanation why this wasn't 1st post

OK...this time it's for real...

I actually did manage to get a card done for CFC #4...

It took me a little bit...

got lost along the way...

and while on my journey I had an idea.

I'm not going to tell you all my ideas are good ones...

we shall not discuss those misadventures because I don't actually claim any of them and will actually lay blame on the first available person for such misadventures...

so that being said...

I'll give this one to love-of-my-life-man-that-I-married...

he's not here to contradict me...

I'm still getting used to clean and simple...

and even though this fits the description...

I need to practice more.

But I did need a graduation card...

so good practice.

We have a niece who graduated from Michigan State and I wanted to incorporate the school colors in the card...

hence the wealth of green and white.

It's hard to believe she's graduating college...

she was just a little 3 year old flower girl in our wedding yesterday...

and was quite adorable as a flower girl I might add.

She performed her duties perfectly by walking down the aisle with her basket of petals...

not dropping a single one along the way but instead waiting till she was in front of the altar...

and turning her basket upside down...

thus relieving it of all petals...

announced to the entire auditorium...

"I did it!"

And now she's graduated college.

I really don't know how she's grown so much...

I haven't aged at all in the last in the last 19 years.

Go figure!

(*giggle*)

I made the little tassel.

I'm not trying for compliments...

I just want you to know why it looks the way it does...

need to practice that too.

OK...

I'm done now.

But make sure to come back later this week...

will have my 2nd AmberInk project for you...

and a little announcement.

OK...the announcement may not thrill you...

but it did me so it counts.

The Details:

All Supplies PTI unless noted

Cardstock: Stamper's Select, New Leaf

Stamps: Simple Sentiments

Die: Nestabilities

Grad Cap: SVG Cuts

Tassel: DMC floss

Misc: brad

Have You Ever...

started something and then...

you get distracted and never actually do what you started to do?

I do this.

A lot.

I sat down last night to make a card for new the CASual Fridays challenge...

 It's a graduation challenge...

and I need a graduation card...

so why did I do this?

 

I think I may actually have adult ADD...

no.

I'm not a doctor...

though I do play one in reality.

It's called being a mom.

Though I'm not very good at it.

See this kid...

I love him.

And because I love him...

Friday morning upon awakening and seeing him covered head to toe in what I thought was a severe allergic reaction...

I was prepared to subject him to 100's of little needles.

Granted...

life-of-my-life-man-that-I-married would have actually been overseeing the actual needle thing because I just don't do that...

but I would have been calling the shots.

It's my right to make him handle all unpleasant things with the kiddies and let me be the good parent who kisses them and makes it all better...

I gave birth.

And yes...

I use that excuse for everything and it will never expire.

Luckily though...

after scaring my little guy...

"Is your throat closing?"

"Are you having trouble breathing?"

"Oh...this is bad"

we went to pick up his report card and was informed that he actually had "slap cheek measles".

His teacher...

and many others...

had recently seen this because apparently there has been a slight epidemic at school in the 2nd and 3rd grades...

they share a hall...

a restroom...

and water fountains.


So my little guy has slap cheek measles...

and rosy red apple cheeks!

And in case your wondering...

though irritating because you itch...

and you can run a mild fever...

unless you have immunity issues...

it's not serious.

Though highly contagious...

and since you're contagious before the rash ever appears...

I expect the others to start off Summer break with a nice red rash soon.


So I'm not a very good "doctor"...

I scared him with my "OMG! This is bad" comment...

not the best bedside manner I guess...

and even though I've decided I probably do have Adult ADD...

I will not be seeking treatment.

Though love-of-my-life-man-that-I-married may disagree...

I think it makes life fun.

You just never what you're going to get.

Or if I'm ever actually going to finish a project.

And then again...

it could also just be that like my eating habits and my need for separate dishes and divided plates...

I may also just have the attention span of a 3 year old.

So I'm putting this up for the new Papertrey Paper Dolls challange...

the lovely and wonderfully talented Sara challenged us for a wedding or anniversary card...

you can check the challenge here.

And remember all challenges are open to everyone...

so come discover your inner ADD and play along!

The Details:

All Supplies PTI unless noted

Cardstock: Stamper's Select, Smokey Shadow

Stamps: Big & Bold Wishes, Fancy Flourishes

Pattern paper: Cosmo Cricket Everafter

Ink: Momento

Misc: bling and ribbon

I Have a Light Bulb!

Time for the May PTI Blog Hop and this month's theme is...

Flowers
May is the month when many flowers finally go into full bloom after a long winter's sleep.  For the blog
hop this month we want to see your favorite take on flowers.  You can stamp backgrounds, create
custom floral embellishments, showcase unique flower center additions (buttons, rhinestones, beads,
etc...), flowers die-cut from different materials (like fabric, felt, vellum, etc...) or anything else you can
dream up!  We are looking forward to seeing all of your amazing creations!

So got my new box of PTI goodies last week...

love when goodies arrive...

really love my mailman on those days...

not so much others because he's really kind'a rude...

and inside were all those adorable fruits...

gorgeous flowers...

and my 2010 Anniversary Set!

It's my first!

And I love it.

So gorgeous...

And while trying to straighten my table...

not that it really needed it because it's not like I'm a messy and disorganized crafter...

just because it was completely covered and there was not one inch of empty space does not mean I didn't know exactly where everything was...

seriously...

I work well in chaos.

You can't live my life and not adapt well to chaos.

And the secret to being successful in such conditions... 

2 of everything.

When you temporarily lose one...

go to your back up...

and pray it's where it's supposed to be.

So...as I'm attempting what some who know me would believe to be the impossible and trying to organize...

an idea hits!

Literally...

it was like that.

If you had been here...

and you could actually see ideas...

you would have seen it flying at me and then proceed to *SMACK* me right-up-side the head... 

and you would have rolled on the floor in laughter.

I had a literal light bulb moment.

And there have been many times that I have personally doubted that there was even a socket up there to hold such bulbs...

or maybe it's just severely broken beyond repair...

but apparently it just doesn't work but every 20 years.

So amidst my organizing...

an oxymoron if there ever was one...

my light bulb goes off...

and I believe it was actually the sparks from such action that hit me... 

so I stopped what I was doing and this is what I did...

 What do you think?

Do you feel like you're in a doctor's office?

An accountant?

An attorney?

That's actually where the idea came from...

sorry.

Not that I've recently visited any of those offices...

though as Dinky continues to grow I feel the need for an attorney on retainer could possibly be in our future...

but you know how sometimes you go into an office and you see a picture comprised of small pictures grouped together to actually form the picture?

Yeah...

that's what I was trying here.

I love these flowers... 

love these flowers...

and instead of cutting them out to make them "pop" because I'm not very good with scissors...

my kindergarten teacher said so...

I decided to use the Alpha Blocks die to cut and then "form" the picture.

And because I just love Nichole's denim ribbon...

used it here too.

A super easy...

super quick...

super casual card.

So...does my light bulb work...

or is it still defective?

The Details:

All Supplies PTI unless noted

Cardstock: Kraft, Stamper's Select

Stamps: Botanical Silhouettes

Dies: Alpha Blocks

Ink: Momento

Misc: denim, stick pin

Make It Monday #16

Another Make It Monday over at PTI...

and this week is a challenge that personally I am glad they addressed...

though the hardest challenge thus far...

sympathy cards.

You can see the wonderful, informative video from the incredibly talented Dawn McVey here.

I'm going to be honest...

these are my least favorite cards to make...

as they are for everyone...

but I dislike making them so much that I still go to Hallmark for mine.

I'm not good at them...

I'm not.

And I know it.

And though I hate with all my heart making them...

I know that life also gives the occasion that we need them so I would like to be able to do one.

To be able to express to those that I care about that I am thinking of them...

that my heart hurts for their loss.

 

The Details:

All supplies PTI unless noted

Cardstock: Berry Sorbet, Rustic Cream

Stamps: YOF: Lily of the Valley, Through the Trees

Dies: Nestibilities

Ink: Momento, Versamark

Ribbon: PTI

Misc: pearls

Amber Ink #1

Hello friends!

If this is your first time visiting...

I apologize in advance.

If you've been here before...

well...

sorry again.

But this will be my first project for AmberInk...

so I'm going to try and be on good behavior.

A professional.

And in case you missed it...

look at my badge...

That's me!

Has my name on it.

It means I'm a professional.

I have a badge.

With my name.

And OMG!

Have you tried digi papers?

Love, love, love digi papers!

I do.

I do.

I do.

L-ove (insert sing-songey voice) them!

Not only because I'm organizationally challenged...

but also because I'm space challenged.

They're perfect.

Take up no space.

OK...except for the flash drive that's about 2 1/2 inches long...

then no space.

And so easy to use.

One more time...

love  (singing again...) them!

And AmberInk has a great selection of easy downloadable papers that can printed and used on a project in like...

30 seconds!

How convenient!

Especially for us organizationally and space challenged people who also happen to be forgetful about ordering patterned papers for an upcoming project...

not saying I've ever done that...

but just in case someone out there actually does happen to do that...

occasionally...

quite often.

They're so cool!

Once you download...

you can print what you need, when you need it...

it's always there.

L-ove (still singing...) it!

So I thought I would introduce myself to you by doing a clean and simple card using some of AmberInk's digi paper...

I wanted to just say "Hello".

So...

Hello!

Isn't that yellow just adorable?

So bright and cheery.

And I love polka dots...

so versatile!

Go check out the papers over at AmberInk...

so easy peasy!

The Details:

Digi Paper: AmberInk

cardstock: PTI Stamper's Select

Stamp: PTI Think Big Favorites #3

Ink: Momento

Twine: The Twinery

Misc: flowers, pearl

A Little Announcement....

Just a quickie little post to make a little announcement...

Did you see it?!

That's my name!

And I will be carrying the Blue Torch for AmberInk this month!

My dear friend Cathy over at Empty Nest Crafter has spent the last month designing fabulously for AmberInk and asked if I would be interested in taking the torch from her when her reign ended...

and after securing a promise of an unspecified amount of chocolate from Cathy...

of course I jumped at the chance!

(*giggle*)

OK...

she didn't actually have to give me chocolate...

I forgot to ask because I was...well...

too busy saying "YES!".

Note to self...

Self: next time...

get chocolate!

Not that it was needed but well...

it's chocolate!

And now I am so excited to be bringing you projects using AmberInk's digi stamps, clear stamps and paper...

did I mention the paper?

LOVE!!

Love, love, love digi paper...

so be sure to stay tuned...

I'll be posting my first project tomorrow!

In the meantime...

go and get acquainted with some of my fellow design team members this month...

          Pink:Nancy
        Brown: Laura
       Purple: Siobhan
        Orange: Toni

and be sure to hop on over to AmberInk and check out the goodies! 

CFC #3 and CAS at The Kraft Journal *edited

Edited to add the Clean and Simple Challenge that Beth so sweetly recommended me to over at The Kraft Journal
 

Hi...

remember me?

I used to blog?

Before I got so busy getting all of the kids out school for Summer that I don't think I have even taken a breath in the last week...

much less gotten any ink on my fingers?

Dinky's done with pre-k.

I cried.

I've even given thought to having another little one...

then I realized I was possibly overreacting and may be in need of medication if thoughts like that continue.

Robert and Haley are out this week...

Hunter next...

then we're on Summer vacation!

You know...

that time of the year when kids are out of school...

and Mom's are out of their minds!

But going crazy has honestly never been so much fun and I love it!

OK...

so I didn't get a card done for last week's CASual Friday challenge...

and I wanted to!

So...

made sure I got one done for this week's challenge which is...

BLING!

Got my new PTI goodies Friday...

sometimes my mailman is my favorite man...

and even though I was going to wait till Summer to break out these new little Fruit Fusions...

I have plans for them...

decided to go ahead and give this one a go for this challenge...

Do you see the bling?

Look again...

OK...

close up...

I know...

blink and you miss it!

Very subtle.

But thought that to-die-for watermelon needed some seeds...

so I gave it some little seed pearl bling.

Hope it still qualifies!

The Details:

All Supplies PTI unless noted

Cardstock: Kraft, Berry Sorbet, Stamper's Select

Stamp: Fruit Fusion: Watermelon

Ink: Momento

Misc: bling, twine from The Twinery

A Storage Solution

With all the new $5 sets that PTI is releasing...

which by the way...

LOVE...

there were some last month who would love for PTI to come up with a storage option for them.

I know Nichole has said she stores hers in CD cases just like all the other sets...

2 sets to a case...

and I imagine a complete wall in her studio with built ins and hundreds of CD cases...

alphabetized of course because she's very organized...

with room to grow.

I wish I had the space...

but I don't.

In fact...

I'm very limited and I'm not even going to start thinking of what I'll do when I run out of room with my current CD storage system...

do I stop buying?

Sell and build a bigger house?

Not thinking about it!

But I do love my current storage system for $5 sets and thought I would quickly share.

And credit for this goes to Nichole Heady as well because I actually just adapted it from her die storage...

 

I use a CD storage box and vinyl CD covers.

I then printed large labels with the stamp set...

and viola!

I have about 30 $5 sets right now...

and with Fruit Fusions about to be released...

about to add more...

and the box is only about 1/2 full so I'm estimating between 50-60 sets per box.

The box is about the width of 12 CD cases so if you have 2 sets per CD...

I'm getting about double the amount of sets in the same footprint space.

And super easy to store when I get new ones...

I slip them out of the packaging they come in...

and slip them into a vinyl CD cover...

"sheet" and all.

(The little protective sheet helps to keep them from sticking to the vinyl.)

This system was done not because I think it's the easiest...

though it's so incredibly simple that even I can do it...

but strictly for spacing issues.

And since I hope PTI continues with the $5 sets...

so much bang for so little money...

when I outgrow this box I'll simply slide another beside it.

I already have a shelf for expanding my boxes...

I also have boxes for dies, bling and die cuts I've made with scrap paper...

and I'd gladly show you...

but my cabinet is a mess so another day.

Hoping maybe you find this little storage suggestion useful...

let me know if you try it and how it works for you!

Edited 5-16-11

I use the colored covers as a little extra barrier on blocking light after reading that light can effect your stamps over time.  So that's why I print my labels onto white versus buying the labels through PTI...easier to see on the colored vinyl.  The vinyl covers are available in clear (I store my dies in clear ones) and you could use the labels provided by PTI without any modification if you prefer clear.

She Was the Meanest Teacher

Her name was Mrs. Hickerson.

She taught 9th grade Science.

And in a school as small as the one I went to...

when you came to the 9th grade...

there was only one teacher.

You started hearing of her in elementary...

and each year brought new stories as you inched closer to being placed in her class.

By the time I was entering 7th grade and leaving elementary to enter Jr. High (Middle School these days)...

fear was beginning to set in...

I'd seen her.

Her class was across from the office...

and you couldn't enter the school without passing it and see her standing at her door...

correcting anyone who stepped out of line in any way.

She was old.

I came to discover that she was old enough that she had even taught my daddy when he was in school.

So I started praying that she would retire before I got to the 9th grade.

Sometimes...

prayers aren't answered for a reason...

because that one sure wasn't.

My parents had raised me that the teacher was the boss of a classroom...

and while there...

I was to respect and obey.

I always knew that my parents would back the teacher in any situation...

and would support any punishment deemed necessary by them.

So before entering Mrs. Hickerson's room for that first day of school...

my daddy reminded me of these rules and told me he would stand for no disrespect from me of her.

I'm pretty sure he was convinced that it would be the year I would be expelled...

and she would be the one to do it.

But nope.

I had heard the rumors and if not for respect but just plain, basic fear...

I kept my mouth shut in her class.

And we got along.

I came to find out that rumors were far from true...

she was no where near the tyrant teacher she was made out to be.

But she was a teacher.

And she was there to teach...

and she expected you to learn.

9th grade was also the year of frog dissection...

and I wasn't looking forward to it.

I always figured if God had meant for us to see what's on the inside...

he wouldn't have covered the outside.

And now you know why I'm not a doctor.

But I'm crafty even if I'm not exceptionally smart...

I picked a guy for lab partner.

No.

Not one I had a crush on...

or secretly pined over.

Nope...

I picked one that I didn't really even like...

and tried to avoid...

but knew he would cut that frog.

I got my mom to raid the surgery dept. at work...

I had surgical gloves...

a mask...

even a gown...

and when the day finally came to dissect that frog...

I was prepared.

I suited up and took my place at the lab table...

and with scalpel in hand...

I stood there.

Then I closed my eyes.

I didn't open them again until Mrs. Hickerson came over and in a gentle voice asked...

"Renee...can you see through your eyelids?"

"No Ma'am... 
     
But I figure God didn't want me to see all this so that's why He made mine extra heavy".

She grinned slightly and then asked...

"Well...when you're done holding your scalpel...

can I have your gloves since you haven't actually used them?

They're much better than mine".

I learned from her that it takes 7.9 seconds for the human body to go from perfectly healthy...

to deathly ill.

And I remember it every time one of my children is fine...

running, playing, laughing...

and then in what seems like the blink of any eye...

we're fighting to get a fever down...

and scheduling a doctor's appointment.

She retired a couple of years later.

And a couple of years after that...

she passed away.

I went to the funeral home.

And I saw many of the ones who once spoke ill of her...

and put fear of her in me...

there as well.

We had all grown...

some had even matured a little...

and we realized what an incredible teacher she had been...

and how enriched we were for having sat in her class.

She wasn't famous by Hollywood...

or New York...

or Washington, DC standards.

She does not have a star on the walk of fame...

a library in her name...

or even a statue erected in her memory...

but she was famous.

That's why when trying to figure out end of year teacher gifts...

I kept coming back to Lisa Johnson's Button Boutique project from February.

It still takes my breath away.

And greatly inspired my project.

I love that quote...

and yes...

I think it applies wonderfully to teachers.

In the life of a child...

they are famous.

And the lessons learned from time spent with them will stay with those children for the rest of their lives.

The impact of those lessons may be like a buttonhole...

we never really think of it...

we just know it's there.

It's been 25+ years since I had Mrs. Hickerson...

but 7.9 seconds.

I remember.

Now...this qualifies for 2...

count them...

2 challenges!

First...

This week Erin Lincoln challenged us to selective inking...

check her video here.

So...I used this technique on the back of my shadowbox.

TO is from Teacher's Apple...

SOMEONE was centered and then stamped with the rest of the sentiment from Big Birthday Wishes.

The card front also used this technique...

AFFECTS ETERNITY was inked and stamped below the word TEACHERS...

then the remainder of the sentiment was stamped on the bottom of the card front.

Subtle...

nothing life shattering but I did use the technique.

And...

even though you can't see it there yet because Blogger erased it...

the card also meets Suzanne's new challenge over at Papertrey Paper Dolls

which...

unless she changes it...

is stamping on pattern paper.

I hope it counts anyway.

Remember all Doll challenges are open to everyone and we would love to have you play along!

The Details:

I'm keeping this simple since it's such a long post...

and I've forgotten most of it...

everything is PTI except for...

ink, rickrack, and pattern paper (Cosmo Cricket Material Girl)

Though stamps used are:

Teacher's Apple, Button Boutique, Big Birthday Wishes

Quote was provided by the talented Lisa Johnson at Poppy Paperie.

A Day With Dinky

My little guy turns 5 tomorrow.

I can't believe it's been 5 years of this little one...

5 years of laughter...

5 years of hugs...

5 years of kisses.

He's a lover...

not a fighter.

OK...that's not really true...

he may love the girls...

but he also has what love-of-my-life-man-that-I-married calls "little man syndrome"...

he'll fight anyone over anything...

it's usually Robert...

"no one puts "Dinky" in the corner"!

There's 5 years of loving his eyes....

his nose...

five years of holding his hands...

of kissing his toes...

Five years of stories...

a small sampling of conversations just since I've started blogging a few short months ago....

http://itsapatchworklife.blogspot.com/2011/05/happy-mothers-day.html

http://itsapatchworklife.blogspot.com/2011/02/poor-ugly-and.html

http://itsapatchworklife.blogspot.com/2011/01/we-call-him-dinky.html

http://itsapatchworklife.blogspot.com/2011/02/love-story.html

http://itsapatchworklife.blogspot.com/2011/03/dinky-loves-older-woman.html 



And now...

last week Dink went with my Mom to a luncheon with some ladies from her church...

they're all seniors...

and he was fascinated by one of them.

She has solid white hair...

and it was perfectly coiffed...

not a hair out of place...

so he looked at her and asked...

"Are you wearing a wig?".

My mom was mortified...

but his mom sometimes forgets to brush her hair.

He is who he is.

We spent this afternoon outside...

ok...

we spent 30 minutes outside until it felt like it was 100 degrees and then we came in to cool air conditioning...

but we drew chalk images all over the front porch...

blew bubbles...

And since we have a busy day tomorrow...

cupcakes for his classmates in the morning...

and since it's his day he gets to pick dinner...

we shall be having the dining pleasure of all 5 year olds...

McDonald's.

For dessert...

Dairy Queen's ice cream cake because well...

it's what he wanted and...

it's just good.

Got the little crunchies in the middle!

But I thought I would share his cards with you...

because well...

tomorrow's all about him.

You've seen the next one from last month's Blog Hop...

And the last one is very special...

at least to me.

Hopefully someday it will be to him as well...

but give me just a moment of bragging on it...

Haley free handed Snoopy for the card from her and Hunter...

totally on her own.

I know she's mine...

but she's 13...

and I think she did a great job.

And don't the Charlie Brown Stripes look fantastic with it?

I did those all by myself :)

Every time I see these stripes...

I automatically think Charlie Brown...

and I thought they were perfect for her Snoopy sketch.

One last picture of Dinky...

it's actually my favorite from today...

I know...

half his face is missing...

but it was accidentally on purpose...

don't ask me to explain...

and I just love it!

The Details:

All Supplies PTI unless noted

Cardstock #1: Blueberry Sky, Spring Rain, New Leaf

Stamper's Select

Stamps: Ad Sense, BB Simple Circles, Big Birthday Wishes

Dies: Ad Sense, BB Simple Circles, Numbers

Card #2

Cardstock: Pure Poppy, Enchanted Evening, Harvest Gold

Stamps:  BB Out of This World, Simple Circles

Dies: BB Out of This World, Nestibilities

Misc: brad, glossy accents

Card #3

Cardstock: Stamper's Select, True Black

Stamps: Background Basics: Chevron Stripes, Inside & Out: Birthday

All ink: Momento, PTI, Versamark, SU and Copics

NOTE** Only a couple more weeks of school and I promise to start learning how to use Photoshop!

Happy Mother's Day

I'm a mother.

And yes...

there are times I actually claim my real kids...

and not those that belong to someone else and are much better behaved.

A couple of weeks ago...

it would have been this guy...

This is the guy that when he was younger...

after a couple of weeks into a new school year...

I would stop by his class just to see how he was doing.

I remember his kindergarten teacher saying...

"Oh, he's doing great!  He listens and participates...gets along with everyone".

I looked at her and said...

"Hi!
I'm actually Robert's Mom?"

To which she looked at me strangely and replied...

"I know".

And I then said...

"Oh!  Well...
it's great that he's doing so well but I've never met that kid".

But a couple of weeks ago...

my heart swelled with pride.

My grandmother and her husband had come to my Mom's for Easter...

they're both in their 80's...

and he walks with a cane.

I didn't know this until a couple of days later when talking to my Mom and she told me how impressed they both were my children...

how they couldn't stop bragging on them...

but especially how Robert was in front of him in the food line (buffet style...serve yourself) and Robert turned to him and asked if he would like a certain dish and then proceeded to spoon it for him onto his plate...

and continued doing so until they had reached the end.

I didn't know my 8 year old knew to do that.

Maybe it's because of having Hunter... 

and all her special needs...

for a sister.

Maybe it's because he's watched and learned when I've held the door for people as we enter a building...

or offered assistance to an elderly person in the grocery.

I don't know...

but in spite of my lacking skills in being a mother...

he has learned to offer assistance to those who may need it.

Maybe...

just maybe...

in all the mistakes I make every day being a mother...

sometimes I've managed to do something right...

and he makes me proud.


And then...

there's this guy...

Dinky.

We had an interesting conversation the other day about mothers...

specifically stay at home Mom's...

sit down because you have no idea where this one ends...


While sitting at a red light on our way to school watching the traffic...

D:  Why those people go that way?
M:  Maybe they live that way...
      or work that way?
D:  They work that way?
M:  Maybe...
D:  You not work.
M:  Excuse me!  I work every day.
      I'm working right now...
D:  No you not!  You taking me to school!
M:  Exactly!  That's part of my job.
      The job that I get no pay for doing...
      and apparently no respect!
D:  Nanny work when she was your mother?
M:  She's still my mother...
      and yes.
      She worked.
      But she worked at a job where she got a paycheck.
D:  She work at the school?
M:  No...
      she worked at a hospital.
D:  Was she a nurse?
M:  No. She was a technologist.
D:  Is tech-no-lo-gist French...
      for nurse?
M: (giggle) No...
      it's not French.
(pause)
D:  Oh...
      it Japanese.


And that's typical of how a conversation goes with Dinky.

I'm proud of him too.

He is sunshine on the gloomiest of days...

and my heart swells with every smile...

every kiss.

And before you think I'm forgetting my girls...

I am so incredibly proud of both of them...

I can't even begin to express it because you would stop reading.

Hunter's strength...her sweet nature...her giggle that is a sound straight from the angels.

And Haley...her intelligence...her loyalty...her talents.

I love my kiddos more than life...

they are my breath.


And to all of us stay at home Moms who sometimes get discouraged when we feel taken for granted...

or looked down upon by friends who have careers outside of the home...

or the checkbook is screaming for us to get a job...

maybe we do get paid.

It's the smiles, hugs, giggles and kisses of our children.

And though the grocery will never accept them as a form of payment...

they are moments that will last a lifetime longer than any money ever earned...

but yet that which money earned could never buy back.


To all Mothers, Grandmothers everywhere...

I wish for you a day filled with love, smiles, hugs and kisses...

Happy Mother's Day.

The Details:

All Supplies PTI unless noted

Cardstock: Hawaiian Shores, True Black

Stamps: YOF: Roses, misc.

Ink: Momento

Ribbon and pearls: misc.

Edited 9:40 am 5/8/11
My Mom just called and I felt it was important to remind us that somewhere there is a mother crying.  
That somewhere...a mother is being told she will never hear her child's laugh...
see their smile... 
or feel the strength of their hugs again.
Today that somewhere is here...
in my town.
A highway patrolman was killed yesterday afternoon while escorting The Blue Angels to an airshow in another town.
I've known this highway patrolman for as long as I can remember.
He was the cousin of my best friend Sonya growing up...
his sister and I used to sneak Sonya to rock concerts together...
another cousin was very good friends with my sister...
he and my brother were friends...
went to school together all the way through high school graduation.
His dad is the former sheriff here...
and for just a bit a few years ago...
I thought we would even be related when he was dating a cousin of mine.
It's a small town.
And today his mother cries.
Mother's Day will never hold the same meaning for her again.
I hope you'll take a moment to remember the mothers who have lost a child...
in service...
in an accident...
by illness...
and say a prayer from them.

8 Things...

Amy at BearpawStudios awarded me with this blog award...

She made me cry.

And by accepting this award I have to tell 8 things about myself...

and then pass it on to 8 more people.

Now...I'm assuming you need to know something about me that you do not already know and if you've ever read my blog you already know that I'm a caffeine addicted chocoholic with exercise allergies and the eating habits of a 3 year old...

pretty much sums me up...

but I have managed to compile a list of 8 things that most people do not know about me.

Grab a cup of coffee...

get comfy...

this may take a bit.


1.  When I was a teenager and read Thomas Harris Silence of the Lambs I decided to be an FBI agent...
I wanted to be Clarice Starling.
This delusion lasted for about 15 minutes until I was reminded that I have absolutely no courage and if ever captured, I would confess everything I ever known...
about everyone I have ever known.
Fear would make me talk...
even more than normal...
and they would probably kill me just to shut me up.
I changed my mind.
I now solve all mysteries on ID from the safety and comfort of my comfy chair.

2. I have never...
nor will I ever...
wear a thong.
I have spent my entire life trying to keep certain articles of clothing out of certain areas of my body and I refuse to wear something that mocks said clothing in said area of body.
I'm pretty sure thongs were created by terrorists as a form of torture and confession.
I do not support terrorist activities.

3. Secretly...
I'm a rock star.
Yup...it's true.
In the privacy of my home...
my kitchen becomes a stage...
and I totally rock Linkin Park's "In the End"...
even better than Chester.
Pat Benatar?
She's got nothing on me.
I also give performances in the privacy of my vehicle...
where Bon Jovi and Def Leppard has never sounded so good.
Though the people sitting on their front porches as I drive by may not agree.


4.  If I were to make a perfume based on my 3 favorite scents...
you would stink.
Coffee...I just love the smell of coffee.  It awakens me every morning and when I walk into a coffee house...
or even just down the coffee aisle at the grocery...I get a natural high just smelling the aroma.
Leather...ditto.  I walk into a leather shop and it just awakens my senses.  I have been caught on several occasions just inhaling the merchandise...
I've also been asked on several occasions not to.
Fresh baked cookies...enough said. 
Independently these scents are incredible...
but when put together...
I think we would offend.

5. I miss the 80's.
In the 80's...I could walk out of the house and forget to brush my hair and no one ever knew.
If I walk out of the house now without straightening and making my naturally big hair lay down and be good...
people notice.
It usually occurs in the drop off line at school where fingers are pointing and sympathetic smiles abound and there could even been an offer of an AA pamphlet or 2.
Don't ask how I know.

6. My 13 year old daughter is smarter than I am.
No lie.  Her test scores prove it.
She's going to Vanderbilt this Summer...
if I even drive by...
they laugh at me.
I have not divulged this information to her...and so far my ploy when she asks a question with her homework is to look as though I know what the question actually means and then ask a question right back like...
"What do you think the answer is?"
or
"Does this look right to you?"...
seems to be working...
but I'm on thin ice and borrowed time with this one.
She's going to find me out eventually and then I will have lost the upper hand in our relationship.
And I'm not sure...
but I do not believe that the
"You think you're hot snot on a silver platter but you're really just a cold boogie on a paper plate" defense is going to get me through this one.
Though it's possibly looking like my only option.

7. I'm a geek.
I actually didn't know this until my 30's...but it's true. While sitting on the couch suffering through the humid heat of a Southern July while severely pregnant and working on putting a permanent indention in said couch in 60 degree air conditioning and an industrial size fan blowing on high wearing only what modesty would allow...love-of-my-life-man-that-I-married...
while wearing long johns and a winter coat...
decided to watch Lord of the Rings.  
Since I refused to leave the comfort of my 100 mile an hour winds...I was forced to watch.
I did not want to watch Lord of the Rings...
Lord of the Rings was for geeks.
But then I looked...and there was a hot guy.
And another one...
and OMG...
they were everywhere!
I watched the movie...
I watched it again...
and by the time Two Towers was released...
I had read all the books twice...
was bribing my bossy sister to watch all 3 kids so love-of-my-life-man-that-I-married and I could go watch the movie without any interruptions...
and one of the characters was placed on my future husband list...
complete with costume.

8.  I love my life.
It's not perfect.
Far from it.
And it may not be the life I once I imagined...
maybe some dreams never realized...but it's my life.
I made choices...some compromises...
but I also know that if I went back in time...
if I changed the things that maybe aren't as I once imagined...maybe didn't compromise...
I would also be changing all the things that I truly love about my life.
The things that give me the greatest joy...
my greatest accomplishments.
No...maybe I didn't get what I thought my heart wanted...
but then maybe...
what we don't know we want is what our heart desires the most.


Now...
I have to pass this award on to 8 others...
and I tried to do a combo of some blogging friends from Papertrey Paper Dolls...
and some blogs I just enjoy.
Wish I could have awarded 5 times this amount...
there's so many wonderful, crafty friends out there

Sharron...On Papillon Wings
Michelle...Michelle's Crafting Corner
Lee Anne...My Happy Place
Diane...Peaceful Lane
Jill...Anjillic Creations
Christy...Gifting It
Laurie...Soapbox Creations
Amy...Stamp-N-Paradise

Make sure you go and check out these incredibly crafty and creative ladies!

CFC #1

I did it!

I did a CAS!

And it took everything inside me to just...

stop.

I wanted more stamps...

layers...

ribbons, buttons, bows...

but...

I am strong.

I resisted.

And it looks a little nakey...

But I just love how Laurie over at SoapboxCreations does the most amazing CAS cards...

I bow in awe of her daily...

and when I heard she was going to be on the new CAS-ual Friday challenge site's design team...

I knew I was coming to visit every week and I'm going to learn how to do CAS!

Now this weeks challenge is Texting Skills...

you can read about it here.

I have none...

sorry.

I don't have any text stamps so...

I cheated.

I borrowed an idea from blog friend Suzanne over at TheCardYard...

and a few months ago picked up a nice, big, old dictionary in an antique store to use for cards...

so I cut a flower out of a page...

I hope it still counts...

And a CAS card...

I'm so excited that I did one!

And one last thing...

the other day I talked about how I found these tin pails at Target in their $1 spot...

loaded up...

guess what I did yesterday!

Was at my local WalMart picking up a few things and happened down the Easter aisle where they had just marked everything 75% off.

I love clearance...

I really do...

and thankfully I still have enough chocolate in my house to kill a horse that I did not buy any.

OK...

I lied.

They were chocolate covered sunflower nuts...

but they shouldn't count because they're really tiny.

But look what else I found...

I don't like gummies...

but look at those tins!

When you take the gummies out...

a perfect gift tin!

And for only $.50...

I stocked up.

The Details:

All Supplies PTI unless noted

Cardstock: Kraft

Stamps: Think Big Favorites #3

Dies: Beautiful Blooms #3

Ink: Momento

Ribbon: PTI

Misc: dictionary page