"Delightful" favor box!

Just a quick post tonight, the kids are literally climbing all over my husband, and I am trying to get the house straightened up before the bedtime crazies! (so that i can go STAMP after they're in bed!!!)

I covered this pillow box (I think it was from Stampin' Up) with Daffodil cardstock from Discount Cardstock - and guess what?! It's on SALE this week! This project was a super simple way to dress up a plain box - it's just a strip of paper, a piece of ribbon, and two cute stamps from Unity Stamp Company for the tag! (Oh, and of course a little bling to finish it off!)

Have a great day! I'll be back soon to share NEW stamps from The {Stamps} of Life June release! (Tomorrow is JUNE FIRST!? How can it be!?)
xoxo

You Rock!

Happy Memorial Day!  I am in a cleaning frenzy, while entertaining the kiddos at the same time. . . and we've been at it since pretty early this morning, so although its only 10am, I think I'm wearing down!!!!!

Today's card was my CPS card last week . .no two weeks ago. . .I don't know - sometime recently!!! Gina K Designs was our sponsor, and I used this super cool stamp set, designed by Tami Mayberry.  I KNEW I needed this set when I saw it! It's called Live Out Loud, and it is PERFECT for masculine cards, and cards for people who my stamp stash just don't usually quite work for (like teenage boys!)  I embossed the sentiment and guitar, and then added Stickles over the guitar.  It's quite sparkly in real life!!!

I'm looking over at my littlest man, and his hands are COVERED in green marker.  Apparently, supervising from across the room just isn't cutting it.  I think I better run before his entire shirt and high chair are covered in it!!!!

Have a wonderful week!!!
XOXO

happy owl duo

5:30 am.  Not the time of day for Blogger to hate me and delete my post.

I attempted to keep it short anyway, and save you from my bleary-eyed, early morning ramblings.  

This is my CPS sketch card for the week.  I used cute Jillibean Soup papers on it (I trimmed the owls from patterned paper.)  Is there anything cuter than animals with party hats? I think not!

The "happy" stamp is from The {Stamps} of Life.

I'm up at the crack of dawn these days because I have an early rising little man.  His big brother was a way-early riser at this age too.  I know this too, shall pass - but dang, 5am is kicking my booty!  There are few worse feelings that being forced to be awake, when all your body wants to do is fall asleep.  And it makes me CRANKY.  But I am trying to use the early mornings to get things done, which at least helps me feel like slightly productive.  (It doesn't always work though!)

And just now, as I typed, Mr. Little Man decided to push his chair to the sink, stand up on it, and attempt to play with the soapy dishes resting there.  20 months old, but he thinks he's six, like his brother.  I suppose it's the Second-Child-Syndrome.  

So now, before he climbs on top of the refrigerator, or starts cooking on the stove, I think I'll go supervise my child more closely and leave you to your weekend.  Happy Memorial Day! We spent yesterday after school at the beach. . .and I suspect we'll have one more beach visit before the long weekend is out!  (Although I also have some top-secret scrappy business to attend to as well!!! Bwahahahaha!)

XOXO

summer fun!

Last week's CPS sketch was sponsored by Lawn Fawn stamps.  I had SUCH a hard time choosing which stamp set I wanted to play with, because really, let's be honest - I wanted to play with them ALL!!!! I don't have much of a summer collection of stamps though, so I chose Swimsuit Season - and I'm glad I did! It coordinates really well with my new Pink Paislee Hometown Summer patterned paper, plus I already had a card picked up for publication using the stamps!! (Watch for it, plus eight - SQUEEEAL! of my other cards - in Paper Crafts A Card A Day book, which will be out in November!)
I'm still PINCHING myself over the email from Paper Crafts, requesting my cards.  I have never had so many cards picked up at one time - granted, I submitted quite a few - but I was completely blown away! Haven't been able to wipe the smile off my face, every time I think about it!!!! :)  If you are submitting your work, and crossing your fingers - keep working hard!!! I've been submitting cards since early in 2007.  I had my first card published in the November 2007 issue of CARDS.  It takes time and persistence - but you can do it!  Don't give up!

it's a PLAYDATE!

Discount Cardstock is sponsoring The Playdate Cafe this week.  It's is a very cool challenge blog, based on COLOR.  (And I just LOVE color!)  Here are the colors for this week:

And here is my card, based on those colors.

The stamps are from the April Kit of the Month at Unity Stamp Company. and the cardstock is of course from Discount Cardstock!!!  If you need the fun colors that I used on my card - Sunflowers Medium Prismatic, Posh Milk Chocolate Felt  and Frosted Teal Prismatic, you can find them on the DCS website! Be sure to stop by The Playdate Cafe to see their designer's creations! 

I am sort of new to The Playdate Cafe - in fact, this is the first time I've played along with one of their challenges.  But I hope to do it again soon!  Here's just a bit how it works. . .

The Play Date Cafe Challenge (PDCC) was created to be unique and fun. Just follow the COLOR COMBINATION as closely as possible making those colors the FOCUS of your creation. You can make anything you like: cards, layouts, 3-D, home decor...pretty much anything!


I hope you'll join me in playing along at The Playdate Cafe!

i scream, you scream. . .

I have sooo not felt like blogging lately!  But these ice cream cones are too cute to NOT share, so I will press on and blog for YOU!  These stamps are from the May release at The {Stamps} of Life!  There are two coordinating ice cream stamp sets this month, that are just adorable! 

I used Echo Park paper on this first card, and paper-pieced it.  I really like the way the twine ended up, wrapped around the ice cream cone.  I kept playing with it - I knew i HAD to have twine and a button SOMEWHERE, and I think it totally worked! :)

 This second card features a few different sets from TSOL, and I just LOVE clean and simple.  I spend a lot of time looking at the cards of designers I love, and I am always drawn to a clean and simple card, with lots of white - and a great big BOW at the top!  That's how we grow - by studying the work of people we admire!

I submitted a WAY lot of cards for the latest Paper Crafts call, so I will be keeping my fingers crossed this week, (along with some of you, I'm sure!) and hoping to get a happy little email from the magazine!

And now, in my last few fleeting minutes of naptime, I'm going to go do something OTHER than sit at the computer!!! I cleaned the garage out, (the weather is AMAZING, and freakishly cool today!) and then I ate a bagel while sitting here chatting with you - and now I better get ready before my little monkey wakes up and wants food and trains! I think I might surprise B when we pick him up from school, and we'll stop at the playground on the way home - seriously, this weather is AMAZING, and it's a total fluke.  Back to HOT tomorrow I think!

Have a fabulous day!!!

(card goodies: patterned paper - Echo Park, cardstock - Discount Cardstock, pink ribbon - Papertrey Ink, ink - Close To My Heart)

another SMOOCH!

another card using this week's CPS sketch, along with our fabulous sponsor, Paper Smooches!

So here's the deal . . .

there's no fish in this stamp set.

See?

Here's what I did.  I used the circle-shaped paper lantern for the fishy body.

And the larger heart for his tail.

And for the fins, I stamped the hanger, trimmed it, and cut it in half down the middle. I put one half on the top, and one half on the bottom.

And then I drew his little smiling face.

Ta-Dah!

I LOVE the way this blue paper looks as water.  It's the posh sky blue crepe, from Discount Cardstock, along with Brilliant White, and Kraft.

Thanks for coming by today! The week is half-way through! I am finally starting to feel caught up on sleep, after our trip to Disney World.  Tanner slept for THREE HOURS today, so i think he is starting to catch up too!!

XOXO

disney world!!!

Here are a few cute pictures from the first half of our Disney World adventures! In case you're planning a trip, here are a few of my top tips (especially if you are going with kids!)

ICE WATER. It's FREE.  Seriously.  Disney actually gives something away for FREE. Some people say the water tastes terrible there, but I am pretty darn picky about water, and I thought it was fine at all of the places we went.  We brought single-serving powdered drink mixes, but we hardly used any of them.  I'm glad we had them though! We stopped and got cups of ice water all the time. (It's FREE!!!!)

We brought a lot of snacks for the kids, and it helped our budget a LOT! We put drinkable yogurts, string cheese, and Capri Suns in the freezer in our hotel room, and just brought a little lunchbox cooler with us.  We froze some water bottles too.  That, plus some granola bars and cereal, and the kids were good to go!  I don't normally have string cheese and GoGurt in the house, so Bryce still felt like he was getting treats, even though they were a fraction of the cost of Disney treats!!! (And of course we DID get SOME treats from Disney! Gotta have a Mickey ice cream bar!)

Make meal reservations WAYYY in advance.  We booked our meals a month in advance, and still weren't able to get everything exactly when/where we wanted.  Although it all ended up perfect, and we were really happy with how things turned out.

When you go to Hollywood Studios, everyone and their brother's sister's girlfriend's cousin, will be heading STRAIGHT for the new Toy Story ride - just go ahead and get a Fast Pass because by the time you get there, the line will be an hour long. (You do NOT want to miss that ride though! It was SO much fun!)

So there's my little recap! I might share a few more pictures later on in the week!

xoxo

so thrilled!

thrilled to be home after a fabulous trip to disney world! the boys had a FANTASTIC time, and eric and i did too!  i'll share a few pictures this week. . .but for right now, i'm thrilled to share a Paper Smooches card, based on this week's CPS sketch.  this is using kim hughes Vegtastic stamp set.  smiling vegetables - REALLY, could there be ANYTHING quirkier, and cuter!? i just LOVE them.

i have a VERY unhappy toddler at my feet - apparently he is also suffering from some walt disney world withdrawal.  so i think i'll cut this short, try to regain some peace, and finish unpacking! it's good to be home, but missing the happiest place on earth!! thanks for coming by today, after my little trip away!

hugs! happy monday!
xoxo

(card goodies: cardstock - Frosted Aqua Prismatic, Brilliant White (Discount Cardstock) twine (The Twinery) stamps (Paper Smooches "Vegtastic") buttons)

keep cool!

Oh how I have wanted some Lawn Fawn stamps for SO long!

The images are SO stinkin' cute, and the lines are thick enough to be PERFECTLY PERFECT for paper-piecing!

This is just a quick little card I made, playing with the Swimsuit Season stamp set.  I paper-pieced it in some OH-SO-CUTE Pink Paislee paper, and used a matching Border Sticker, from the Hometown Summer collection. My mama got me a whole bunch of goodies from this collection for my birthday, and they are ADORABLE.  I also used some twine from The Twinery, and my favorite color of cardstock, Frosted Teal Prismatic, from Discount Cardstock.  (I've been making Frosted Teal cards in crazy amounts lately! I can't stop with the teal!)

On Wednesday we are LEAVING for Disney World!!!! Mr. B doesn't know.  We are attempting to surprise him!!  Eric and I went to Disney World on our honeymoon 10 years ago, and although we've been back a zillion times (we lived in Kissimmee for a few years) it's been quite a few years since we've been there - and Tanner has NEVER been.  So it's quite momentous, and it will be a great way to celebrate our anniversary!  We are just a bit giddy about it!!!! :) I'll try to schedule a few blog posts while I'm away, but in case I don't get it together, SEE YOU NEXT WEEK!!!

xoxo