New Halloween Stamps

Ahhh yes I've been MIA online as of late. Things got really busy there for a minute! Nothing really big just everything all together! New here is that my brand new dishwasher has been installed and I no longer have to wash the billions of cups and glasses my family uses by hand anymore! Why can't we use a cup twice?


Exciting news the Doodling Book Came! Maelynn Chueng is the artist behind this book she did an amazing job putting it together. I'm honored to be a part of it and Abbi is beside herself she's in the book! She informed her sister as soon as we picked her up from school "I'm in this book, but your not!" Ahhhhh to be four again. Em took it well though thank goodness. I'll share more about the book tomorrow.

Today I really want to share some of justjohanna's newest stamps coming out. They're really cute Fall/Halloween images. I can't wait! Here I made a couple of cards using a very small selection of them. These are the Halloween images I used. The costumed Belle well I used her a s Birthday card because I'm the mom of 2 girls and always always need girlie b-day cards so even though she's in costume she still makes the perfect girlie fairy princess! Her wings look odd in the picture because the glitter on them didn't scan well sorry. Anyway keep your eye's peeled these will be in the store soon!

Sandpaper is the tool of choice today.

So Dianne wanted me to do Sewing Machine but that would mean I would have to dig it out of the corner it's in and hey that's a lot like WORK! So today the tool of choice is Sandpaper! It's a handy little tool in the Garage, around the house and on your cards and scrapbook pages! The Tuesday Challenge is up at Linnecards! Go check it and the other challenges out they are a lot of fun! Also note the daily challenges will end this month. We're going to be doing something new and exciting in October. I'll be sure to keep you updated!

It was quite a weekend here. Homecoming was fun Emily had a blast and between that and her friend Colleen's b-day at Build A Bear she was exhausted both girls went to sleep at like 6 on Saturday night! YIKES! But this did give Dave and I the opportunity to have a nice dinner alone together! We actually had a conversation that wasn't interrupted! WOO HOO! Sunday the girls and I hung out quietly. Dave took the giant paperweight(he calls it his motorcycle) up to Broadhead to hang out with his friend for a Packers game. He had a great day for a ride it was absolutely beautiful here! I had the windows opened and roasted a chicken in my new dutch oven! The girls were outside most of the day. It was very pleasant!

OOOH I almost forgot the best news we went to ABT last night and I picked out my new dishwasher! I can't wait it's being delivered and installed on Friday! Then we went out to dinner and had a great time the girls were awesome! It was quite a nice Monday considering it's our only day without anything happening!

Today I'm baking for the room parent tea this afternoon! I have one more tray to make and I'm done! So I have to get back to it! Have a great day and thanks for stopping by!

RASPY!!!

That's me for the last couple of days! I woke up yesterday with an entirely new voice! Most of the annoying part is gone now I just talk like Kathleen Turner! Hee Hee! That and Dave will have to go out tonight alone I need to not be hanging out at D&B's with his gang! They'd think I was a mute!

So don't want to talk about that today! Today I want to talk about one of my favorite places here in my neighborhood! My Library! We have a little branch library in the middle of our development it's small and mostly comprised of kids books, movies, music and magazines. So why is it my favorite. Well for one my kids love to go there each week it's a fun place where everyone is really nice and they see all their friends there. But mostly because our BIG Main library is in town and it has every book imaginable and it has a wonderful online catalog you can search and search and reserve books online any time day or night! Then the ladies that work here call me and tell me my book as arrived and if it's nice we can walk over and get it or I can stop on one of my many runs to a school! The online experience is so wonderful I love that I can see what all that's new has arrived this week and reserve those. I can be on my favorite authors list, which means when that author writes something new the Library puts my name on the hold list as soon as they order the book. Plus new popular picks are usually 3 day check outs but if your on the hold list you not only get them first but for 3 weeks as well! The other thing I like is that I can look at the NY Times best seller list and reserve books off of that as well! I love being able to do all of this while I'm at my computer at home anytime. I can look at cook books, new fiction, bestsellers etc. etc. without having to run up and down the stairs at the library with 2 kids in tow! It really is a win win all around! Not that I don't love my Main Library I do they are open late they are open on Sunday they have a huge Circulation which means there are very few times I can't find a book I'm looking for.(Dave has issues but his history books are a little obscure a lot of times!) Not to mention it's a beautiful library! Plus the kids love going there they have crafts and things for them to do etc. Also now if something is coming due and I'm not done with it I can go online and click renew anytime! Plus last year Em had issues with the Library at school being out of books she wanted so we would just go online type it in and wait for it to come she was totally fine with that, no more stress about her library visits at school. The online thing is just so convenient!

What brought this on. Nothing really we went there the other day Abbi, Randi and I and it was wonderful but I didn't check one thing out for myself. I helped Abbi pick out some books we picked out some books for Emily from her favorite series and I helped Abbi do a craft! Usually when I'm around that many books I have to take one home with me I can't not! It just got me thinking!

Everyone should have a library that does this! If you don't know if your Library does this check it out, call or go online ours was never really advertised I have just learned some of these things by exploring on my own!

So enough about that! Here is another in a string of layouts I've been working on! Again using a Sugardumplin Kit(September Seasonal). Loved the happy colors of this kit they will go so well with so many things going on this month. And I have to say I used every single brad in the kit on this one layout. I never planned it that way and I was thinking I might run out, and have to call Dianne, but no I used the exact number that was in the kit. What are the odds?

Have a great day!

Allergy Season Has Arrived!

It's official it's here. Well it has been for Em for awhile but now it's here for me as well. I was taken by suprise. I have onl slept for about 3 hours in the last 24 and it's all my fault. I tried to take some decongestants then by the time I got tired my throat hurt so bad I couldn't sleep and then it was just time to get up for the day. Today unfortunately I was out and about no time to rest until this afternoon. And now once again I can't sleep even though I'm exhausted. So I'm having some hot tea hoping to sooth what has now become a most annoying cough and sore throat so I can get another few hours of rest! ARGHHHH I haven't had allergies this bad in years and years! Reminds me of the days I lived in the middle of corn fields! So Ok enough whining! This will pass shortly and I will get my voice back and be well rested!

In the interim I am spending lots of time at my table! I've been working on layouts and cards and a couple of really fun projects since there's not much else to do at 3 & 4am. Here I did a layout using a Sugardumplin Kit(May Seasonal) and some justjohanna stamps(Friends & Circle Dot Background). It's of Em and some friends at the zoo in the spring! I had a lot of fun with my new markers and I even used up some of my huge stash of yellow buttons!

Hope everyone is having a Fantastic week!

It's Tuesday Tuesday Tuesday!

Today is Tool DAY! I almost totally forgot to post it here! Today is my day to post a challenge over at linnecards forums. Today I chose to use circle punches. These little(some not quite so)tools are very versatile! Really I think these might make it to my stranded on an island list of scrapping supplies. So today I made this card with some circle punches and scissors. I also got to use more of my new Basic Grey Paper this time Recess from the 6x6 pad!



So we're getting in the groove here with school and all. Tonight I break out my tap shoes for my class it's been 3 months(YIKES)! Can't wait to see all the dancing ladies and Ms. Judy again! Dave has recovered nicely from having his wisdom teeth cut out last week. He actually felt ok most of the time. Tired but ok. Abbi and I had a picnic over at Randi's we had "EGGGGGGGSSSSS"(code for McDonalds for Abbi) We got to see her new flower beds that just got finished they are beautiful! That's about all going on here. Have a great day and don't forget to give the challenge a try!

Another Monday!

It's that time to share what we did for linnecards! This week we used a sketch! Saturday my entire order of new Basic Grey paper, die cuts and rub ons came from linnecards and OMG was I in HEAVEN! If it weren't paper and didn't crumple easily I would have rolled in it naked! Ok maybe not naked although, what a sight that would be(EWWWW)! Sooooo instead of possibly ruining my new lovelies and possibly committing some sort of crime against Basic Grey which, I'm sure has serious punishment by the Scrapping POLICE(Flogging comes to mind). I chose to use it to do this sketch! AHHHHHH! I chose Obscure for this project I love the names of this paper, it so fit my mood.....Vague, Amplify, Evasive, Clouded, Fixate, Ambiguous, Blur, Haze and on and on! It all worked so well with the jumble in my head! It is also the least girlie frilly thing I've made in quite some time!

You have got to get over to the Gallery today and check out what everyone else did! Make sure you welcome Jennifer our new DT member this is her First Week! Congratulations Jen love the Doodlebug!

Have a great Monday!

End Of Summer Sadness!

So today I'm cleaning out pool bags and we're storing away summer things we think we won't use until next year! I'm sad even though our pool closed about 3 weeks ago I was hopeful we would get time to get to a pool somewhere. I think Dianne's pool is still open but then they might not like having Abbi and I hanging there all afternoon. Plus next week starts all the extra stuff Dance, Dance, Dance. My little break of late will be over I'll be crisscrossing from school to practice to dance rehearsal to something else I'm sure I should be somewhere doing something or taking someone to do something? ARGHHHHH. Tuesday will be the death of me this fall one has dance one has cheer and I have dance now if we could just find a class for Dave. I'll be taking a nap on Wednesday's don't call here!

HA Anyhoo here is my final farewell to summer! It took me all summer to find this color and Monday it's going away, back to something dark, soon I won't be able to wear sandals anymore and ACK I'll have to take off the toe rings and ICK wear socks and even worse real closed in shoes EWWWWW. Even worse the girlies will have to wear socks and shoes(Abbi had to start this week to play on the playground at school) what will we all do without our flippies. On the upside now is the perfect time to find AMAZING deals on cute sandals for next year! Hmmmmm I wonder how late Nordstroms is open????? Gotta run!

Enjoying Everything!

So today I was just thinking how lucky I am! And thought I would share. Not only did Dave, my Friends & Family suprise me with a beautiful birthday lunch but they gave me the most fabulous gifts. I've taken pictures of a few. My Mom gave me this wonderful Le Crueset pot, Dave found a large Peppermill for me in black(woohoo) it's to replace the little one next to it(I got tired of filling it everytime I cooked) my Friends splurged on this Marker Set(OMG how FAB is that) Randi gave me this beautiful handmade purse from her collection(she does an amazing job!) And not pictured becuase I tore it apart the next day is the gift box of my entire MK wishlist my brother got me I had to use the bath stuff right away I couldn't wait! Dave and the girls also got me a Rice Cooker and some of my favorite mints. It really was wonderful and I'm very lucky to have these people in my life!

So the first thing I did besides take a wonderful sweet smelling bath is to cook with my new pot! I found this blog The Pioneer Woman Cooks YUMMMMM-O! I made the Pasta Primavera in my new pot and it was Fabulous even though I forgot the peas(oops I even had them?) my entire family ate it which is unusual. I also made the Sinful Cake which is what my family calls Texas Sheet Cake and it was amazing and I have to say the frosting was so much easier than I remember it being to make!

I also made rice with the Rice Cooker. Emily is a rice addict. She has it for breakfast, rice cakes for snacks, booty(a puffed rice snack) and would request it for dinner every night if I let her. She asked last week if she could take it for her snack to school. I didn't think the teacher would appreciated her pullling out a bowl and spoon in the 10 min they get to snack(HA). The Rice Cooker really is the easiest thing ever to put the rice in and walk away it shuts off when its done and you have fluffy rice. I'm on my second bag of Jasmine Rice in 2 weeks! Ok I'm hungry must make breakfast! Have a great day!

Pittbull with a Leg, that's me!

Ok I know I'm like a pittbull with a leg when I get on a subject. Or as we say in our house "beating the dead horse"(but then you have to explain to your children that no Mommy doesn't really beat horses that are dead or alive or at all........ and there isn't a horse in the yard and if there were it wouldn't be dead...... and no you can't have a horse for your birthday....... Phew)


So now your asking yourself what is she ranting about????? Ok it's Bret Michaels(I'm fixated sorry). I get that he was in a band he sang(maybe even still sings) pretty well, seems to have a decent personality considering etc. etc. But why are all these women falling all over and hurting each other to date him? Isn't he just essentially dating them all at the same time in front of each other and making them have girl fights over him? How is this appealing? Is this really the kind of guy these women want to date? Are they really going to end up with him in the long term and do they really believe that? Didn't Flav propose to the girl that ended up winning his last reality show and isn't he casting for the next Mrs. Flav, what happened to the last girl? Is Bret Michaels going to end up searching for a new girlfriend every summer?


Beyond the way the women are treated I have other questions(contain your shock). Why does he kiss them like that with his lips all poochy coming at them from 5 feet away? And then after the you might have cooties kiss he grabs their head and shoves his tongue down their throat? Is this supposed to by hot? And why does his face always look like it's melting? Does he wear that much makeup on camera? How does a girl kiss a guy with so much pancake on it's sliding down his face? And come on he's in a house with how many girls that seem to know how to apply makeup rather well and rather thick(I don't see their makeup melting.....every episode that is) one of them can't help him out with his? Wouldn't that make a hot date for him, a girl teaching him how to do his makeup right? Is it that hard for a "ROCKSTAR" to get laid when he's past his prime that he needs his own show to get dates?


All in all I like the bodyguard he seems genuinely bothered by what he has to ask the girls to do and for leaving them behind or sending them home. He's also kinda cute in a gruff sort of way like a lumberjack you know strong and silent but somewhat respectful. I wonder if he's single? Couldn't these girls date him?


Ok I'm done now just going to file it under WACKY TV I watch but learn nothing from.

Alone at last!

Ok so I know it's bad but for a little over an hour today I was all alone in a silent house! SILENT!! SHHHHHHHHHHH!!! Ok so the phone didn't stop ringing and I had to upload my Tuesday Tool Challenge but I was alone while I did it! HA Of course Em told me when I dropped her off today "Mommy now you can take a nap!" I had to laugh "AS IF!" She seemed hurt I wasn't going to nap in my spare time, hee hee! Abbi suffered while we waited the 30 between drop off times. She was so sad she wasn't going straight to school! Sad to her well, is dramatic! I think we'll have to do a redo of her first day of school it looks as if she doesn't want to go. When really all she wants to do is be there and not have me taking pictures! Plus I was laughing I shouldn't have been but she was freaking out for nothing really! Ahhh she's Mama's girl alright!

So like I said today is Tools On Tuesday over at linnecards. Today we're using our flexible rulers. This is a layout with a pic of Dave I found on the internet while surfing. In March he did the event at Ft. Pulaski in Georgia again. He loves this event and this year a ton of his dudes were there to enjoy it with! He says he's the worst outfitted guy in the picture however being a total FARB I don't see it! HA! So on this layout I got to use my new B-day present from all my friends my cool new markers! WOO HOO!

So have a happy Tuesday and get out there and use some of the scrappy tools you never get around to utilizing!

Mix Tape! XM Radio! And Genral Lameness!

It's Monday which means it's time to unveil our linnecards creations! This weeks feature is Stamping! Perfect for me I must say and I got to use a few new never before seen ink stamps! Be sure to hop over to the Gallery and check out what everyone else did there are some UBER cute projects!

Ok so I saw this adorable ultimate mix tape layout over at twopeas and it made me chuckle. I was working the other night and listening to XM Radio and enjoying the perfect blend of Old and New Rock that was just enough to keep the mojo moving.......when low and behold Bret Michaels came on to tell me I was listening to his mix! GO FIGURE????? I never really got into Poison or any "Hair Bands" for that matter and what I was listening to wasn't what I would call "Hair Band" material. I just find it funny that while I loath to admit it if I see Rock Of Love on I have to watch it, it's like being a gaper on the Kennedy Expressway! I have to do it! Dave is always appalled to find me glued to the TV watching this or the Scott Baio show(don't tell me how it ends I haven't run into the last episode and I'm afraid to TIVO it I'll be ridiculed)! He shakes his head and walks away! It's sad I know I'm LAME! Luckily he's so far too embarrassed to tell anyone about my very questionable TV habits! Anyway I thought this was an adorable layout love how it's all words around the title and such a great idea! I should make my own list of my own ultimate mix tape(another thing for the todo list ARGHHH)! Maybe next year for my b-day Dave will work for days recording my favorite songs from my list making the perfect mojo inducing blend of music? It would be oh so romantical! That is if he can get past the humiliation of having to live the lamest girlie on the planet! Well ok the girlies watch High School Musical 2 every single day since we have the sing along version Tivo'd! I'm sure someday we will bring that up again! HA!

Shooby Dooby Dooby Doooo!

HA! So we got up at 7 yesterday to go to the football game! I'm soooooo not a morning person! Cris and Sarah came with the girls were thrilled! Em is a trooper other than running from the bees on the sidelines she did a great job! Here are a couple of pictures of her screaming her doing her thing! I took lots of pics since Daddy was in Old World WI doing his thing this weekend.

Cris went to Nashville for the weekend to see Mom and Sarah back to IN then it was just the girls and I. We hung out watched movies made hot dogs and mac & cheese for dinner! It was very nice! Quiet and when the girlies went to bed I was allllllll alone!

The gutters got done today amazingly enough on a Sunday of a Holiday weekend? Go figure! Other than that we had a quiet beautiful day! I got some DT stuff done for tomorrow which I'll post later! Have a great rest of the weekend!

To be even here is a layout I did for linnecards that features chalking and Abs! She was painting and concentrating very hard!