seriously time challenged

Happenings

2011-02-21T13:56:00.002-07:00

Happy Monday everyone! How's your week starting off so far? Everything going well around here except had a child home today b/c she had a bad case of hives on her legs, wrists, and back yesterday, which warranted a trip to the ER. Poor Sweet Saige. She's better today tho, so shaping up to be a better day for sure.

Bailee had her Valentine dance at school a week ago and she sure looked gorgeous. I did a new haircut on her and painted her toes and fingers...she did the rest. Doesn't she look beautiful. Wow - so grown up. They were having a good time I guess until some boys (including the 8th grade class president) brought in some alcohol and decided to drink it during the dance. Ended up not so much fun, which is a bummer, as this was something they were all looking forward to.

Me, I'm still plugging away in cosmetology school and now only have 4 more months to go!!! YAY!!! So ready to be done and out there doing what I've really had a passion for for so long. I'll keep you advised as time winds down.

Hope ya'll have a great day and week. Blessings, Brenda

WHAT?? Twice in one week you say?

2011-02-01T21:23:00.002-07:00

Happy Tuesday! I'm excited to share with ya'll another layout (this time a 2-pager) that I completed yesterday. The pictures are actually from the year before last and we all decided it would be fun to do "scared silly" pictures. I love these pics - it's funny to me how each person has an altogether different expression. I love my family! Hope your week is going well. Hugs :) Brenda

Yes it's true...I'm alive!!!

2011-01-31T17:56:00.002-07:00

Hi all my favorite blog followers! How has life been treating ya'll? It's been good here, with general ups and downs thrown in there, but I'm alive, so it's not all bad, right?

Here's a quick rundown on my life since last posting...I started cosmetology school and am now only 5 months away from graduating as a full-fledged cosmetologist. My favorite is hair, even though I'm able to do nails, facials, etc. I just love cutting and coloring, it really stimulates my creative bone. So much better than typing for a living.

Just recently I started scrapping and making cards again after a VERY long break and thought I'd share a page with you that I made just today (ok Stacey you better leave a comment). I used CTMH papers and some other assorted trinkets I had lying around the house. I went to my sweet friend Rhonda's house and scrapped the afternoon away with her, so thanks Rhonda for having me over to spend some time in your fabulous scrap room :)

Have a fabulous week and I'll be back sooner than last time with another little project. Hugs!!!

Brenda

Friend...

2010-05-28T14:20:00.002-06:00

OK, so I did my hair and then went outside to let the dogs out for a few minutes and came back in with my hair sticking to my lip gloss - geesh! It's windy out there...crazy windy! The temp is around 84, but the wind is truly miserable. Hopefully it will die down soon. Anyway, I'm off to be creative, but wanted to share with you this card I made a couple days ago using the October Afternoon papers again. Just love them! There's no stamping on this card at all, just a couple stickers and some pretty ribbon trim and stick pin from my collection. Very simple and sweet, just like I like my summers! Hope your beginning to summer has started off well - our kids are home now and ready to have some fun - so bring it on! Hugs - Brenda

Happy Birthday

2010-05-25T12:00:00.001-06:00

Happy Tuesday! This is a card I made for my sis-in-law's birthday. I love it b/c it's so simple and made entirely with stickers, rub-ons and paper - no stamps or "flash". The rub-ons were a bit of a challenge for me, as they are kinda static-y, but they ended up looking pretty cool. The papers are once again October Afternoon and from the same collection as yesterday's layout. SO lovin' these papers and accessories! Hopefully she feels the same way :) Hey - school's out Friday. Can you believe it???!!! Seems like just yesterday I was sending the kids off to their new school year. *SIGH* Guess that means summer is on it's way as well, which makes me eternally happy. Have a blessed day! Brenda

Strawberry Girl

2010-05-11T18:44:00.002-06:00

Hi there! A gloomy, cloudy day...no sun to be had today, but thought I'd share a "bright" and sunny layout featuring my daughter and her favorite fruit (maybe food). I used Bazill Basics papers for the background and the strip of strawberry paper and stickers are from October Afternoon. I added the "bling" on the berries and also added some buttons from my stash. Makes my day a little brighter just looking at the pictures :) Hope your Monday is bright and sunny where you are - whether the weather is or not. Hugs! Brenda

April Showers....

2010-04-27T17:31:00.004-06:00

...we know that old saying. It's been raining here some, but is getting warmer and the flowers are beginning to bloom i.e. tulips, hyacinth, grape hyacinth, bulbs. A lot of my perennials are making their way out of the ground too, so I'm happy. I love this time of year - new life! This card is stamped with a Unity stamp and then I pieced in the umbrella with some paper I had lying around. I love the way it turned out - it just makes me think of spring :) The sentiment is also a Unity stamp and inside it says "with a friend like you". So glad I have friends that make my life sweeter! Thanks for stopping in and hope your week is going well! Blessings - Brenda

Whooo Loves You...

2010-04-21T14:44:00.003-06:00

I do! Glad you stopped by today! I made this cute little card b/c I had a picture of one sort of like it and loved the way it looked. It was simple and fun! The owl is from CTMH, as is the sentiment. The papers were some I had in my stash and love how there are little owls on the paper to go along with the big guy. Hope your week is going along smoothly. It's been absolutely gorgeous here for a few days, but I think there's a change coming in the next few days. *sigh* I guess we DO need the rain :) Hugs! Brenda

I got a page finished!

2010-04-19T14:07:00.002-06:00

Hello and Happy Monday! Spring has finally arrived here in Wyoming (I'm sure of it!). The tulips are fixin' to bloom, hyacinth are breaking through the soil, and a lot of the perennials I've been waiting to see are making their appearance after a VERY long winter. I'm so excited, as this is one of my favorite seasons if for nothing less than the newness of life! The sun is shining and I couldn't be happier to see it getting so nice during the day. I finished this page up today, after having started it in Texas a few weeks ago. It was the last of my page packs that I took along and I'm pleased as punch to have those all done. I think it was 13 in all that I was able to take and now have completed. These pics are of my daughter's 8th birthday, almost 3 years ago. Yes, I'm behind and will never be caught up...that's just the way it is. So happy to have some of my older pics getting scrapped. Hope your week is blessed. God's goodness is all around us if we just look! With love, Brenda

Like No Other!

2010-04-06T16:02:00.002-06:00

Hi! Long time no post, huh? Bad blogger! It's been a long dry spell for me - a lot like winter, without the dry - just long. I went to Texas and scrapped with my bud, Stacey, and we had such a great time together! I got 12 pages done and was working on the last one when it was time to pack up, so pretty much used up all the page packs I had put together. I was pretty proud of myself...and some of the pics were old, when my kiddies were little. So thanks Stace for taking time out of your schedule to come scrap and spend the day with me - I love ya! This card is my first attempt at coloring with Copics. If you haven't had the chance to use Copic markers, they are truly a blast and give such a lovely effect. They make it so easy to blend

and the colors are so vibrant. I'm hooked!!! YIKES - they're expensive! But, I have so many "color book" image stamps that I needed a great way to color and I think I've found it!

This is a Stamping Bella image (kinda looks like what I do all day!), and the word stamp is from Unity. The paper is stuff from my stash - Bazzill basics colored and SU! white cardstock. The others are misc scraps that were punched with my circle punch. Pretty cute, huh?

Hey - I hope I still have some followers that'll read this post - ha! Have a fabulous Tuesday and I'll be back much sooner than last time - I PROMISE! Hugs - Brenda

Living in the Moment

2010-02-18T16:47:00.002-07:00

I'm back...getting my mojo back slowly but surely. Now I just need to find the time to be creative again. I've started working out and that takes my time after I finish working, then I'm off to be the taxi service for not only our kids, but some friends of ours whom we help out when they're in a pinch. After that, it's time to make dinner and then I'm too pooped to do much of anything else but read or watch TV. Sigh...can you say vacation? More like stay-cation.

I whipped up this sweet little card one day when I could squeeze in a few minutes. It's made using Unity stamps and some fun Elsie paper I had lying around. I paper pieced the leaves on the tree and then glued some buttons along the bottom. The holes are punched with an SU punch, and last but not least, some velvet ric rac is glued along the bottom edge. Inside I stamped "Happy Birthday" just cuz I needed a b-day card. What d'ya think?

Hope your month is going well. Can you believe we're already past the halfway mark of February. Yikes!!! Even the radio guy is announcing how many days til Christmas. Have a blessed week!

Happy New Year!

2010-01-13T17:40:00.002-07:00

Happy 2010! Bout time I posted, huh? I don't know, I think I've lost my mojo, so I'm sharing with you a project I made before Christmas. I just love the way it turned out! We had some old timey pics done in Cody this past summer and I wanted to share with family members, so came up with this idea. It's the Cosmo Cricket lacing cards and then just some papers I had that went well with the sepia tones in the pictures. I have to say this was the gift to top this year, so guess it was a hit! Hope your year is off to a good start. It's cold here, but the weather is warming up a bit this week. We had a few days of -25 to -30 and I have to say, I don't like those days. I prefer the 30s and 40s when it comes to winter. I know, what am I doin' living in Wyoming - LOL! Have a fabulous week and wish me luck on finding my mojo. Nothing seems to be pushing me on, so leave me some love and well wishes. Thanks for looking! Brenda

Happy Saturday

2009-12-12T16:32:00.002-07:00

Hey everyone - how's it going? I can't believe we are almost halfway through December and what a terrible blogger I've been. I just looked back to see I haven't put anything on here since November - ugh! So sorry for the lack of commitment I have here. I CAN say I've been busy creating projects for family members for Christmas, so it's not like I've not been doing anything :) This little house is for my mom. She loves to entertain and I thought this would be a great little piece of artwork to set on an end table or entertainment center so that she could welcome her friends and visitors to her home. Love it! I covered the house with one paper and then created a "roof line" with a different paper, scalloping the edges and applying little clear embellishments on top of the scallops. The flowers are assorted from my collection, each with a different center. The twigs are from our front yard, so a bit of Wyoming will be making its way to Texas - LOL. Hope you're enjoying the season and taking a bit of time for yourself - and to remember the most important reason for the season...JESUS! Blessings and hugs - Brenda

Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-11-25T15:03:00.003-07:00

Hey all - happy thanksgiving! So excited to be stuffing myself (and the turkey) tomorrow! Love this holiday and it reminds me to be so very thankful for all that we have - more than we'll ever need. God is good! The sentiment on this card is so pretty - I just love all the names listed here. Very simple card, and loved the colors...so much like the colors of fall. On the flowers, it's hard to tell, but I applied some clear diamond stickles to the middle, so they glimmer. Have a wonderful and blessed day tomorrow! Hugs - Brenda

Beautiful

2009-11-14T17:11:00.002-07:00

Happy Saturday! So glad this week is over...although I can't believe it's over already. Time is flying way too fast for my taste. Pretty soon I'll have a birthday and then it'll be Thanksgiving and then Christmas. Ugh...not ready for any of it. OK, enough gloom and doom :) I was in the mood to create a pretty fallish-type card and this is what I came up with. The papers are CTMH and the stamps are Unity...love the little paper-pieced trees and simple, beautiful Bible verse at the bottom. By the way, the papers layered on top were cut with my lovely Cricut. Hope your weekend is blessed - enjoy time with your family! Hugs - Brenda

We've been busy today...

2009-11-09T17:05:00.003-07:00

Look at what my sweet hubby did for me today...he put up shelves over my scrap area and I am now able to get all the "junk" off my desk and up on the wall. Don't they look fabulous! He's the best husband I could ever ask for...he really put a lot of thought and time into this project.

Now I feel like I have more room to get creative. No longer will I only have a 12 x 12 opening on my desk to scrap. Yeah! Now if only I had more time... have a great evening!

Coffee and Friends

2009-10-27T16:31:00.002-06:00

Happy Tuesday everyone! Sorry for the silence - too wrapped up in other activities, one of which was nursing myself back to health. Ick...this flu season has come early and hit hard! I was really the only person to get the crud, but the kids have struggled with colds and low-grade fevers. So glad to be on the mend and getting around to the "fun" things in life :)

This card was created once again using Unity stamps and some warm, fall colors to create a sense of sitting around enjoying a good cup of joe and conversation with a friend - love it! I think I'll go have a cup now! Hope your week is going well and that you're healthy whereever you are. Hugs - Brenda

Weird huh?

2009-10-06T14:24:00.003-06:00

October 4 and 5 - 10-12 inches of snow is so weird for me!!! What? It's supposed to be fall NOT winter! Nonetheless, it was so pretty and serene. The trees were so heavy with wet snow, though, that we had quite a few branches, and rather large ones at that, that broke under the weight. Before our son's bus could come down our driveway yesterday morning, we had to clear it out so you could at least get to our house. So...how's the weather where you are? I'll bet you're experiencing some of those beautiful fall days we sort of skipped over. The snow today is melting and the sun is shining, so I'll bet it won't be here for long, but there's more in the forecast. Ugh. Have a glorious day! Brenda

My heart is a flutter!

2009-09-21T18:21:00.002-06:00

Hey! Can you believe tomorrow is the first day of Autumn. Today was a sweet taste of that with a high of 60 degrees at our house. Just a bit nippy, but a nice change from the 80s and 90s. I have to say I'm finally getting in the mood for the beauty that can only be fall!

This little card was one I created using Unity stamps...both the sentiment and image. They're unmounted red rubber images that have cling foam on the back and they adhere to my clear blocks and I have to say I LOVE THEM! They stamp such a clean, clear image and are so easy to clean up and store. Uh oh...this has trouble written all over it :)

Well, off to have some spaghetti that my sweet husband cooked up for us - yum! Have a great evening! Brenda

My Wish

2009-09-16T15:23:00.004-06:00

Happy Wednesday (hump day)! I got the idea for these flowers from someone's blog and can't remember whose, I apologize. I had all these decorative bingo cards lying around and when I saw this idea, I was all over it. I could never quite figure out how to incorporate them into my pages and/or cards, and thought this was ingenious. Just freehanded the flowers and then cut them out, placing fun little flowers or brads in the middle for added flair. I love how the page turned out AND a bonus is I used old pictures from when the kids were so little *sigh* Hope you are having a great week so far...already the middle of September, and I've noticed the trees are beginning their change to fall colors. One of my favorite times of year! Have a great afternoon and evening! Brenda

Friends...are a wonderful thing!

2009-09-08T15:54:00.003-06:00

Hey! How was your weekend? We ended up having a pretty good day yesterday, even though it was cloudy for much of the day. The sun finally came out and I personally was much happier :) We took the kids bowling in Thermop and boy, have I gotten bad at that game! Whew...it's been too long since I've bowled - ha!

Here's a little clipboard I created featuring one of my sweet friends. Isn't it just the cutest? I used some papers I've had for awhile (yea!) and just had a blast creating this little project. It really took no time at all, but I'm loving the way it turned out. Way cute... I think these would be great Christmas gifts for family and friends.

Hope your week is off to a great start. Hugs! Brenda

Happy Wednesday!

2009-09-02T15:01:00.002-06:00

Hi there! Wow - already the middle of the week and still hot as ever here in Wyoming. No complaints...not ready for the snow just yet :) The grasshoppers, however, are about to carry everything away and I joke not. Just standing in the kitchen window and looking out at the front yard, it looks as if it's "alive", there's so much movement. Yuck! Hopefully they'll all die soon and not be so terrible next year. So, onto more pleasant topics. How bout this card? I am so happy with how it turned out. I've really been on a kick lately to use up some of the awesome scraps I have left over from scrappin projects. This card is made from Bazill Basics c/s and the beautiful blue and green scraps are SU. I added a little bling and buttons, and the "so much" is a rub on. Leave me your comments to let me know what you think...I love to read what everyone has to say. Have a fabulous Wednesday and rest of your week! Hugs - Brenda

Another week...

2009-08-31T12:19:00.004-06:00

Here we go, another Monday and closer to fall and winter. Fall sounds OK, just not too excited about winter yet. I'm sure once the temps start cooling down and it is more fallish, I'll be more in the mood. I guess it just never got hot enough around here this summer to feel much like summer. We had a lot of rain and wierd weather...a couple of really good hail storms and then it was cloudy or just plain cool in the afternoons. Truly different from past years, but hey - that's Wyoming!

Here's a page I created of Bailee when she was on her swim team last year. I LOVE this pic of her sitting on the diving board - so young-ladyish. Ugh...getting closer to 13 everyday. This was created using an SU! simply scrappin kit. It went together very easily and didn't have to do too much to it except cut and stick things here and there.

Hope you have a great day! The kids are settling into school quite nicely, so hopefully we'll all have good years this year! Blessings - Brenda

First Day 2009

2009-08-24T14:08:00.003-06:00

Happy 1st day of school (at least to a lot of you)! The girls were so excited to go back that they could hardly sleep last night or eat breakfast this morning. Kade, on the other hand, not so excited. When he found out who his teacher was going to be, he had not-so-fond memories of her from last year, for whatever reason, and just plain dreaded this day. We just hope for the best, that he'll be HIS BEST and impress the teacher and maybe, just maybe she'll be someone different than he remembers encountering. Our fingers are crossed :) I hope your day is awesome - whether you have kids starting school, whether they've already started or whether your kids are grown and gone. May God's face shine on you today! Blessings and hugs - Brenda

Feeling Inspired Today

2009-08-23T11:21:00.003-06:00

Hello! How has everyone's week been? Ours has gone fast and furiously and I can honestly say that I think my kids are ready to go back to school, which is tomorrow. They were between computer and Wii all week, with looks of boredom mixed in between. This morning we've all been busy getting rooms cleaned and clothes put out for tomorrow...we're all ready, well I guess we're ALL ready...they are at least :)

Along with getting the not-so-fun tasks taken care of, I felt inspired and made a couple cards. Here's one I created without any stamps, just some little pieces I had laying around. I'm lovin how it turned out and can think of a few people that I would love to send it to. I have some awesome friends who inspire me and push me on to do greater things and for that - I say thanks!!!

Hope ya'll have a wonderful Sunday. Blessings! Bren

Life is good!

2009-08-17T13:11:00.004-06:00

Wow - it's already the middle of August...I wish time would slow down a bit. A week from today and school starts. I can honestly say I'm not ready for my kiddos to go back. We've had a great summer - nothing much to report that we did, just enjoying being in our house without having to worry about building deadlines, etc.

This card was made using CTMH stamps and some more leftovers from my scrap basket. I love the way it turned out. Very simple - not too overloaded with stuff like I tend to do. Just perfect. What'dya think?

Hope your week goes well. Enjoy those last few days of summer before the hectic-ness of life settles in with school sports, activities, etc. Hugs! Brenda

Good advice

2009-08-09T09:04:00.002-06:00

I made this card for my sis-in-law to not only have a happy b-day, but also to remember to laugh, and laugh loud! I especially don't remember to do this often and need to be reminded :)

I decided my scrap basket was too full and I needed to use some of the beautiful papers in it, so I created this card completely from leftovers. I highlighted some of the pieces with Stickles and the black leaves turned out to be almost copper - hard to tell from the pic, but really pretty.

So today, I hope you remember to laugh and do it loudly - with JOY!

Hugs - Brenda

Hello...sorry for the silence

2009-08-05T16:48:00.004-06:00

Happy Wednesday - it's hump day! Wow, you were probably wondering whatever happened to that Brenda girl? Well, first off we've been pretty busy, but secondly we had a lightning storm that knocked out our network card and router, so we had to order the network card since our internet provider didn't have the one we needed. We've been off-line on our personal computer for almost 2 weeks. Yikes! That's painful...

I have managed to create some cards and even some scrapbook pages in the last few weeks, tho, so it hasn't all been in vain. This card was made especially for a couple that got married last week and it was made using all scraps I had in my basket. I used some solid colors on the top portion of the card that I ran through the Cuttlebug and the bottom portion is just some pretty patterned paper. I strategically placed some flowers and bling-bling and stamped the simple message on an oval. I love how it turned out and hopefully the lucky couple loved it as well.

I'll have some more things over the next few days to show, so please check back and leave me some love! Hugs - Brenda

We're Flying?

2009-07-10T14:41:00.002-06:00

Happy Friday!! Hope your week has gone well. We had a fabulous 4th of July with blowing off $80 worth of fireworks, which really got my goat when I had to pay for them, but then when my son says to me "Mom, thanks for making this the best 4th of July ever!", I think to myself "OK, I guess it was worth it!". The weather was kinda weird, lots of afternoon thunderstorms and the like, even some hail, but that evening we stayed up until midnight (a rarity for the kids) and had a blast as a family. How bout you? Any fun stories to share?

There is a funny story behind this page. We were invited to go back to Texas for my mother-in-law's recognition at Wayland Baptist University. Can you believe she's been a professor for 40 years???!!! Wow - I can't imagine doing something for that long! Anyway, we usually drive, but this time we flew from Denver. We didn't tell the kids we were flying, as we wanted to surprise them...you see, this would be the 1st time they had never flown and would be ecstatic at this most awesome surprise. We got to my husband's cousin's house (that's a mouthful) and hung out for awhile, the kids all the time thinking we were about to hit the road again for the rest of the long drive to Texas. Well, Saige comes to me and says "Mom, we've been here awhile, are we about to leave?" to which I replied "we'll be leaving here in just a minute or 2", chuckling to myself and getting excited myself at popping this one on them. We lined them up on the couch and told them we were going to fly back to Amarillo and these are the expressions we captured. Priceless! They loved their flight. Kade was a bit freaked out after taking off, but had fun and smiled a lot anyway.

Well, hope you have a wonderful weekend and enjoy those simple moments in your lives. Smiles and hugs! Brenda

A doozie...

2009-06-27T18:37:00.004-06:00

We had a doozie of a storm last night. As we were coming back into town last night from picking Bailee up, the sky let loose and down came the rain, only for a few minutes though. Then, as we looked to our left, there was this gorgeous rainbow. It was the first time I think I've ever seen a rainbow in total completion, from beginning to end and all the way through the middle. Pretty amazing and we just had to stop and take a quick pic. Thought I'd share. Have a fabulous weekend...hugs! Brenda

Band Camp

2009-06-22T10:13:00.002-06:00

We just got back from taking Bailee to band camp in Powell (about 2-1/2 hours from here) and had the best weekend we've had in a long time. We spent most of our time in Cody, which is such a fun little town. Tons to do and see! She was excited, but I think a bit nervous about what the week would entail, so we tried to reassure her that she would have a great time and that she would probably make all kinds of new friends. She was fortunate enough to score a 1 at her regional festival and so she earned a partial scholorship to Yellowstone Summer Music Camp - woo hoo!!! Pretty expensive camp so every little bit helped for sure :)

This page is of her first-ever band concert and for 6th graders who had never played an instrument before this year, they were awesome. I was really impressed! I love these pictures of her b/c I was sitting quite a ways back and set my camera to no-flash, zoomed in on her and snapped away. The lighting for the most part is natural and I was pretty impressed with how the pics turned out. We are SO very proud of Bailee and the beautiful young woman that she has become. She's awesome!!

The strips of patterned paper were cut from 4 different pieces of patterned paper and then pieced next to each other so as to create a bit of a border across the bottom. Then, those wonderful letters are Thickers - love those things!!! There's the appropriate amount of blingage on there and a little chipboard embellishment. So what'dya think?

Hope your week goes well. I'll have some more to share later - hugs!!! Brenda

Sweet

2009-06-15T20:23:00.002-06:00

Happy June 15th - one week to go and it'll be summer already! We're in full swing around here w/ projects, little classes the girls are taking, summer school fun for our son, and enjoying the freedom of not "having" to work on our house anymore. We closed last week and we've never been so glad to have "nothing" to do! Whew...huge sighs of relief. The only thing we absolutely must do is finish the little bit of trim we didn't get done and that has to be done by Friday.

Here's another page I created while on my trip more than a month ago now. It's when Saige was in the Nutcracker Suite musical at school and it was so much fun...and so sweet. I love the color combo and simple layout of this page. The pictures were what I really wanted to showcase and I'm pleased with the outcome. The colors are so NOT winter and it just makes for a candy-ish feel to the page.

Hope your summer is shaping up to be fun. This weekend we are headed to Cody and Powell to drop Bailee at band camp -she's so excited and we think it'll be a great time for her to learn more about clarinet and fine tuning that for 7th grade - yikes!!! 7th grade??? Have a great evening!

Brenda

2009-05-27T14:00:00.002-06:00

Happy Wednesday :) Sorry for the lack of quality on this picture - darn that glare! Anyway, this is a page sharing the joy of our boy getting baptized. It's very simple, I think with some neat elements i.e. stitching across the top and neat chipboard letters and shapes. I really like this layout and was so thrilled to be able to get it scrapped simply.

Hope your week is going well. Winding down to the end of May already - wow! Summer is indeed starting after tomorrow, for the kids will be out of school for a few months. Let the fun begin! Hugs - Brenda

So thankful...

2009-05-22T14:38:00.002-06:00

You know, when I look back at this picture of the back of our then "soon to be house", it really brings to mind how far we've come and how much we have to be thankful for. We are nearing the end of this time-consuming, draining building project and everything has turned out so beautifully. I'll post pictures as soon as things are completed, but in the meantime, I needed to take this moment to say thank you Lord...I am truly thankful.

This page is made from an SU simply scrappin' kit. We had such limited pics from T-giving that I was able to fit them all on 1 page. I love the simplicity of the layout. The shiny letters are some of my new faves - they're called Jellies...too fun! I have 3 other colors of these babies and plan on using them a lot.

Hope you're having a wonderful week. It's already Friday here and that means there are only 3 more days of school before summer is upon us. Wow...this year has flown, which means my babies are growing up way too fast. Have a great weekend! Brenda

Pretty toes!

2009-05-15T17:47:00.002-06:00

Aren't these just gorgeous toes? Every year when I go to the scrapbook weekend in Amarillo, my friend Stacey and I have to go get our toes done. It's such a treat b/c there's no one up here that does it quite like the little salon we go to. The leg massage is the absolute best :) Anyway, just had to share. Speakin' of scrapbooking, here's a sweet page I did about Bailee and her swim team experience this year. She did so awesome and I was so proud of her...just had to create something special for her! Their school colors are black and red, so I did the base page (Bazzill Basics) red and then did some paper tearing w/ a strip of black in the center and "RMS" (Riverton Middle School) in black. The flowers are cut out from the same paper as is across the bottom. Lovin' the look of this page. How's your week been? So glad it's Friday!!! Have a wonderful weekend - hugs! Brenda

Wii'n

2009-05-12T13:45:00.002-06:00

It's Tuesday, middle of May almost! Wow! It would be an absolutely perfect day except for the fact the wind is blowing 90 to nothin' - yuck! I really hate the wind... Here's another layout from my weekend in Texas. Love this one and it's really hard to see the colors. I really need to take a photog class to learn to take better photos. Sorry... Anyway, we surprised the kids with a Wii for Christmas and this is the way we did it. They got a huge kick out of it and we laughed for hours that night watching them play. The little "flowers" on the left hand side were done with different sizes of circle punches and then "roughed up" with either a bone folder or an edge distresser. Other than that, just some creative paper layering and photo layouts. Love the simplicity of this layout. What d'ya think? Hope your week is progressing along nicely. Only a little over 2 weeks left of school here. Can hardly believe the speed with which this year has gone. Enjoy your day! Brenda

Wishes...

2009-05-09T21:34:00.002-06:00

Good Saturday to you! It's been a hectic few weeks here at our home, what with trying to finish up what the contractor didn't (*ugh*) and getting ready for my trip to Texas, which has already been a week ago. Time sure flies.

I had my annual doctor's appointments in Amarillo and they all went well, as far as I know. The physical exams were normal and I'm just waiting to hear if anything was up with my blood work and mammogram. I can now stand up and proudly proclaim that I am nearly 8 years out from my diagnosis and cancer FREE!!! Woo hoo - now that's something to be excited about!

Of course...I can't go for my doctor's appointments w/out working in a little scrapbook time with "the girls". We had our annual scrapbook retreat at the Holiday Inn in Amarillo and it was a blast! I managed to get 22 pages done and I'm tickled pink about that! Here is the very first page I worked on - about our new doggy, Dodge. Thanks to my sweet friend, Stacey, I put together "page packs" - photos, papers, embellies, etc. - everything to put together a 1 or 2 page layout. All of it is placed in a nice large plastic bag and so when you go to put together your scrapbook layout, everything is there that you need. It's an awesome way to scrap and makes for a very productive time. 22 PAGES! That's awesome for 2 days!

Hope all is well in your little part of the world. Hey - HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY to all my sweet girlfriends!! Hugs - Brenda

Blessings

2009-04-14T20:24:00.002-06:00

Well...here it is already the middle of April. What in the world is going on. As George Jetson would say "Jane! Stop this crazy thing!" It's mid-April and we're fixin to get a snow storm the next couple of days. Yuck.

Here is a cute little card I whipped up the other night during one of my free moments. The stamps are Sassafrass Lass and the papers are from my scrap pile. I cut the jagged circle on my Cricut Expression - love that thing, worth every penny. The other embellishments are from my stash. Lovin' how this card turned out. It's so cute!

Hope your week is going well. Everyone in Wyoming had better buckle up and hold on for the ride - it looks like it's gonna be a rough one for the next couple days. Hugs! Brenda

Introducing...

2009-04-11T15:31:00.003-06:00

Dodge! He's our 2-year-old Greyhound that we adopted in Colorado this past weekend. Is he sweet or what? His personality is just as sweet and he loves to give kisses. In fact, if he hasn't seen you for a bit, he'll give you a "smile". In all actuality, it looks as if he's baring his teeth in anger, but he is smiling, and I've heard this is a Greyhound trait. He gets so excited his whole 90-pound body wags right along with his tail. He's a love bug. He is a retired racer and as you may or may not know, these dogs are basically retired and that is that...they are left with greyhound adoption agencies in hopes they'll find a loving home. It's heartbreaking to leave all the others behind, but one is good for now. I think we're Greyhound spoiled now for the rest of our lives.

Hey - hope you have a wonderful Easter. Hallelujah - He has risen!! Blessings - Brenda

Can you believe...?

2009-04-02T14:36:00.003-06:00

...it's April already? Where is time going? Personally, I'm ready for it to slow down a bit. Before we know it, we'll be in the throes of summer and I'll still be scratching my head and wondering where the time has gone. Easter is a week from this Sunday and I decided I'd better get busy and get some cards made! I had a few minutes today and cranked this one out. I thought it turned out pretty ok. I've been going through some of my papers and decided how fun would it be to use some of the scraps I had? So...the front of this card is actually some scrap paper from a kit I got last year some time. The stamps are CTMH "Bird Basics". The circle is a smooth coated chipboard that I've had for ages and the swirly on it is a rub-on from CTMH. There are little baubles on there, sort of a bluish color, to top it all off. Tell me what you think...leave me some love. Have a wonderful Thursday - hugs! Brenda

It's a winter wonderland...

2009-03-30T08:12:00.003-06:00

Ai yi yi...for the last few days we've had snow melting from a significant front that blew thru the end of last week. Last night we were coming home from church and another front blew in and rather quickly I might add. By the time we got home, the snow was blowing sideways and within a half hour, it was already accumulating on the ground. Geesh - it's spring for heavens sake! I'm ready for this white stuff to go away (even though I appreciate the moisture). I'd settle for rain that's for sure.

However, because the weather was crummy, I was able to get a page done for my scrappy chick challenge. It's a pic of one wonderful friend of mine who has always been such a "treasure" to me...from the very first day we met, we hit it off and it's been a whirlwind of ups and downs since then. She's the best, absolutely the best friend I could have ever asked for. Thanks Stacey for being there for me through everything. You are such an inspiration and blessing to me :)

The patterned papers I used on this layout are from Pink Paislee and Bazill. The circle was cut on my Cricut Expression and it's CTMH paper. The stamps are CTMH. I used a white craft pad for the ink. Everything else is just from my stash. I'm lovin' how this layout turned out. I'm struggling a bit with so much "white" space, but really think the end product is lookin' good!

Hope your week is starting off well. Hubby and I are off today and heading out to Lander (about 25 miles from here) to see the Canyon and maybe do some snowshoeing, depending on the wind and conditions. Blessing and hugs! Brenda

FINALLY!

2009-03-12T15:09:00.003-06:00

...I'm back! Whew - talk about a whirlwind! My life has definitely been consumed with all things "house". Getting the paint on the walls, getting the carpet in, worrying about snow melting and leaking through in spots (note: the roof has yet to be finished), etc., etc. Nothing fun I assure you. Needless to say, I've had no time to scrap or make cards and this has really made me cranky. I NEED that time for me!!! Hopefully now as things are winding down, I'll have more time to be creative and therefore, relax and enjoy life.

This is a card that I made using Inkadinkado stamps - aren't they so funny? I just love their expressions. I think the set is called "Amy Smyth Made It". There are also owls and other types of shore birds w/ some fun little greetings as well. The cardstock is all SU. The birds were colored using watercoloring technique with markers. I'm lovin' the finished outcome.

OK...well that's it for now. I think I'll take some time to make something else! Woo hoo! I'm on a roll. Enjoy the rest of your week! Hugs - Brenda

Happy Valentines!

2009-02-13T13:38:00.003-07:00

Happy Friday and Happy Valentine's Day!! Yes, I know tomorrow is V-day, but just wanted to throw out my wish to you early :) We have no special plans, but I know it'll be a fun day nonetheless. We've gotten some really cute little stuffed animals for the kids and little boxes of candies so they'll be thrilled with those. For my loving husband - DARK CHOCOLATE!!! Both of our favorites so I can always help him with those if he's having problems getting them all eaten - ha! How bout you? Any special plans? Leave me a comment and let me know what's going on for your "heart" day.

Here's a little project I made for my special friend, not only for V-day, but also for their anniversary, which is tomorrow as well. It's something I spotted on Splitcoast and was oh-so-easy to create and really fun too. It is really tiny and hard to see exactly how small except for the Ghiradelli chocolates tucked inside.

Hope you enjoy and have a wonderful day today and tomorrow! Hugs - Brenda

Short...and sweet

2009-02-11T20:57:00.002-07:00

I'm going to make this post very short and sweet indeed. I've been working full-time and putting every bit of myself into this house project we're in the middle of, so I'm exhausted. I did want to share with you this page I created of my "sweet" husband and I - I'm loving it and the colors are so yummy aren't they? I created this for our Scrappy Chick challenge that I have going on with my buds from Texas (hey girls!). Hope you like. Have a wonderful evening and I'll try to post more soon. Hugs - Brenda

Snow Day

2009-01-31T20:48:00.003-07:00

No...we didn't have a snow day today, and we really haven't had too many this winter. I just keep thinking one of these days we're going to get pounded! But...until then, we'll just continue to enjoy this "balmy" winter weather we're having :) Today it was sunny, but then sometime after 2:00 or so, the wind picked up and then it was a little blustery. It's supposed to be even warmer tomorrow. Weird.

Anyway, had fun creating this page. It was for a challenge I have with my scrappy chicks (hey girls!) and our challenge this month was to create a page with blue. Cool! I knew I wanted to do something with all the snow pictures I have, just wasn't sure 'til I got in there and got my hands dirty, so to speak. The papers are all CTMH. Letters are fuzzy Thickers, stamp is one I got from Backporch Memories and the ribbon and buttons are from my stash. Oh yeah - the really cool snowflakes are felt and they're from SU. Lovin those!

Well, here we are on the weekend again. Wow! Tomorrow is already February. Pretty soon we'll be seeing red and pink. Until then, take care and I'll "see" ya soon! Brenda

In honor of love...

2009-01-29T14:37:00.002-07:00

My day started off so strangely! As you may or may not be aware, I am a medical transcriptionist. I start my day really early and end before my kids get home so I can find some time to be creative. Well, my day started out with one strange dictator after another, until I was so frustrated! I hate it when I can't make heads or tails of what they're saying and frankly, don't you think they'd want to speak CLEARLY so their reports would be correct? I would think so... Anyway, the kids wouldn't get up and once they did get up, they moved like turtles. I'm surprised they made it to school on time! Geesh... Then it was one thing after another here at the house with our building project. Craziness! I felt like I was in the twilight zone. Thankfully, the sun is out and I'm about to get creative with some scrappin' or something, otherwise I might just indulge myself and go back to bed! This card is one I've actually had in my "archives" - just forgot to share it with you. It's fairly simple and straightforward. The "U" is chipboard that has been colored with stamping ink and then coated with lots of glitter - it's so shiny! The red piece of c/s is embossed with my Cuttlebug and the other little embellishments are acrylic stick-ons. Lovin' the simplicity of it. Hope your day is going good and if not, hopefully it gets better soon. Blessings! Brenda

Smitten

2009-01-28T15:08:00.002-07:00

Happy Wednesday! The sun is shining here in my little corner of the world, but it sure is windy - brrrr!!!! I spent time fixing my hair today and making sure it was all in place and then stepped outside. OK...why did I bother I ask myself? Hmmm... At least it's warmer than yesterday. The kids got up to -21 degrees yesterday morning.

This page is one I made using some Love Elsie elements (buttons across the bottom, printed paper). I'm lovin' it! It was a blast to make. I love to work with things I've already got on hand and these are papers and embellies I've had for over a year now, just sitting in my stash waiting to be used.

I need to get on the ball and get some V-day things worked up. I'll have some more fun things to show you later this week. Take care and have a wonderful, blessed day! B

Stamp Club Projects

2009-01-23T14:21:00.002-07:00

Happy Friday! I hope you had a great week. Mine of course was harried and crazy, what with all the house building activities, so I have to say I'm glad it's Friday; another week down and closer to having our "home" completed! I started a stamping club at my house and last night was our first meeting. I decided it would be fun to create 2 pages each time we meet, so that by the end of our year-long commitment, we will have created a year's worth of pictures, thus completing a mini album. Good idea? I think it is and my friends all had a great time creating and just visiting with each other. Love having my friends over to do the thing we all love - scrappin! So, all the supplies are CTMH. I do have to apologize for the quality of the pictures - it's a dreary, cloudy day today and a little dark in my office. Let me know what you think. Hey - have a great weekend and I'll talk at ya soon! Brenda

Happy Anniversary

2009-01-15T16:08:00.002-07:00

Hi! How is your week going? Well, as usual, the week has passed by in a whizz, but not without lots of things going on pulling me in all kinds of directions, today included. We are continuing on with our building project and it's getting close...very close to being done. However, I was in charge of bringing home breaker boxes and of COURSE I brought home the wrong ones - an electrical engineer I am not! Anyway, after 2 trips, I was only 50% successful, still bringing home some wrong ones. *sigh* I told the builder "It's your turn, you need to go get them otherwise I may continue on doing the same thing". Geesh - talk about feeling incompetent!

On a brighter note - lovin' this card! It was so much fun to make. Very easy, yet some really neat techniques. All products are CTMH except for the chipboard and baubles, which are from my personal stash. So what do you think...likey? Leave me some love!

Well...off I go to get some other things done. Have a great Thursday! Brenda

Missing You

2009-01-09T20:50:00.002-07:00

Wow - Friday already! Can you believe we've whizzed through another week? It's already the second week of January and there's no end in sight for the whirlwind. The first week back in school was pretty uneventful, but it did afford me some time to get a couple cards made. This little beauty is created using an example from the CTMH "Originals" book. There are some beautiful creations in that book - you should check it out. If you don't know how to get your hands on it, just drop me a comment and I can hook you up :) Anyway, the card I patterned this after was stitched around the edges, and since my little sewing machine isn't working right, I scored around the edges. One of the things I love most about CTMH papers is the fact they have a white core, so after I made my score lines, I sanded with a bit of sandpaper and voila - the white outline. The rest is pretty straightforward - layered papers and ribbon with a tiny paper flower in the center, along with red brads. I love it. Simple, yet still so many fun elements. Hope you enjoy your weekend - I'll be trying to get creative some more and maybe even get another post on here before the weekend is up. See you soon - Bren

You're A Star!

2009-01-07T15:14:00.004-07:00

Here's a sweet little card I made for my bro-in-law whose birthday is today - happy birthday Danny! Isn't it the cutest card I've made this year? Ha - got ya on that one! It IS the first card I've made this year :) Anyway, it's made entirely with CTMH papers. The faux stitching around the edges, "you're a star" and the star itself are all CTMH stamps. I had a blast with this one - it really is very simple, yet the layering makes it look so much more complex than it really is. I hope he appreciates the work I went to to create this one :)

The weather here is awesome - once the wind finally stopped blowing that is. The sun is shining and there is only a mild breeze out there now. It's great - hard to believe it's January and winter at that! I still keep wondering if there's any sizeable amount of snow that's going to fall on us soon - my hubby seems to think so.

Well - happy hump day! Have a wonderful evening. I'll be posting more over the next few days. Thanks for stopping by :) Brenda

Legendary

2009-01-06T15:17:00.003-07:00

Happy new year all my friends!!! I'm sorry for the great delay in getting something on here, but honestly this is the first I've been able to be creative for about a month. It's been one hectic month and truthfully, I'm glad December is over and we're on to a new month and new year. I believe we have many wonderful things in store for us in 2009 so here's to all the best for all of you :) I found these pictures on my hubby's desk, buried under some other junk and decided hey - if I don't scrap these pics they'll get damaged or lost somewhere. So honey - here's to you and your love for the outdoors and all things "legendary". You're the best and thanks so much for providing for our family and taking care of us so very well!

The papers are basically some I've had in my collection - Bazzill mostly (except for the plaid). The letters are rub-ons and the stitches are stamped with CTMH stamps. Pretty easy and straightforward, but accomplished what I was trying to get across. BTW, the layout is from the Pagemaps book by Becky Fleck - a most wonderful book!!

Thanks for stopping by - I'm off to get going on my next project. Hugs! Brenda

With Much Love

2008-12-12T15:32:00.003-07:00

EDIT: I got this calendar at our Ben Franklin's here in town. Not even sure who made it as I gave it away, and I can't check if there's a name brand. Sorry... :) I thought this was the cutest little calendar I had seen in a long time. On the left side, there are about 14 or 15 blank pages and on the right, there are enough calendar pages to fill up the year, plus a few extra in case of mess ups I guess :) You can flip through the left side until you come up with the desired picture, meaning it can be changed several times each month, depending on what mood you're in. Each page of the calender I stamped with the name of the month (letter stamps from CTMH) and then decorated each page with some sort of coordinating stamped design, coloring them with markers. This is a gift for my hubby's parents, so they'll be able to enjoy the pics of our family throughout 2009! Pretty cool huh? I feel good having gotten 2 pretty big projects done for gifts, considering all the mess that's going on with remodeling and being "displaced" somewhat with our home project. Have a wonderful weekend - I'm off to get started on my next scrappy project :) Brenda

I've been busy...

2008-12-09T15:06:00.005-07:00

Here's a mini album that I made for my Bro-in-law and his new bride. It's a little overview of some of the activities that we participated in in 2008. I'm lovin' how it turned out and actually there are a couple more pages attached on the end of this, just couldn't get them all into this post :) The papers are all Crate Paper and assorted goodies that came in my November kit of the month from http://www.backporchmemories.com/. Lovin' how it turned out and it was oh-so-simple except trying to figure out what to do with the spine - I ended up painting it with acrylics and letting it go at that. I'm sure they'll love this gift, as it's what they always plead for - pictures! And...they love it when I make little scrapbooks each year. It truly makes me happy to know I can give them something they REALLY want!

I hope this finds you not too stressed out and that you're able to find a little time for peace and reflection on the true meaning of this season. Blessings to you and I hope to post a few more goodies I'm working on over the next few days! Brenda

Happy Monday!

2008-11-24T13:42:00.001-07:00

Hey - are you ready for Thanksgiving? I just got back from the grocery store and I think everyone else had the same idea as me - let's go on Monday b/c there won't be anyone there today since it's early enough in the week - WRONG!!! I managed to get out and home w/out a scrape, though, so all is good and I'm ready to begin preparation for Thursday.

I'm so thankful for all God has blessed us with this past year. We are in our own home, we have the $$ to do our addition and my family is healthy and whole. What are you thankful for? We all have so much to be appreciative of, don't we?

Lovin this card - it's so simple, yet one that has a lot of personality. The stamp set is CTMH and the papers are Daisy D's. Pretty self explanatory...

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving and bless you! Thanks for visiting! Brenda

Give Thanks

2008-11-20T15:58:00.003-07:00

I am lovin' this card!! I'm also lovin' the fact we don't have our 2 paper routes anymore and I'm able to actually have some "me" time before the troops hit the door. Woo hoo!

OK...back to the card I just made. I had an aha moment today when I realized Thanksgiving is next week and I've been remiss in making any cards for my family and friends. So, today I whipped this beauty up. It's made with CTMH textured, as well as smooth cardstock and I have to say one of the things I love about their cardstock is the fact it has a white core and can be sanded and made to look aged. I stamped the green images on some patterned cardstock. The flowers are diecuts that have been sanded as well to look aged. Also, not sure if you can tell, but the littlest flower on the bottom (in the middle of the cut out flower) is coated with Liquid Glass and has a little Bella Bauble in the middle. "Give" and "Thanks" are stamped on plain 'ol chipboard.

What d'ya think? Leave me a comment and let me know you've visited - c'mon, you can do it! Have a wonderful day and I'll talk at ya soon! B

WOW!

2008-11-19T18:17:00.002-07:00

OK...I know this is my second post of the day, but I couldn't let this go without showing you how beautiful our sunset was this evening. Nothing like those Wyoming sunsets! Have a beautiful evening! B

Hey! What's up?

2008-11-19T14:02:00.003-07:00

I have come back from the dead, or at least it feels that way! I have had some sort of yucky bug and it had me down hard for a day or so...I'm way glad that's over. Do ya' feel like you're a new person once you're back on your feet? I sure do. It's great to be alive!

Here's the latest page I did using all CTMH papers (did I tell you I've become a CTMH consultant) and I'm just lovin' their papers and accessories! "Fall" was stamped singly and cut out and I love the effect I got on my homemade tag. A very simple page, but an idea I got from one of Becky Higgins' sketches. She's so good at simple, yet effective layouts!

I hope this week is going well for you. We are busily working away on our house addition and have the decking down, walls ready to go up. The weather has been holding w/out snow or rain; God has answered my husband's prayers to keep the snow at bay, although tonight there's a chance. We'll cross our fingers it passes over!

Have a wonderful Wednesday! Hugs - Brenda

You & Me

2008-11-15T18:40:00.002-07:00

Happy Saturday! The weather here has been so pretty today - lovin' this time of year before the snow actually hits and everything is blanketed in white. Yesterday, it was downright chilly, but the sun was shining, so that makes it all okay in my book. There aren't any leaves left on the trees - well most are naked - and we've seen so many deer prancing around our house, so makes me think winter isn't too far off.

This page is made entirely with CTMH papers. Lovin' their papers and how well they sand and show the white core underneath. I had some brads and other little assorted chipboard embellies that I added to my page and the circle lists some of the attributes I love about my honey. I love the way this page turned out, don't you?

Have a wonderful weekend. I'm busily working away on some projects that I hope to be able to publish here soon. See ya - Brenda

Did you...?

2008-11-04T20:04:00.003-07:00

VOTE? Today was the day, the day we've been working up to (dreading?) for awhile now. We braved the cold wind and crowds to head out about 5:00 p.m. or so. Not sure where we stand as of this hour (it's 8:05 MST)...but our prayers go out that we will elect a president that not only leads our country with wisdom, but on his knees in prayer. OK... nuff said on that matter. I have a very cute card to share with you that I whipped up with CTMH papers and stamps. It's from the "Originals" book by CTMH. There is a really cool feature in the back of the book - a CD that contains templates you can print out and use in your cardmaking. It's pretty cool and a wonderful addition to an already wonderful book! This card is very simple, yet I think turned out so cute. It measures 3 x 4-3/4, so perfect to tuck in with a gift or as a sweet encouragement for a friend.

Thanks for visiting and looking - have a wonderful Tuesday and stay warm! B

Did you know...?

2008-10-30T17:20:00.004-06:00

October is pastor appreciation month? We had a dinner last night at our local steak house and celebrated all the wonderful pastors on staff at our church. I got busy and made some cards to give to each couple and am lovin' the way they turned out. Hopefully our pastors will agree! I got the ideas for these cards from the CTMH book "Originals" - an awesome book with tons of really neat card ideas! The flowers are chipboard that I painted. The metal circle on the "thinking of you..." card is one of the circles you would use to make your own circle tag from Making Memories. Hey - it's almost Friday!!! Woot, Woot!! Have a wonderful evening! Brenda

Whooo?

2008-10-27T12:35:00.004-06:00

Here's another little "halloween" card. Underneath the owl it says "whoooo loves you". Cute, huh? The papers are from We R Memory Keepers. I love the orange c/s because it has a shininess to it that the picture picks up a little bit. The owl, branch and saying are from CTMH. The moon is made from an acrylic stamp turned over and stamped using the wrong side. The little bracket and brads are also from CTMH. Lovin' this card - almost too cute to send off, but I guess I can't keep them all :) Have a wonderful Monday and be blessed! Bren

An Altered Project

2008-10-23T14:40:00.002-06:00

It is such a beautiful day today! The sun is shining and it's cool, like a fall day should be. I just got back from walking along our canal road and it was gorgeous! The smell this time of year is so wonderful - clean, smells a little like wet leaves and fallish - hard to explain, but so much nicer than hot, dusty, dry air! The grasshoppers seem to have died off a bit as well, so much more pleasant than them jumping all over my legs when I'm trying to walk or run.

Isn't this the cutest clothes pin? I did this for a Mosy Scrapper challenge and love the way it turned out. It's about 12" tall. I started out by painting with brown acrylic paint and distressing it a bit with black to make it look aged. Then I covered the front with October Afternoon papers and some other assorted accessories. I've got it sitting on my bookcase with a picture of our family from last fall. I love it - it makes me happy!

Hope your day is enjoyable and that fall is beautiful in your part of the world! Hugs - Brenda

Boo!

2008-10-21T18:45:00.003-06:00

Hi! How's your week? It snowed today - yup, snow. Of course it was too warm for it to stick to the ground, but it sure came down pretty steady for awhile. Tomorrow it's supposed to be sunny and 48 degrees...pretty soon though the snow will come and stick around instead of melting off. I'd really like for it to hold off for a few more weeks, otherwise the winters seem so LONG... I decided since halloween is almost here, it was time to buckle down and get some cards made. This is one I created today with We R Memory Keepers paper. I cut the off-kilter square with my Cricut and inked the edges. The green cardstock is also inked in black. The ribbon is a really pretty orange crushed velvet and much prettier IRL. The tree is stamped in black and then black glitter is layered on top. The crow is also coated in fine black glitter. Hopefully you can catch that detail... "boo" was created with CTMH stamps. OK...along the same vein, we're off to search our 2 resources here in town for costumes - K Mart and Wal Mart - joy. Hope you have a great evening! Brenda

Is it already Friday?

2008-10-07T15:25:00.003-06:00

Wow - how time flies! We just got back Wednesday evening from Texas. Seems like a whirlwind trip (and it was!). My husband and I both had to take yesterday off to regroup and refresh ourselves after 14-1/2 hours on the road. We had a great time with family and friends! My husband's brother got married to a wonderful lady and their wedding was beautiful! My bro-in-law wore a kilt (yes a kilt!) and all the proper Scottish attire and I have to say he looked rather dapper all decked out. The guys wore varying shades of jewel tones in their vests and ties and the ladies wore black. Our girls wore gorgeous dresses of burgandy as they were the flower girls and my son wore a tux resplendant with hunter green vest and tie. They were all gorgeous!!

When we got to Texas, it was 89 degrees, sunny and beautiful. I started to worry b/c I hadn't packed any summery type clothes, but then the day of the wedding and thereon out, it rained and was miserably chilly. Yuck! Anyway, no worries about clothes (except maybe nothing warm enough!).

In honor of Dan and Nan, here's the card I created for them. Isn't it lovely? I think it's one of the best I've ever done and I just love it. The butterflies and flowers are all stickers and the rest was very simple, yet elegant. I cut the "flower-shaped" piece of paper, as well as the round piece of white on my Cricut Expression (love that thing!).

Hope your weekend goes well. The snow is melting around here (yes - snow! It snowed 8 inches while we were gone!) and the sun is shining. Maybe now we can have some more fall?? Take care - see you soon! Brenda

It's Pink Ribbon Month!

2008-10-03T20:10:00.002-06:00

October - the month I love, not only because the trees are so beautiful and fall is at its best, but also the month that is set aside as breast cancer awareness month. This is the month set aside to remind us to do our self-breast exams and be aware of the very real disease called breast cancer. Seven years and a few months ago, I found a rather large lump in my breast while I was breastfeeding my son. I had it checked out and after a biopsy, was found to have breast cancer. The lump in my breast was nearly 5 cm - the size of a ping pong ball and a half. I underwent one round of chemotherapy, then mastectomy with reconstructive surgery. Afterwards, due to the size of the tumor, I went through another round of chemo and then radiation therapy. All-in-all, it was an ordeal that lasted for over a year. I still go for my yearly exams with my oncologist and gynecologist, as well as having my annual mammogram. If you haven't had yours yet and you need to, I urge you to please do so. I do admit I'm not the best at doing my exams, but I have a method where I have picked a day each month to do my exam and then I put a little pink ribbon on that day to remind myself to do it. It's not the most fun thing to do and yes, it's time consuming, but it's worth it to protect our lives from this dread disease. I hope that with breast cancer in the news and on everyone's mind this month, that you will take the time to do your self breast exams each month. Just pick a day and do it. And, don't fall into the trap of thinking just because there's no breast cancer in your family, you are free and clear... there's no breast cancer in my family either. It was a total fluke. Here's to good breast healthcare and good healthcare overall. Take care of yourself and remember people are depending on you to be around. Have a wonderful weekend and I'll be checking back in soon. Hugs - Brenda

A Fair Day

2008-10-02T14:09:00.002-06:00

Hey! Sorry for my absence - fell off the face of the earth :) Not really - just been busy around here trying to get an addition put on our house or at least getting the wheels in motion. Not much time to scrap or do anything "fun", but did create this page for a designer call over at Little Red Scrapbook. I love the way it turned out and the colors are so vibrant. The PP is by October Afternoon and I absolutely adore the colors and patterns. The solid of course is Bazzill Basics. Hope this finds you having a better than "fair" day. Enjoy and I'll see you soon! Brenda

Hi!

2008-09-25T17:10:00.002-06:00

Hello! Happy Thursday! It is an absolutely beautiful day here...the sun is shining and the temperature almost 90 degrees. WOW! It looks a lot like fall, but it sure doesn't feel like it. That's OK - I can hang with the warmer temps for a while longer. Last night I created this little card with some beautiful papers I had forgotten all about. After organizing my scrappin/stampin area, I found lots of things I forgot I had (oops!). It makes me smile b/c I just adore owls and there's a little owl that's peaking out along the bottom - see him? I just love the colors and the way everything is arranged. Once again, got my inspiration from www.pagemaps.com. I've got this one slated for my mom - just to brighten her day. I'll talk at ya soon - tomorrow's Friday YIPPEE!! Hugs - Brenda

Mr. Cluckers

2008-09-22T20:43:00.003-06:00

This is our new rooster, Mr. Cluckers. Isn't this picture too funny? My DH and son were outside working and I had to go rescue the chicken from the lilac bushes b/c he loves to roost there if we don't pen him up for the night. He was hand raised by this lady my husband works with, so he's very tame and loves to be held. I know it sounds weird, but he really is cute! He makes the cutest little clucking noises when you hold him. The only thing that is a little bit annoying is the crowing at 6:15 most mornings. Just thought I'd share the newest addition to our family. Have a great evening! Brenda

Elegant

2008-09-20T18:48:00.004-06:00

Hi! Happy Saturday! Hope your weekend has been restful or at least enjoyable. I've come down with a cold, so am feeling a bit under the weather. It's been so long since I've had a cold, though, so will suck it up and go on with life. Just glad it's not the flu... On to more positive things!

This layout is of our middle daughter and I'm just lovin' how it turned out. I'm not a huge "white" space scrapper, so I had to step out of my box to do this page, but it was a challenge I worked on last weekend. The white c/s is SU and the patterned paper is CTMH. I love how the papers go with what she has on. I've been wanting to scrap this pic, but didn't know what papers to use before I found these. Love the final outcome.

I'm off to watch a movie with my kids...American Mall. It's supposed to be awesome. Hmmm... we'll see. Have a great evening! Brenda

2008-09-18T14:40:00.003-06:00

It's almost Friday - woo hoo!!! Has this week flown or what? I haven't been able to do much creating, but hey I still have some projects to share from this last weekend. Here's a simple little card I created using stamps from http://www.backporchmemories.com/. The butterfly is coated with clear glitter, even though it's hard to see, and is much prettier IRL. All of the papers I used were from my scrap pile, which always makes me feel good to use. Other than that, "thanks" is a rub-on and the rest is very simply layered. Gets the point across well I think!

Have you ever done the Turbo Jam workouts? They're available on http://www.beachbody.com/ and they're killer, but at the same time a blast to do. I ordered them on a whim from an infomercial 2 or 3 years ago and managed to lose quite a bit and tone up. Then with moving to WY and life getting in the way, a few pounds crept on, so we decided to try the workouts/diet again. Through workout and cutting back on all the food I'd been eating, I've managed to get lower in my weight than I've been in probably 12 years. It's such a great feeling to be getting in shape again - my clothes are finally starting to fit right again :)

Well - hope your day is smooth sailing. Keep your chin up - Friday is just around the corner. Hugs! Brenda

Santa...

2008-09-17T15:11:00.002-06:00

Happy Wednesday!!! Here's another page I did this past weekend and was so happy with the way it turned out! I just loved this picture and wanted to showcase it, so found this lovely layout on www.pagemaps.com - if you haven't been there, you must go. Anyway, loved the simplicity of it and again used my Cricut Expression to cut the wacky circular shape that's not quite symmetrical. Everything else was just little doodads I had in my collection. Hope you're enjoying your day - I know ours is just breathtaking! All the leaves are changing, but it's still very warm and enjoyable outside. Love fall! Have a great Wednesday and I'll post more soon!

It's almost fall!

2008-09-16T15:06:00.002-06:00

Can you believe it? One week from yesterday it'll be fall. Is it looking like it where you are? The leaves around here are beginning to turn those beautiful colors that I love - this truly is my favorite time of year, even though I'm fighting the fact it's on its way. I guess our summer just wasn't long enough.

I participated in an on-line crop this weekend at www.mosyscrapper.blogspot.com. It was a blast and I got quite a few projects completed. The tag above is my daughter when she was 2-1/2 (she's 11-1/2 now!), so I've had this pic for awhile. Isn't she just adorable? I had the most fun making this little tag. I used my Cricut Expression to make the tag and then just embellished with glitter and buttons, oh yeah - some fibers too! Been too long since I've pulled those out. Anyhow - I'm pleased with the way it turned out and will be so cute on a fall/ halloween page.

Hey - hope your week is going well. We have started digging in our back yard to put on our addition - FINALLY!!! It's very exciting (and messy) around here. Have a wonderful Tuesday. Be back soon with more of the projects I did over the weekend. B

A simple greeting...

2008-09-06T17:41:00.000-06:00

Happy Saturday...and happy September! Don't know about you, but it's been feeling A LOT like fall around here. I have to admit I'm not quite ready for that yet - I'm still in the "summer mode". Each morning I get up there's condensation on the windshield of our truck and the temps are chilly. I've even been having to throw on a sweatshirt for those early morning hours before it gets a little warmer. Well, not much time to chat, but wanted to share with you a very simple card I whipped up for a guy my husband works with. We've been invited to his birthday celebration. You know, not knowing the guy that well, I didn't want to spend a huge amount of time on a complicated card, so whipped this one up (you never know who really "appreciates" a handmade card). Very simple, but elegant. Hope your weekend is fun - I've been creating some scrapbook pages and hopefully will get those posted here soon. Take care and hugs!! Brenda

Our Bounty

2008-08-28T13:42:00.004-06:00

I love this time of year when we can begin harvesting all the vegetables we've been nurturing and babying over the last couple of months. This is just a small sampling of the goods we'll be hauling in over the next couple of weeks as the temps begin to cool and the days get even shorter. We have corn, green beans, squash (yellow and zucchini), and peppers. We've already exhausted our lettuce - boy was that good! So lovely and so much more tasty than what you buy in the stores. Just wanted to share with you... :)

This first week of school has flown so far. Is this an indication of what the rest of the year will be like. Crazy, isn't it?

Hope this finds your week going smoothly. I'm glad it's almost Friday b/c I have a 3-day weekend ahead (maybe some time for scrappin?) Enjoy and see ya soon! Brenda

Laugh Out Loud

2008-08-26T15:31:00.002-06:00

So...are all the kids back in school? Ours started yesterday and they're lovin' it. They're all at different schools, but mainly on the same side of town, so when we do have to drop off/pick up, they're pretty close together. Our eldest is in middle school now (6th grade) and my husband and I were saying how much like high school it is. The school is very nice and each grade (6th, 7th, and 8th) have their own hall and gathering area, so there's not too much interaction between the older and younger kids. She's got 7 periods, so they're keeping her very busy and she seems to really enjoy her teachers so far. Check back with me in a month or two...

Fall seems to be right around the corner here, with cooler temps in the mornings and cooler overnights. Sigh...I'm not quite ready for that, as our spring/summer was slow in getting here. The flowers and plants we put in are beginning to look like summer is winding down, so I guess it's time to prepare for the colder months ahead.

On a different note, what d'ya think about this card. The only thing that's stamped is the greeting - the rest is paper cutting just done freehand with some scraps left over from previous scrappin' projects. I then took a pen and outlined around the whole thing. I got the idea from Paper Crafts magazine and changed it up a bit to suit my taste. I think it turned out really cute.

Hope your week is going smoothly and if you have kids, they are settling into a routine again. Have a wonderful Tuesday - see ya soon! Brenda

Hi Friend!

2008-08-19T15:07:00.002-06:00

Did ya hear that? It's the sounds of ecstatic yippees as the end of summer vacation comes to an end! Not trying to be cruel - I DO love my kids - it's just the lack of activity and boredom, constantly hanging around mom and dad, looking to us to entertain them that's driving me nuts. I'm ready for them to be on a schedule again and back into a routine. OK... now that I've said that, I'm so glad you stopped by :) Here's my latest and greatest creation - it's all Cosmo Cricket and I'M LOVIN IT!!! Aren't these papers just darling? I used my Daisy D's rolling dispenser that applies a faux stitching b/c my sewing machine doesn't really want to work right, so I was pleased with the outcome. Lovin' these papers!! Hope your week is going well - enjoy your day and hopefully you have time to create something fun. Hugs - Brenda

It's love...

2008-08-12T18:42:00.002-06:00

Hey - how are ya? It's Tuesday evening and I thought...I really need to get some scrappin' done really soon!! It's been entirely too long since I've put picture to paper, but I sure have been a card makin' fool, haven't I? Here is one I made for some friends who just got married. They had a lot of red and black in their wedding and so I thought I'd carry that theme through with this simple, yet pretty-as-can-be card. Love the buttons and ribbon across the top to dress it up a bit and their names are stamped with a CTMH alphabet. I put the letters side by side on my desk, then placed my clear block on top of them and came up with a pretty straight line. Then I had a cute little heart that is from Studio G and plopped that right next to their names. Simple yet personalized and made with love! Thanks for looking - hope your week is shaping up to be a good one! Bren

The dog days of summer?

2008-08-08T15:47:00.002-06:00

So, we've come down to this. The kids are truly bored and doing whatever they can to keep themselves busy, at the expense of the poor dog! On the other hand - she really is quite funny looking, isn't she? I nicknamed her Hannah Dogtana or she could be Snowpay (like Sharpay from High School Musical) - which one do you like best? Well - just thought I'd post a funny for today. Enjoy your Friday!

Blue is the color of the day!

2008-08-06T18:52:00.004-06:00

Hey, hey, hey -- lookie what I got this past week at the fair! Woo hoo! I was so very excited and flattered all at the same time! There were some talented ladies who entered cards and pages and these 2 happened to win over all of them! WOW!! I also took second on another of my cards and even entered a scrapbook page, which got a "participant" ribbon - whatever that means :) Anyway, wanted to share with you the winning cards. I love the tall card to the left which is made with Love Elsie papers and was very simple to say the least. The other is an idea I got from www.pagemaps.com and it was actually a card map idea. Love it! Well...I guess I'm done bragging for now. Hope your week is going well. Can't believe it's already Wednesday and we're heading toward the weekend again! Enjoy and hugs! Bren

As promised...

2008-07-31T16:53:00.002-06:00

Happy Thursday! As promised yesterday, here's another little card I created the other night. It's very simple and sweet - love the embellies I put on this card :) I challenged myself to use some of my favorite scraps and this is what I came up with. I'm pretty happy with the way it turned out, plus it will be a wonderful all-around type of card to put in my card file for later use. So glad it's Thursday, but can't believe the way this week has flown by. Man...I remember as a kid how time used to drag, but the older I get the faster it goes. It's like being on a merry-go-round! We're taking the kids to Billings (Montana) this weekend to do our yearly school shopping and pick up their school supplies while we're there. We have a few surprises tucked up our sleeves for them, so it should be fun and a time to re-connect and chill as a family. Can't wait - I need a little break from home. Hopefully I'll get some good scrapbookin' shots cuz' I sure need to make some pages - I can just feel it! Hey - talk with ya soon. Have a great evening and stay cool. Hugs - Brenda

Happy Birthday!

2008-07-30T16:27:00.002-06:00

OK...so my bro's birthday was this last Saturday and I made him this card. What d'ya think? It really is prettier IRL than it is here, but I love the papers together. I stamped the happy birthday and put some Bella's Baubles underneath - love those things. They're rather addictive. Below that tag is another round tag that's inked around the edges. Very simple, but effective nonetheless for a guy. I just hope he appreciates the effort I put into it :) It is SO hot here! We have consistently been in the upper 90s for most of July and everything is beginning to get crispy @ here. I think I could be ready for rain and I never thought I'd say that after the spring that we had. I thought we were going to have to build an ark! Well...hope you're able to find some relief where you are. I've got another cute card to show and will try to get on here tomorrow to post that. Have a most wonderful Wednesday - it's hump day!!! Hugs - Brenda

Friends Forever!

2008-07-26T17:28:00.002-06:00

Happy Saturday! Hope this finds your weekend going great - lots of relaxing and maybe even some creating. We started the day off with a parade down Main Street - it was a blast! It was almost 1-1/2 hours long and there was everything from fire trucks to tractors to covered wagons, stage coaches, dancing girls (little ones!), and even Indians all decked out in their war paint complete with painted horses! We all had a great time and the kids came home with tons of candy that was being thrown in every direction. It was already warming up at 10:00 a.m. and there were a couple of floats where they were shooting and throwing water, much to the kids' delight! After that, I came home and got busy in my scrap room - yaa hoo!!!! I was able to make 3 cards and even work on one I didn't care too much for to re-make it. I got the idea for the card above from www.pagemaps.com and it was so simple, I thought it really could be cute using some of my scraps. So...this is made from paper I've had for a couple of years and absolutely love. Isn't it just the cutest? I really feel so much better when I'm able to create and I know my family doesn't understand that, but when mommy's in a good mood after having made a card or s-book page, all is well on the home front, agree?? Hey - have a wonderful weekend! See you soon. Hugs - Brenda

Welcome little one!

2008-07-23T13:46:00.002-06:00

Hey - happy hump day! The weather continues to be hot and dry here - not a sign of rain anywhere. Well, actually we did have a few sprinkles, not enough to amount to anything tho. With almost an acre of land, you can imagine the amount of water we need to water the grass!

This is a cute little card I made to go along with some pink goodies to a guy that my hubby works with. He and his wife had a sweet little girl and I thought this card was fitting for her. I stamped the flower first in light pink, then went over it with the "outline" stamp in a matching green and then finally in black. The center flower is one from CTMH and the little button has glitter inside of it - so cute isn't it? Everything is mounted with SU! dimensionals to make it pop. Love how this turned out. Almost hate to give it away, but hopefully the parents will realize the card is handmade and one-of-a-kind :)

See ya soon - have a wonderful day! Hugs - Brenda

They're Home!

2008-07-22T13:42:00.002-06:00

We are back from Colorado and re-claiming our children from the g-parents! We're so thrilled as our house just didn't seem so home-y without them. We now have the sound of 2 pair of little feet pounding around here anyway - the other set is off to Salt Lake City for a missions trip with the youth group. We had her home for one day and then she was off this morning for the rest of the week and won't be home until Saturday. So excited to see what God does in her life while she's there. They will be working with an organization called the Dream Center and working to fix things up, paint, clean, whatever needs to be done, as well as ministering to folks on the street. It should be a real stretch for her, but hey - isn't that what makes us grow? God is good! On another note, here's my latest project that I created of my hubby and I while the kids were gone. It was so pitiful that we had to take pics of ourselves, as there were no kids to capture on film. I love how this turned out, don't you? It's really hard to tell, but I put white rub-ons on the clear flowers and then on one, there is a black rub on to make it stand out from the colored cardstock. Lovin' this layout! The circles of course were created on the Expression and it was oh-so-easy to whip those out! Hope you enjoy your Tuesday...I'm off to exercise and get some stuff done @ the house. Hugs! Brenda

Lookie what I got!

2008-07-17T11:46:00.003-06:00

I'm so flattered to say the least! This makes me feel so special - thanks Jena! I'd like to pass this on, so here are the rules to the game: 1. The winner can put the logo on her blog. 2. Link the person you received your award from. 3. Nominate at least 7 other blogs. 4. Put links of those blogs on yours. 5. Leave a message on the blogs of the girls you've nominated. Sound easy? Here goes:

1. Melissa

2. Amy

3. Nancy

4. Jana

5. Mosy Scrapper

6. Tami

7. Michelle

Go check out these talented ladies' blogs - they are VERY inspiring! Have a wonderful, wonderful Thursday...hugs! Brenda

Key 2 My Heart

2008-07-16T15:12:00.002-06:00

OK...is it just me, or is this summer flying by at warp speed? I guess maybe b/c my kiddos are STILL gone, it seems to be going faster. I suppose if they were here, it would seem long and drawn out, what with them more than likely bored and whiney :) We are going to Colorado to pick them up from the g-parents and then bring them back home. We are thoroughly excited to see them and I can tell by the tone in their voices they're ready to come home! We are so ready to have them... On a different note, don't ya just love this picture (and this page)? The heart is one of my favorite parts, although it started out not to be that way. It was a plain white chipboard heart that I painted gray and then gave it a distressed look with white streaks. Hmmm...still not diggin it, so I sanded it and still...needed something else. So, not sure if you can tell, but I applied glue all over it and then rubbed clear, shiny beads on top of it which gives it the "bling" it needed. Voila - I LIKE IT! Hope your week is going well. I'll try to post another time before the weekend hits. Enjoy... and hope you're finding time to be creative! Brenda

Celebrate!

2008-07-10T17:55:00.002-06:00

It is SO hot here today - almost 100! Whew - my little office feels like a sauna as there's no AC in here. That's ok -- better hot than cold anytime. I made this card for my SIL for her b-day. The dress, hat and shopping bags are all paper pieced and took a little time, but I'm very happy with the outcome - don't ya think it's sweet? I hope she'll be pleased... well, short and sweet - too hot to type :) I'm off to be creative! Have a wonderful Thursday evening! Brenda

Time 4 School

2008-07-07T19:25:00.002-06:00

Happy Monday! I've had the best day with my honey - we went fishing and laughed and cut up just like kids! We had modest luck (caught one fish, but pretty good sized!) so that made the day all the more worthwhile. We're really enjoying this time with the kids at the grandparents', even tho' we miss them terribly. It's been a great time of reconnecting with each other and just enjoying being together again without all the interruptions. Absence does make the heart grow fonder, as they say :) This page is one I've had made for a week or so, but hadn't shared yet. These are last year's 1st-day-of-school pics and my how they've grown since then. Not only in height and build, but in personality. It's like they're totally different kids from this time last year. Time is going too fast, I have to admit. Before I know it, we'll be fending off the boys and girls and worrying about all that hullabaloo. In the meantime, we're just looking forward to them coming home and being able to enjoy them in this stage of their life RIGHT NOW. Have a wonderful evening and I'll talk at ya soon! Hugs - Brenda

Cards for the Kids

2008-07-02T18:55:00.003-06:00

I thought it would be cool to send each one of our kids a card instead of just typing an e-mail or calling. So...I set about to make each one a handmade card. The 2 girls' cards are on the left and my son's is on the right - what d'ya think? I sent them off yesterday, so am anxiously waiting to see what they think of these. I must admit that I'm missing them... it's just too calm around here I think. Maybe if they were busy with other things during the day and then we had them around in the evening? I don't know...maybe we'd truly enjoy their company then, instead of getting frustrated or angry. It looks like they'll be in Texas through next week at least since my eldest daughter is in a volleyball camp and that's not over until Friday the 11th. *sigh* I think we're having withdrawals. On the other hand, we're enjoying just doing what we want. No one to dictate dinner time, etc. We're invited out for 4th of July to our friends' house - she always has a bunch of people out and it's a good time. Hey - hope your Wednesday has gone well. It's hump day! See ya soon...Hugs! Brenda

Happy Monday everyone!

2008-06-30T11:37:00.003-06:00

Can't believe it's the end of June already! Don't know about you, but this summer is just scootin' by and I feel like I haven't gotten enough fun stuff in yet. I've finally gotten my scrappin' mojo back that's been lagging for so long and I have some time to get creative these next couple weeks while the kids are away in Texas. It's so quiet around here -- almost eerie! However - I'm enjoying the ability to start a task and actually carry it out to completion. Wow... almost unheard of eh? Anyhow, these 2 pages were completed using Creating Keepsakes "Finish 5 Projects Today" -- and they weren't kidding! I actually went to my friend's house with certain pictures and papers that I had already picked out, some of which were precut before I went to her house, and in less than 4 hours, I had created 5 pages! I was SO excited! I didn't get the cards done that were also a part of the CK article, but I was thrilled just to get some scrappin' done. It's really hard to see the detail in these pages, but the papers are all layered and different - very cool. Hope your week has started out smoothly and that things are quiet and productive for you in your little corner of the world. Hugs - Brenda

I've been busy!

2008-06-25T16:58:00.001-06:00

It's been a whirlwind since we got home. I have had a lot of stuff to catch up on, but I've also had time to be creative and get some pages made. This is one I actually made in Texas when I was there for NSBD, but had forgotten to share with you. My sweet husband Derek was an older student returning back to college and I am so proud to say he received his degree - that all with kids, job, wife, responsibilities, etc. It was a lot of work, but it sure was worth it in the long run! We celebrated even though he wasn't able to walk the stage - cute page huh? Love the little felt circles that I found in his school colors. I'll have some more pages and things to share over the next few days, so stay tuned. I'm enjoying quiet time w/out interruptions. Sure is nice, even though I miss my kiddos. Hey - enjoy your week. It's already hump day! Hugs - Brenda

Outta here!

2008-06-21T09:01:00.000-06:00

Hello! Sorry for the silence these last few days. We have been hurridly and busily getting the kids ready for their trip to Texas to stay with the G-parents for a couple weeks. It's been hectic and no time for being creative darn it all! Anyway, we are outta here to take them to Colorado to meet with their G-parents and then they will take them on to Texas from there. Saves a little on the horrendous gas prices!! I will be posting when I get back and after I get some scrappin or card making done. Take care - see you soon!

Summer is here!!

2008-06-16T19:08:00.000-06:00

It is HOT here today - lovin' it!! It's supposed to get hotter as the week goes on and for those of you drenched in heat and hotness - so sorry you're miserable - but we've been a waitin' for this warmth to get here. Yippee!! I'm finally able to put on tank tops, shorts and flip flops. On the down side - the house is stuffy and hot. Oh well...the price we pay.

This is the father's day card I created for my honey - hard to read what it says, but in glitter is stamped "Legendary". I love the colors together, don't you? Rather manly I think. The little dots to the left of legendary are bella's baubles from http://www.stampingbella.com/. I participated in a swap and I received a whole bunch of different colors - they're so much fun! Kinda like candy...

Well, hope your week has started out on a positive note. So glad summer and the laziness of it is upon us! Hugs - Brenda

Family

2008-06-12T15:45:00.000-06:00

It's Thursday already! Can't believe it...we've been so busy this week with VBS at our church. The weather has been less than cooperative, but we've managed to have fun with the kids. It's been a horse-themed VBS involving real horses, but with cold temps and winds, the kids can't ride the horses as they can be a bit unpredictable in the wind. Tonight doesn't look much better... it seems the wind makes everyone cranky, including myself. The kids have been at each other's throats all day. On a more upbeat note :) the sun is supposed to shine tomorrow, very little breeze if any and 74 degrees!! Yippee!!! I'm doing the happy dance! Here's my contribution for the day, a page that I completed while in Amarillo for the national scrapbook day retreat. Family is so very important and special - just wish they all realized it today. HA! Have a wonderful day - tomorrow's Friday!!! Hugs - Brenda

Enjoy!

2008-06-10T15:19:00.000-06:00

Happy Tuesday! Hope this finds you having a great day and that the sun is shining in your little corner of the world. I've had this card made for awhile, but forgot I hadn't shared it, so here ya go...I really love the colors and design - this one's going to my mom as an encouragement since she lives in Texas and misses us so. The stamps are Stampin' Up!, as are the inks. The papers are some that I've had in my stash for awhile, some are SU, some are ?? Anyway - have a day that's fun and maybe even creative. Enjoy! Hugs - Brenda

Unconditional Love

2008-06-09T14:42:00.000-06:00

I love this page! It talks about my sweet husband and the support he's given me in the almost 7 years of being a breast cancer survivor. He's always shown unconditional love to me and has been there right along side me to help me in my recovery. He's my rock. The patterned paper is from Love Elsie - isn't it just the cutest? I've actually had these pictures for a few years and had never scrapped them. I was totally hung up on scrapping in chronological order and had become overwhelmed until I read Stacy Julian's new book on getting your photos under control. Now I feel like I can scrap in any date order I desire and put them in my scrapbook no matter what the date...it's really quite liberating! I challenge you to step out of your comfort zone and go ahead and scrap those older photos. Enjoy your Monday! Hugs - Brenda

Snow!

2008-06-07T14:27:00.000-06:00

No, it didn't...this is Snow. She's our new - we think - Great Pyrinees. Isn't she just adorable? We saw her at the animal shelter a couple of weeks ago and fell in love with her. Yesterday they called and said she was ready to go home with us so we happily went over and picked her up. So far, she's been a love bug. She likes to be right on top of you (if you're in a chair or in bed) or right beside you (such as when I'm working). Thought I'd introduce her to you. Hope your weekend is going great - the sun is shining and I'm off to plant a couple plants and maybe, just maybe have some creative time. Hugs :) Brenda

My sweet friend

2008-06-06T13:57:00.000-06:00

OK, I don't mean to complain, but this card is a whole lot more sunny looking than it is around here. It's been raining nearly as long as I can remember (well...OK, so I exagerate a bit), but enough already. There's a carnival in town this weekend and my kids would love to go, but how much fun is it freezing your butt off?? Geesh... On the brighter side, I thought I'd share this card with ya'll being that it is bright and sunny and uses up some of my scraps which makes me ecstatic (since I have so many...ahem). Anyway, the letters are stickers and the flowers have tiny little flower brads in the center. Hope you enjoy your weekend - I'm crossing my fingers for play-outside weather! Take care...Brenda

Oh Yea - I'm tootin' my horn!

2008-06-05T17:53:00.001-06:00

I'm SO excited - look what came via UPS this afternoon! It's the new Cricut Expression and it's amazing. I never thought I'd really want one of these b/c I already had the original Cricut, but my friend got me thinking. She really wanted the Cricut and I thought...hmmm... I could sell her my old one and get the new one! Such a novel idea! So, I pulled up Cricut Expression on google and this company - A.C. Moore - came up as having a "Cricut bundle". I checked it out and it was an incredible deal. The Expression, 4 cartridges, 5 ink cartridges - all for $349! You'll have to check it out - www.acmoore.com - the shipping is only $6 through the end of June. I'm off to have fun (and learn how to use it!). Enjoy your evening! Brenda