Happy, Healthy House!

Well, we're all better! Actually, I never did catch anything- still can't even believe that one! If the gang gets it, I get it. Definitely believe in the power of prayer! We've had a busy week with the holidays. Loads of fun and time spent with family always make it memorable. We even had a couple more birthdays to add to the mix!





Last week I was in charge of the All About Me challenge over at SCRaPDANGo. I wasn't sure what to do and had a couple of ideas, but they were squashed as I looked through the archives of past AAM challenges. So, the search was on. I decided to do a challenge about your name. It could be how you got your name, or maybe what your thoughts are on your own name. You could also do something with a name change from marriage. I decided to go with the "how I got my name" version and use a baby pic. I've never used a baby pic before and I figured it was about time! The title is "What's in a Name..." Here's my LO...

Sorry for not getting in closer on this one. Something is up with my Photoshop and it won't let me save any changes I make on pics. Very strange...

My AAM album is an 8x8, so that is what I went with for this LO as well. I used some Cosmo Cricket papers. I thought they did a good job of keeping the vintage feel of the 70's baby! I tucked my journaling away since it is kind of long. I wasn't sure about this one until I got it done, and now I just love it! (Hmm, have I said that before?!) I think what really helped were the little butterflies on the left. That is the first time I got to use my cute little Martha Stewart punch! Can't wait to use it more!

Welp, that's about it for now! Thanks for stopping by!

~Til next time... <3

Where Has the Time Gone??

So obviously, I've been a complete blog slacker! I missed my own blogoversary a few days ago! Yikes!!! It was (unfortunately) for "good" reason though. Our household has been struck with the flu... Not sure if it is H1N1 or not as the docs don't really test much lately, and since it is seasonal flu season around these parts, it's hard to tell with just the symptoms. I'm the only one it hasn't hit, but I've had more than my fair share! I've been living in a surgical mask the last several days-I wonder if my family remembers what I look like?? Oh my... :)

I have been very busy with SCRaPDANGo goodies lately! I'm so excited to share what I've done so far for reveal day with my beautiful Sugar Kit! Check it out!

Pink Paislee's Amber Road

The kit actually is not complete as shown, but that is crazy considering how much is already there! It really is just beautiful paper. The colors are just gorgeous! I am not much of a theme scrapper lately, I've noticed. These papers had me digging into my winter and Christmas pics in no time! I've done three projects so far, and I'll have another 2 or 3 up in the next day or so.

Stitched Tree card

Santa Jammies

O-Christmas Tree

This was so much fun! Make sure you stop by the Dango forum or blog to see what the rest of the DT did. Remember, I've just shown you one kit here. There's also the Spice Kit that is just as gorgeous!

Well, I'd better head off... Fending off the flu has been hard work! And I still have more scrapping to do!

Til next time~ <3

Scrapdango's Twelve Days of Christmas!

Are you ready for a 12 day extravaganza of amazing inspiration, tutorials and games? We've got it coming your way! The fun will all start on December first and continue all the way through the twelfth! Everyday you will find a new project with all the instructions you need to make it yourself! And every other day there will be a new game to try your luck at! Earn draws for winning games and completing projects! One winner will receive a wonderful Scrapdango treat! Hope to see you there!

Scrapdango November Kit Reveal!

I'm a little behind getting this up on my own blog. It's been VERY crazy around here over the last week or so...

November means report cards and parent-teacher conferences in my "real" world. I think I mentioned before that our school district is making some changes (that I completely support), but it has been a little difficult to get everything up and running. Now that we've finished the first set officially, I think I'm that much more prepared for the next round! At least that one won't include the conferences too!

Smack in the middle of all of that, I was lucky enough to get a bit of food poisoning. Blech! Not much is worse than that! Just over a week later, I'm still the only one in the house who's been ill, so now I'm positive it was what I ate. Can't tell you where- that might be a bit slanderous of me!

I also got AMAZING news on the professional level! My loyal followers remember that I was working toward my national certification all last year. Well... I found out Friday that I passed!!!! I could hardly believe my eyes when I checked my status! I actually cried just as hard as I did when I found out I was pregnant with J! What a HUGE relief!

Well, all of that would explain the late Dango reveal here at Scraptivated! I told Carrie that she could decide whether to send my the Sugar or Spice kit. They were both absolutely gorgeous. She knows how to pick some great stuff! I got my package and it was the Sugar kit, complete with Cosmo Cricket's Nutmeg line and gorgeous Prima embellies! Talk about being in Heaven!

Without further ado...

Thanks for stopping by!

Til Next Time ~ <3

Scrapdango Day 3!

Hello again! Glad you're here for the third and final day of the Scrapdango Design Team Blog Hop! I'm hoping you've been here over the last couple of days, but if not, make sure you head here to find out what's going on, and get yourself a chance to win some delicious scrap goodies!

So far, you've made a card and a layout, each with six specific ingredients. Well, today you'll be making an altered item of your choice. Yes, you get to choose what you'd like to make, however, the deal is you must once again include all six items given to you on your hunt through the Dango DT blogs! You should have already seen three blogs before mine. If not, you need to head back to the Scrapdango Blog to get started!

My item for your recipe is..... distressing. You can do this in a number of ways, but I chose to sand the edges of my papers. Through this, or sometimes using inks, you create a "well worn" look on your paper crafts. Sanding is one of my very favorite things to do. In fact, if you look closely at many of my layouts, I've even sanded the edges of my pictures! I love the look it gives!

Be sure you continue onto the remaining stops and get the rest of your ingredients! Can't wait to see what you create! Remember to post a link in a comment left on the Scrapdango blog, or head to the Scrapdango forum to earn your draw for the fabulous prize! Everything must be completed by Midnight on Monday night! Good luck and get crafting!

Scrapdango Blog

Heather's Blog

Lynn's Blog

Nikki's Blog

Carly's Blog ..... You are here!

Lisa's Blog <<<------ Go here next!

Kerryn's Blog

~Til next time... <3

Scrapdango Blog Hop Day 2!

Hello! So glad you came back! If you are here for the first time, make sure you head to the Scrapdango Blog to see what the heck is going on and get yourself caught up!




We're hopping again! Today, you'll need to collect 6 parts of a recipe to create a layout. You are welcome to include more than 6, but the layout must include the 6 ingredients you discover on our little scavenger hunt through the Dango DT blogs! Don't forget that your layout will be due no later than midnight EST on Monday, November 16! Do that, and you'll get a draw for an awesome Scrapdango kit! They are gorgeous (go check it out if you don't already know!) Upload into the comments section of the Scrapdango Blog or the the forum in the Progressive Blog Hop section. Can't wait to see what you do!


Well, it wasn't a very tough choice for me to decide what my favorite layout item is! Gotta be Thickers by American Crafts! They are just about the best paper-crafter discovery EVER!! I love the dimension they give to your projects. They're just so simple and they come in every color and style you could ever dream of! So here's my layout...

I had a completely different layout ready to go, but after yesterday seeing Heather pulling out the October Afternoon (which I just love as well!) I knew that I needed to head a different direction! My ds is an extremely dilligent worker (as told to us by his teacher as well!). I had to get some pics of him working so hard on his drawing! So cute!

Well, it's about time you started searching the remaining blogs to see their favorites too! Be sure to leave a comment to get a draw for that great kit!

Scrapdango Blog

Heather's Blog

Lynn's Blog

Nikki's Blog

Carly's Blog ..... You are here!

Lisa's Blog <<<<------- Go here next!

Kerryn's Blog

Thanks for stopping by! Hope to see you tomorrow!
~Til next time... <3

Welcome to the Scrapdango Blog Hop!

So glad you've joined us for the Scrapdango Progressive Blog Hop! If you didn't get all the details (or just happened upon me here) you can head over to the Scrapdango Blog to find out all the details. This is a Progressive Blog Hop, so you'll need to be sure to visit each of the new design team member's blogs each day this weekend. You will learn one piece of a recipe challenge that you will have to include on a card, layout or altered item.

Today is the DANGOS card recipe challenge. Hopefully you've already been to Heather, Lynn, and Nikki's blogs! My letter for you for the recipe is G. You need to include all 6 items on your card, then provide a link to your card in the Scrapdango Blog comments section and/or on the Scrapdango forum. Every challenge you complete gets you 1 draw for the prize of one of Scrapdango's fabulous kits! You need to complete all of the challenges by Monday, November 16th at Midnight EST.

So here is the first part of the card recipe challenge:G is for...Glitter of course! Here is my card with all 6 items.

Any ideas of what's left? Don't just guess! You need to op on over to Lisa's blog to see what to include on your card next. Be sure to check back tomorrow to see the items you will need to include on a layout.

Scrapdango Blog

Heather's Blog

Lynn's Blog

Nikki's Blog

Carly's Blog - You Are Here

Lisa's Blog<<<------Go Here Next

Kerryn's Blog

I hope while you're here you have a chance to peek through my archives and get to know me a little better! So Glad you stopped by! See you tomorrow with a layout with the DT's favorite items!

~Til then <3

Gettin' Scrappy!

Happy Monday! I hope you're all feeling the blog love here, because this is true dedication, I tell you! This week marks the beginning of one of the three busiest weeks of the whole school year for me! It's grading time! Yech! It's always tough getting everything done, but this year our school district is changing systems and procedures and, well... let's just say there have been a few bumps in the road! I know we will all make it through, but it is miserable in the meantime! Prayers are greatly appreciated!

To make it through, I have been able to get a little scrappy over the last week or two (yes, I'm a little behind getting some of my latest works up here!). I'm glad it's been good therapy and not a burden adding to my insane stress levels. Being on three DTs and working the ScrapCalls blog keep me busy, but I absolutely love it! I wish that I could find a way to do more, though DH keeps reminding me that it wouldn't be very good for our marriage! LOL! So anyhow, here are a few of my latest pieces...

The colors didn't come out all that great... I think with the end of daylight savings time, I just haven't been home before dark much, and I'm having to get creative with the photography! The first and last are Nuts About Sketches from Shawn. The middle one is my first DT challenge at Scrapdango! I actually designed the sketch for this one as a part of the challenge!

I've got a few more things in the works... You'll have to head to the Scrapdango blog this weekend and be a part of the hop to check them out! The DT had some great ideas and has been fun putting them together! Hope to find you around!

~Til next time... <3

Scrapdango Blog Hop Is Coming!!

Mark your calendars to join us Friday, November 13th through November 15th for a Progressive Blog Hop to meet the brand new Scrapdango design team. You will start out at the Scrapdango Blog and then move onto each DT member's blog for a series of progressive challenges where each DT member will reveal one part of the challenge recipe. There will be a new challenge posted each day, Friday-Sunday. By completing the challenges and some other tasks, you will earn draws toward a prize of one of Scrapdango's kits chock full of scrappy goodness. We will provide more details soon. Be ready to start hopping on Friday the 13th.

Monday, Monday!!

Here we are again... Another week starting right on up! We survived the Halloween weekend! The kids had a blast and were absolutely adorable. (Seriously, check out those pics!) They got to have double grandmas and a grandpa to visit and help get the party started, so all was good! We opted for the Papa Murphy's Pumpkin Pizzas instead of the chili we've done the last couple of years, but it was good to have to worry about one less item on the list!

I just love to see them so happy and excited about stuff like this! It makes my little world so complete with them!

The DT call for Scraps of Us is complete! Welcome these gorgeous ladies to the team:

Marie-Helena

Tamara

Chloe

Michelle

They all have AMAZING talent and I'm so glad they are joining our great little team! Head on over to SOU to see the new November challenges!

In other scrappy news, I am so happy to say that I have been asked (and of course have accepted) to be on the design team for Scrapdango! Carrie has an awesome company with gorgeous kits! You will have to head over and look into getting one sent your way! I'm so excited to join the team! We've got a great mix of newbies and oldies and I think we will work so well together! Can't wait to get my first kit in the mail!

Lastly and certainly not least, it is Monday which means it's reveal day at Nuts About Sketches! I was finally able to complete a two-pager! (Haven't done that in a while!) Make sure you head over to see the sketch and other great takes on it! I'll have to post it later, but I'd rather have you get over there to take a peek!

~Til next time,

<3

Scrappy Goodies!!

My lovely scrappy friends from Personal Scrapper hold Secret Sister Swaps a couple times a year... I was so lucky to be able to participate this time around! I purchased some really fun Bo Bunny stuff for my secret sister Addie. I hope she has as much fun using it as I did picking it out! While I was sick last week, I came home after a tough day at work to a package on my doorstep... Yep! My secret sister ended up being Jess- she got me the awesome goodies below! My absolute and complete favorite part though is the Crate Paper kit! I just love that company! Something about the colors and patterns I guess just get me! LOVE THEM! Obviously I can't wait to get crafty with it!

I am also sitting on some great layouts for Nuts About Sketches that I can't reveal just yet as they are for November. Love how Shawn is so on top of things and has stuff out to us so quick! I think she sketches in her sleep! I've got a scrappy secret that I can't tell just yet, but check back soon!! I can't wait for this one!!

Don't forget to head over to Scraps Of Us for the cybercrop this weekend! Great games, great contests and loads of inspiration! Vicki will also be announcing the new DT! They are gonna be awesome!

~Til next time! <3

A New Week...

It's Monday again... Though I don't have a lick of scrappy projects to share, I figured I should keep with the weekly blogging (just in case anyone is checking in!)

I'm at home today with both kids as of lunch time... So sad! The sitter called to let me know that J had a temp of 102 so that meant he needed to be picked up! The rock-paper-scissor game picked me since Paul was chasing some of his high needs kids around with their own teacher out. We made it home and got the Tylenol going. After a little bit of a nap, he's now watching DVR'd episodes of Clone Wars! At least he's easy to please! Miss A is still napping, so here I am! We'll stay home tomorrow again for sure, then it's Daddy's turn if need be...

This weekend we finally made it to the pumpkin patch and apple orchards! I just love this time of year! I didn't go too crazy with the pics, but I think I got some good ones! I have the November sketches from Shawn at Nuts About Sketches, so I can hopefully start on some of those with these pics!

Til next time~
<3

More Scrappy Anniversary Goodness!

Well, we are almost half way through the month... Since all of October is the anniversary celebration for Scraps of Us, Vicki has put up another one of my sketches and takes on the site! You'll need to head over there and take up the challenge to have the chance to win a great prize! Remember, there are challenges daily, and each one has a prize! Don't forget to look into the DT call as well! Vicki is a great person to "work" for! The first round challenges need to be finished soon, so get over there!


I just love how this layout turned out! Papers are WeRMemory Keepers again from a wonderful Personal Scrapper kit! I got to get out of my little box on accident with those title letters! The @ was not planned! I'm usually so careful about checking out which alphas I have, but, whoops, I missed this one! I'm also having loads of fun with the fussy cutting too! (who knew?!)

~Til next time <3

Another Weekend Bites the Dust!

Wow... time really flies... No, I mean REALLY!! This was a three-day-er for us, so I really can't believe that it is Sunday already. Today was sort of a sit around kind of day. Not a ton of anything in particular was really completed. Maybe some laundry, a scrap page, oh, and Paul discovered that our early freezing temps beat us to winterizing our trailer. Not such a great discovery- he went out to grab a pair of shoes and saw that there was an icicle hanging from the kitchen faucet! He made a call to a friend and was able to figure out how to take care of it! Phew! That's a HUGE relief! Luckily, all the lines appear to still be intact!

I somehow missed sketch #40 for 52 Weeks, but I went in and grabbed #39 anyhow while I was working on stuff for Scraps of Us and Nuts About Sketches. The papers in this are from my new Personal Scrapper kit. I am just in love with the Dream Street papers! I can't wait to find some more pics to use with them! We are hoping to get to the pumpkin patch next weekend, so that will provide me with some awesome autumn pics to use!

Just a quick post for today! Til next time!

<3

Anniversary Challenges!

There are two great things happening over at Scraps Of Us right now... First, it is our very first anniversary! Things are underway and challenges have already started! As part, Vicki has asked the DT to do some sketches for the daily challenges with a sample LO to go with. Well, my first sketch appeared the other day. I am so very new to sketches, but it was so exciting and a little liberating to sit down and make my very own sketches! For a very techie kind of girl, I don't know the ways of "digi-sketching" yet (please leave me your suggestions!) so for now, it is pencil and paper! No snickers about the crudeness of my sketch, but I hope you like it too! Head on over to see the new reveals each day!

This LO uses WeRMemory Keepers papers from the Tiffany's line. I just love the sparkle on some of these papers! Pics are from Miss A's grand debut into the world! She was the speedy delivery of the two kiddos!

The next great thing is the DT search also over at Scraps Of Us! I know I have some awesomely talented followers out there, so you should all head over there and think about taking a stab at it! We'd love to have you! Vicki's looking for people who do layouts and cards, so give it a try! Hope to see you over there!

Til next time~
<3

New NAS Sketch and SOU Anniversary Party!

Party?? Did someone say party?! Yes! We are celebrating the one year anniversary over at Scraps Of Us! I can hardly believe how fast time flies! It's been an awesome year. The site had a recent revamp and is going strong. We've got some new members there and Vicki is also hosting a DT call! If you're looking for an opportunity to be a part of a great team, you really should sign up! Head over there and see what she's got in store! At the end of the month, there'll be an awesome cybercrop. (I've taken a peek already at the festivities, and trust me, you don't want to miss this!) If you're looking for some great inspiration, it's a great place to stop! I've been busy with some sketches and LOs for the month-you'll need to go there to see what I've done! :)

Also, since it's Moday, that also means Shawn has a new reveal over at Nuts About Sketches! I just love the LO I did for this one! I've never used the KI Memories diecut paper before, but I was looking for something a little different, and voila! These are also colors I don't normally use at all, let alone together, but who could resist scrapping my pics of my little guy! (Those are actually tubes you crawl through he's playing with, but neither of my kiddos have ever done much crawling in them-they prefer the "garbage can" approach!)

You'll need to head back to NAS later for Shawn's great two-pagers! She's one of the only ones around who has them on a regular basis. Works great for all the pics we always take, eh?! Also, more great NAS news... Shawn's started a forum so everyone can upload their great takes on her sketches! You'll need to head there as well!

Well, I'm so excited to be here, posting on a Monday and all, but I really must head out! I got my new Personal Scrapper kit in the mail today... Can you say, "Dream Street?" These papers are TO DIE FOR!!! I tell you, if I had the money, I'd order two or three of Erica's kits every month! LOVE THEM!!! Also, I picked up a Scrapbooks, Etc. at the store and my CK is here as well! What a happy, scrappy day around here!

~Til next time,

<3

Nuts About Sketches Week 76!

I'm feeling a little slackish... It's hard to get an update in early in the week! I've been spending my Wednesday on-line time doing my ScrapbookCalls duties (and I must add, I think I've finally gotten the hang of it!). So here I am finally on a Thursday, once again awaiting my beloved Grey's Anatomy-I'm still heartbroken over George! The work week is almost over, but I'm now behind in both school and scrappy ways! Oh, the insanity! Does it ever end??



Well, I'm hoping you headed over to Nuts About Sketches already to see the Monday reveal. The DT has some great takes on Shawn's sketch for this week! I just love that there are all types of scrappers on this DT! It just shows what a great variety of styles there are- and they are all amazing!

So here's my take... I liked this one a bunch! The "moose park" as we call it, is just a really fun little community park near my dad and step-mom's house. The kids love to get in the wagon and take a walk there! It was time I scrapped some of the mounds of pics I've taken there! One of the favorite things (as seen in the LO) is to ride on the tire zip cord! Kids and grown-ups alike could probably spend hours going down it!





Til next time~ <3

And Then the Weekend was Gone...

So crazy that time flies so very fast! I sit here patiently awaiting the season premiere of Desperate Housewives, trying to get in a little update since I've been a blog slacker over the last couple of weeks...

Friday evening was spent sleeping off a tummy ache from the delicious lunch my friends put on at work. Sad that my tummy did not find it so yummy after a few hours :( The family was still able to enjoy "pizza and movie night" without me beside them. So sweet- they came and kissed me goodnight on the couch and let Daddy do the snuggling! After a few hours, I was luckily feeling much better!

Saturday morning, however, was spent in a mad panic getting things ready for my crop at a LSS (ok, so I'm not sure an hour's drive is really considered local, but we don't have much around here lately). Pics needed to be ordered to Costco, and I had to pack my bags all up to be ready to crop to my little scrappy heart's content for 12 hours! It was fun enough, though I don't think we'll go back for a crop to that particular store again. Customer service should be everything, and their's was pretty lacking! :( I did get a few things done, and some that are in progress. It's hard when you go somewhere else-even though you WANT to pack everything you own, that's not really all that smart! So, some projects will need to be finished up over the next week!

There's another reveal at Nuts About Sketches tomorrow and I finished my LO for it, so be sure to head over there! I'll post back here later in the week to show it off, but get there and see what the rest of the DT has done with the sketch. Here's what I can show you so far-

These are from some gorgeous Julie Bonner sketches at 52 Sketches...52 Weeks. Be sure to stop by there as well and see her latest sketch!

Til Next Time~ <3

Scrappy Fun with Sketches

Well, my love of sketches continues! It's been hard to keep up with all the awesome sketch sites I've found over the last couple of months. I'm working on my next sketch for Shawn over at Nuts About Sketches, and Vicki has a sketch for me at Scraps of Us (just waiting on the arrival of my kit from Australia for that!). But what I spent some recent time on was working with some gorgeous Julie Bonner sketches from 52 Sketches...52 Weeks. She's another incredibly talented sketch artist and I really love what I came up with for the sketches I picked out.

Sketch 36

Sketch 35

Sketch 32

Funny, I stressed sketch 32 for quite awhile... Don't really know why! Now that it's done, I really, really like it! Crazy to think my baby girl is already 3 (going on 13!) I know I also spent some time stressing about picture colors and whether they matched papers or not. That was what brought me to do sketch 36 with the same photos but one in sepia. I'd see it done before and liked it, but I'd never done it for my own work.


Sketch 35 is definitely my favorite though! That is also from my September kit from Personal Scrapper! Man, I love getting those things! This month's kit is mostly October Afternoon (and I LOVE that company!)


Better head out for now! Thanks for stopping by!
Til next time~ <3

Nuts About Sketches #73

Yikes! With all the craziness of school and whatnot, I almost completely forgot that my debut LO for Nuts About Sketches is up on the site! Shawn does a great job of coming up with such a variety of sketches. She has single photos and all sorts of multi photo ones as well and usually does a two pager bonus sketch! Make sure you check it out every Monday (and Wednesday for bonuses and news!) Here's the sketch and my take:

I did some stiching across each of the flowers which was a lot of fun. I also machine stiched the journaling lines inside the brackets but it's a little hard to see in the pic. I love this LO, but am so upset... I didn't pay close attention when I was getting the pics from the computer that I put the wrong date on it!! Grrr! Now I have to figure out a way to fix it all! Any ideas?? It's a major thing, not just a little typo! Of course! Argggg!

Better head off for the night. We had a big evening of dance class (Miss A's very first-tap shoes and the whole bit!) and soccer for the J-man. He's getting better each practice! They're asleep and I should be too!

Til next time~ <3

Whew!!

I finally had a successful post on the Scrapbook Calls Blog! Yippee!! Last time didn't go so hot, so I was so nervous about how this one would turn out! I figured out what I missed last time, so tonight it went soooo much more smoothly! Yea!! So glad! That was a huge thing hanging on me!

It is crazy-hard to believe that tomorrow is already Thursday! Wow! It's kind of nice having short work weeks (thanks to Labor Day) but then it tends to seem as though there's more to get done in fewer days! We had a great extended weekend camping with some friends (I'll have to upload pics later as they're on the other machine- go figure!) The kids had a blast, our friends are the proud new owners of bicycles and fun was had by all! J saw a snake in a tree and got to hold a frog we found swimming in the river. My little reptilian boy was very much in Heaven! Miss A got to hold Buddy the dog and take him for walks (thanks Brenda!) so she got her puppy fix! We can also even say we survived our first rainy family experience! Such fun!

I need to get scrapping on some stuff, but I just haven't been able to get stuff going. This time of year is really rough for that. With getting schedules set and adding new things like homework to the mix (blast, those teachers! :) hehe!) things are tricky still. I know it's just a matter of time til it gets all worked out! It always does!

Til next time,
<3

Operation Nice Blog Hop!

So over the last few weeks with all my blog surfing, I've come across so many wonderfully talented folks. You know, the crafty ones who you dream to have a pinky sized amount of their talent and drool at all of their creations. Well, I've also come across some amazingly kind, sincere and caring folks as well! I've been so renewed in the goodness of people lately... Maybe I was having a spell of negativity for awhile or something, but seeing how kind and generous people can be has really opened my heart again.

First, there was Stacy (remember Scrappin' Everday Life?) I just got her goodies in the mail and I can hardly even believe that she would give them away for free! There must be at least $50 worth of treasures there! And for crying out loud, the postage alone was almost $10- just because she's nice! Wow, that's amazing! I've also been following Trisha's blog. She has a weekly inspirational challenge that is all about what we can do for others! Has she ever inspired me! Then I came across a call for this blog hop which led me to the blog for Operation Nice! You HAVE TO CHECK THIS OUT! If you aren't amazed at the goodness of people and maybe even break down and cry a bit, I don't know quite what to tell you! I know I was so touched... People can be so good to us in just the littlest of ways, and so often, we don't even realize it.

My most significant event, however, has been in my son's transition to kindergarten. Here's the story... We live nearly 20 miles away and in another school district from where each of us work as well as where our sitter is (hey, there's another angel in our lives!) Knowing that our daughter would remain with our sitter while J was in school, we decided to "choice" him into the district we teach in, having him go to a school near the sitter. Since well before the school year ended last year, we have been showered with kindness and open arms. Our little guy loves school, loves his teacher, and feels so loved in return. From the office staff, the principal, counselor, and other support staff to all the folks right there in and out of his room, he is loved! Because of this, I decided I needed to show some "niceness" to them whenever I can. I can't be at the school to help out, but I can find other ways to show how much I appreciate them. Today, I baked chocolate chip cookies and made a card to tell how much they mean to our family, and I'll send them to school in the morning.

I want to leave you with some great words I just came across from some people with importance in my life...

"We all make a difference in everything we say or do. Think about your words and actions because they will linger in the minds of the people who hear and observe them." T. Campbell

"My motto is, 'Life is now in session; the question is, are you present?'" Rev. H. Watkins

I hope to hear some great ideas from all of you and learn from the other gals here in the hop to see how you show someone you're nice! Thanks for being here! Make sure to leave a comment to be signed up for the awesome goodies! (See all those people being nice?!) Have fun in the rest of the hop! Here's your next stop!

Til next time ~ <3

Ready for the Weekend!

Do you know that old Loverboy song, "Everybody's Workin' for the Weekend?" Well, that's what we've been doing around here! It's been busy, busy, busy! School is in full force for three of the four of us and only 174 more to go! Our three-day weekend coming tomorrow is well-deserved! We're taking the trailer about 100 miles away near the Snake River to do some camping with friends. The weather is supposed to be cooler, so packing was actually pretty simple. Now that we've been out a few times it doesn't seem near the task it once was and that is a huge relief! We actually packed most of our things and even hooked up to the truck in the dark once the kids were down! Yes, we're a little crazy! This will most likely be the last big outing of this nature for the season. It's so hard to think that the cold is on it's way!

I can finally post my exciting news from before! I volunteered to be a part of the Scrapcalls Crew! I will be helping out with posting the calls on the main site! I'm excited! The more practice I get, the more comfortable I'll feel. But it really is cool to be a part of it! If it weren't for them, I wouldn't have ever known how to really begin the search for design teams and getting published! You'll need to go check it out if you've never been there! Also, the owner of the site, Anam, is an amazingly accomplished crafter! She designs for Prima and My Mind's Eye (need I say more?!) She's got some stuff going on and is trying to raise some money with an auction. Check it out and get some amazing stuff! There are only 2 weeks left with over 50 awesome items, and the minimum bid is only $5 – the minimum item worth is $10 – all the way up to an amazing vintage fresh water pearl necklace valued at $300… You can get all the info here.

Lastly, I leave you for the weekend with a link... If you find you're working for the weekend, check it out!

First Day!

We all survived! Thought that might be the most important info to share, particularly since I haven't posted in several days! J was such a trooper! I didn't really doubt that he would take everything in stride, but my motherly worrying took hold a couple of times! He loves his teacher (and she's already fessed up she feels the same about him!) The first two days came and went in a flash and he's already learned new things! He came home yesterday singing a song about how to spell "red" to the tune of "Are You Sleeping?" I'm so very proud! :) Here are some pics I took of my great big, little guy on his great big day...

For those of us who worked on the first two days of school, well, we did ok too! They are such busy days, and I hate the feeling that I'm talking non-stop (probably because I DO talk non-stop!). Luckily, they do go by like a flash for us as well. The kids in my class did a great job, and we're getting things all settled. We even got to start on a few academic tasks!

Of course, all of this was what was taking priority in my life while I received a TON of other emails of the scrappy kind... I was a little overwhelmed for a day or so as I tried to tell myself that I hadn't taken on too much. As you know from my last post, Shawn has asked my to be a part of Nuts About Sketches (and of course I said yes!). Also, I've been asked to be a part of something else spectacular but I must wait for the official ok before posting anything more on that. Also, Scraps of Us is back on-line and better than ever! Vicki did a complete revamp on the site and it is great! Be sure to go take a look! Anyhow, over the next week or so, we'll get back into the grove we know all too well, and things will seem calm again... :)

I'm also awaiting the mail every day hoping for my scrappy goodies to arrive! My two blog candy packs should be here any time, and Vicki is posting my Scraps of Us pack any time now! And I also can't wait til Monday (that's payday around these parts!) so I can make an AWESOME purchase at Two Peas in a Bucket! I've got my cart all loaded up and am just waiting to purchase! Can't wait!

Til next time~ <3