Snips and Snails and Puppy Dog Tails

Scenes Around Home

2011-06-07T08:05:00.004-04:00

I feel incredibly blessed to live on a farm. It's not the kind of farm I imagine when I hear the word, but none the less, it is a farm. I imagine feeding slop to pigs and riding horses. I imagine chickens and acres of freshly toiled land with tall green corn growing.

For some reason (I laugh as I say this because I know the exact reason) the cow pasture has become a place to ride 4 wheelers, and our garden shrinks every year.

The truth of the matter is... farming is extremely hard work!

But in the depths of my soul, this land and this life calls me. I love everything about it!

I love seeing the cows tagged and ready to be sold...

I love checking on the geese everyday and watching the babies grow...

and I truly love this ugly, grotesque duck who follows us around like a puppy would!

We all think he has 2 sets of eyes!

I do love what the Lord has so graciously given me.

Really?!!!?

2011-05-26T08:06:00.006-04:00

Anyone who knows me, knows how very blessed I am to have such wonderful boys in my life.

Good relations with the Wookies, I have.

-Yoda

I love them so much more than the word love entails. They are a lot of work, but every time a door is opened for me or a hug is given for no reason, I feel my cup overflowing.

Mushy,I know, but it's true.

So how on earth did I end up here?????

What redneck came up with this hobby? We do basketball, baseball, soccer, kickball, swimming, tennis, football, even the occasional racquetball, but tractor pulling?? It's not a real sport! It's boring and the guys act quite immaturely!

So why do I sit through this torture??

Oh, yeah. I remember now. Can you see his little squinted eyes? It's from that big smile that stays on his precious face from the time we tell him it's tractor pull day.

This is his favorite part!
These are my little Wookies and the only way to stay close to them is to be a part of their lives. Even the boring, dirty, stinky (the track is right beside some of the stinkiest turkeys!) parts of their lives.

Creamy Risotto

2011-05-24T08:01:00.003-04:00

It is a long strived for goal in my house to get my boys to eat more veggies! We've always maintained the rule: Eat what is on your plate or there will be no dessert. It worked well for N&N, but then the Lord blessed us with little T who came into the world bucking and will probably leave that way too! :)

So, with 5 very unique tastes, I have come up with a clever rating system (if I do say so myself... and I did). I have decided that, from now on my recipes will include a 5 star rating. One star for each 'unique eater' in my house.

Today, it's creamy Risotto. Now honestly, this can be made with any veggie that you have on hand. I had some mushrooms that were nearing their demise so my risotto has broccoli and mushrooms.

The secret to risotto is to keep your liquid boiling in a separate pot.

Now, I would love to show you the finished product, but the boys came in and before I could grab my camera, it was all gone. How do they devour food so quickly??? I'd be moaning with indigestion!

This recipe got 4 very large stars!!!

Creamy Risotto

2 cans chicken stock (sodium free)
Arborio Rice (or in my case, what ever rice you have)
Onions
Broccoli
Mushrooms
(again, this can be what ever you have)
Cheese (what ever your favorite is. I use cream cheese)
oil

Start by making the commitment: I WILL NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE LEAVE THIS STOVE. I WILL NOT HEAR MY CHILD SCREAMING MY NAME MERCILESSLY. I WILL IGNORE THE OVERFLOWING TOILET. I HAVE RISOTTO COOKING AND IT IS MY #1 PRIORITY.
Now, the hard part is over. :)

Begin by bringing your stock to a boil.

In a separate pot, add a touch of oil and saute your vegetables of choice. (at this point it may help to sing the Veggie Tales theme song.) Once the veggies are tender add @ 2 cups of rice and saute for a moment. Then add 1 cup of stock and let simmer until stock has absorbed. Then add another cup of stock. Repeat until rice is done. (if you run out of stock you can substitute with some water. There will still be lots of flavor, just make sure your water comes to a boil before adding to the rice)

Last add in the cheese of your choice. I used the new Philly cooking cream cheese with garlic because it was on sale, but you can literally use any cheese.

DISCLAIMER: There aren't any measurements for this recipe, because I winged it. I just threw together what I had. What makes risotto, risotto is not how much of this or that you use, but the way you cook the rice. Keep it slow and you'll do fine.

Bon Appetit!!!

Baby A & E

2011-05-05T12:54:00.002-04:00

So sorry it's taking so long.

Here are a few more to hold you over. :)

My Very First Newborn Session

2011-05-02T14:11:00.002-04:00

I think I'm in love. M was an AWESOME baby girl and just gorgeous! I could really get used to this!

And little Miss A will be the biggest heart breaker!!! BEAUTIFUL!!!

A&E = Adorable & Entergetic! :)

2011-04-23T20:13:00.004-04:00

I hope you like your preview! There are more!! Keep checking back.

Precious Baby M

2011-04-21T21:09:00.001-04:00

Thank you so much for letting me take her pictures! She is adorable! Check back next week and I should have some of her big sis too! ;)

Life. Amazing. Unscripted.

2011-02-03T07:37:00.005-05:00

Well I knew it would happen. It is February 3rd and I am officially falling behind on a picture a day. I'm trying to keep up. Really. I am. But I was sick and then Wesley was sick and there was our anniversary, and a birthday, and report cards (which are always traumatic), and I'm starting our remodeling in the hallway now, and yada yada ya.

I love this crazy, mixed up, busy, uncontrollable life.

Another Week In Project Life.

2011-01-21T09:51:00.004-05:00

I'm starting with a layout today. I did this one for a challenge to use paint in a unique way. I LOVED playing with the paint! Messy, but oh! so fun! I put mesh tape on my page, painted over it and pulled the mesh tape off before it had dried completely (mainly because I am super impatient!).

I thought it gave a very 'tweeny' effect to the layout of the twins.

I'll leave you with a few more photos from my Project Life. I am REALLY enjoying it!!

All actions are from Paint The Moon. You really should check them out!!!!

I LOVE Jessica Sprague!!!

2011-01-19T09:41:00.003-05:00

I am LOVIN my digi classes by Jessica Sprague!!! I got PSE8 for Christmas primarily for Paint The Moon actions (they wouldn't work on PSE5). I love photography and these actions are absolutely amazing. Well when I got PSE8, I realized that I never really learned how to use 5 much less 8. In comes Jessica. I took a few of her Photoshop Friday classes and LOVED them, so I tried a Brush Abilities class. Oh My Goodness!!! I've learned so much! She is one talented chicka!!!!

My first layout (but certainly not my last!)

You Know You're Broke When....

2011-01-18T11:42:00.003-05:00

It's that wonderful time of year when you are bombarded by every angle to support your school, pay for field trips, buy class pictures... the list is endless. So my poor little baby came to me knowing we couldn't afford his basketball pics. He smiled and said it's o.k. and my heart broke. It's not o.k. I told him to get dressed. I'll take your picture. Here is the final result. He is SUPER excited to get to had these out to all his little buddies at school. And honestly, I don't think anyone will be the wiser. What do you think???

everything was created in PSE8

FWF FRIDAY

2011-01-14T08:49:00.005-05:00

Have you seen what is available at the Unity site??????

ITTY BITTY!!!!!

I've been impatiently waiting!

I want them ALL!

You have to check it out!!

So much is going on in the Stancil house. It is really bursting at the seams!

Almost done remodeling Timmy Poo's room, Project Life, ICE storm, Nick and his basketball practices and games (which he LOVES!).

Oh yeah, and I'm taking a few Jessica Sprague classes!!!!

Lovin it!!!!

Still somewhere in there I've found a little time to work on N&N's birthday pics....

I hope you can see that I used Modge Podge to make the letters actually LOOK like ICING!!!! Love this technique!

Thanks for stopping by!
Have a GREAT weekend!!

alphabet stamps: a little happy

date stamp: capture life

sorry I can't link you to it. I don't think they sell it anymore :(

Life Is Project Life

2011-01-13T09:02:00.002-05:00

As you know, I'm doing Project Life this year. It has really opened my eyes to our life. The winding road that God has us on, the little things that we would ordinarily miss, the struggles, the victories. God is DAILY teaching us to be stronger in our walk of faith. I can't wait to see what this year has in store for us. I know God will BE right there through it all!!

Good -bye Week One...

2011-01-07T06:30:00.004-05:00

I am kissing week one of 2011 good-bye. It's been interesting FOR SURE! Timothy isn't sleeping because we (o.k. I) am remodeling his room and I've hit a few snags. It's a MESS and apparently he can't sleep in a MESSY ROOM!!!! Never had that happen before!

I'm bruised (like seriously) where I fell down the steps while playing with Timothy! Is someone getting old when they can no longer walk on steps????

Got my hair cut.

Had a WONDERFUL family day! (I hope we do this every week!)

Watched Nick practice dribbling and shooting. He is getting SO MUCH BETTER!! And he should, he practices EVERY day!!! (he got a goal for Christmas)

Hugged Noah and told him how much I love him. (sometimes I think he feels left out)

I told you... an interesting week. :)

So my Project Life should arrive today!!!! I am sooooo ready!!! I know I won't be able to do a picture a day, but I have started out doing that. And hold on to your seat because I don't want you to fall over.... I actually have my photos printed out for the first page and days 1-4!!!!! Shocking. I know.

I thought I'd share some with you.

I'll share from time to time.

I am so excited to be documenting OUR LIFE, RIGHT NOW.

Next year won't be the same.

It changes. We change.

Have YOU SEEN????

2011-01-06T08:58:00.002-05:00

It's a Moxie Fab world and Unity is a part of it!!! Check it out!

It's In The Mail!

2011-01-02T11:39:00.003-05:00

ACK! I can NOT believe I just ordered Becky's Project Life!! It was not a spur of the moment thing. I've been contemplating it for a while now. It's something that I think Wesley will appreciate more than a regular scrapbook. He says, "Sometimes I just want to see pictures and let my mind tell the story it remembers." I respect that, although my mind usually tells me what I want to remember, not what REALLY happened!! LOL!!

A picture a day is so NOT me. Family comes first and sometimes that means leaving the camera in it's resting spot and just enjoying life. So why tackle Project Life???? Because, for me, it WILL NOT be a picture a day. I will take each month as it comes and that will be o.k. I'm excited for this journey!

2011 Bodacious Calendars!!!

2010-12-21T12:55:00.005-05:00

I have finally finished my 1st calendar templates!!! They are a little different when uploading your photo because I taught myself how to make the templates, but I assure you that they work! The size is 8.5X11 and they were done in PhotoShop Elements. If you are interested in them and you don't have Elements or you just don't know how to use templates, just email me at michellestancil@bellsouth.net.

Here are a few examples:

And here are the 12 templates you will get.

This set is $10.00 or $15.00 if I upload your pictures for you (just email me).

I also have just the Bodacious Elements set for $5.00.

I do not have a pay pal button on the site yet, so when you email me, I will send you an invoice. Once you've paid I will email you the PSE files (unless I'm doing the calendar for you).

Please be patient through Christmas. I want you to have your calendar before the new year, but I don't want to miss out on my family festivities.

And the first person to order a calendar will get it FREE!!!!

A present from me to you.

P.S. I'll be working on a vintage, and retro calendar templates, but they will not be ready until after the new year.

WINNER WINNER!!!

2010-12-18T09:44:00.003-05:00

Yeah! Jennifer Mitten!! You are the winner of 25 Random stamps!!! Email Jimmi @ jimmi.mayo@gmail.com and let her know you won!

Thank you for all the wonderful comments you left and the well wishes for my boys. They are all feeling much better.

I'll leave you with a card...

Thanks for stopping by!

Stamps used:
Girl of the Moment

FWF Friday!

2010-12-16T21:40:00.007-05:00

I know. I'm a little early this week, but as luck would have it, the stomach bug has come to visit. I'm trying to catch quick cat naps in between tending to my sick fellas. I hope they are as attentive when it's my turn.

I have been so excited to share this week's project with you! I got the idea from Emilie Ahern

This is for a very special teacher who has taken extra time with the boys. I can't wait for the boys to give it to her!

And last, but certainly not least is a layout I did. I am WAY behind on Christmas layouts!

Don't forget to look on every blog today for the blinkie.;)

(a name will be drawn tomorrow and they will win 25 random stamps from Unity!!)

Thanks for stopping by! :)

Stamps used:

Just My Type, A Little Bit of Sunshine, Learning Year by Year Store kit

Unity Grainy Bark Chocolate Tutorial

2010-12-16T10:39:00.002-05:00

Disclaimer: I have never really done a cooking tutorial, so I hope this makes sense. Also, you should be forewarned that I had NO idea the grainy background stamp lines were so close. I had to improvise, but I think you'll get the idea.

First, stamp the image on the backside of a piece of wax paper. Then grease an 8X8 glass pan and put the wax paper inside. I place a paper towel underneath the plate so I can see my stamped image better.

Melt white chocolate and put in a plastic bag with the smallest tip you have. I used #2, but it still needed to be smaller. This is my tip for filling my bag. I place it in a cup so I can use both hands with ease.

Pipe along your design. Again,I had to improvise here, however, the Dream Tree worked like a dream! LOL!

Fill with your favorite fudge or chocolate bar recipe and cool.

Viola!

I'd love feedback on this so if you try it please tell me how it turned out.

Share pictures! :)

Thanks!

Mini Peppermint Meringue Cups with Ganache

2010-12-14T08:47:00.003-05:00

Timothy LOVES these! He almost ate them ALL! :)

This recipe is from the Dec. issue of Martha Stewart.

(side note: My kids love that me and Martha have the same initials. And, yes, I am on a first name basis with Martha. Hehe!)

To give these cups their festive design, paint lines of red gel paste food coloring up the inside of an empty pastry bag before adding the meringue.

Meringue Cups

Vegetable oil cooking spray

3 Large egg whites, room temp

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 tsp. pure peppermint extract

Preheat oven to 175 degrees. Trace 16 circles onto 2 pieces of parchment paper using 1 3/4 inch cookie cutter. Coat baking sheet with cooking spray and top each with a sheet of parchment, traced side down (duh!)

Heat egg whites and sugar in a heatproof bowl of a mixer set over a pan of simmering water, stirring, until sugar dissolves and mixture is warm to the touch. (about 3 min.) Transfer bowl to mixer. Whisk on medium high speed until stiff peaks form. Beat in peppermint extract.

Paint 3 stripes of red food coloring up the inside of pastry bag and add egg white mixture. Pipe coils to fill each traced circle. Pipe up sides to create cups.

Bake until cups are crisp but not browned and lift off parchment easily, about 1 hour 30 min.

GANACHE

6 oz. bittersweet chocolate

1 cup heavy cream

Transfer chocolate to a heat-proof bowl. Bring cream to a gentle simmer in a small sauce pan over medium heat. Pour over chocolate, and let stand for 3 min. Stir until smooth. Loosely cover and refrigerate until firm. (1-1 1/2 hours)

Stir ganache, and transfer to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/4-inch open star tip. Pipe ganache into the center of each meringue cup.

Garnish with candy cane.

Enjoy!

Christmas With Flair, Part Duex!

2010-12-10T07:54:00.003-05:00

First off you have to check out the coffee mugs my boys made for their Grandma's. Aren't they cute!!

We are all getting in the Christmas Spirit. Crafts are flying and glitter is in EVERYTHING!!! LOL! I love it. This weekend we are glittering some snowflake ornaments and I can not WAIT to show you the teacher gifts!!!

Alas, but for now there's only a card.

Oh yeah. Emily, my grainy background is in and I am working on a tutorial for the chocolate. It's going a bit slow because one of the twins got SERIOUSLY sick this week. He has to miss his VERY FIRST basketball game and he is CRUSHED! He should be back in school next week so I should have it up next week. ;)

Thanks for stopping by!

More Christmas Ideas!

2010-12-08T08:10:00.003-05:00

I made calendars for Christmas one year and the Grandparents loved them, but it was an overwhelming task for me! Yet, every year they ask, "where's my calendar?" So this year I did calendars just on a smaller scale.

I thought they would fit perfectly beside the computer or on the shelf of a book case. And the best part was they were fun, not stressful!!

I found the frames at Michael's and got the calendars from Designer Digitals. All paper and embellishments were from my stock pile. (A little of everything!)

Happy crafting!

Christmas With Flair!

2010-12-03T09:04:00.003-05:00

I am READY for Christmas. Now don't get me wrong, I haven't finished my shopping, I haven't finished my Christmas cards, and I have TONS of baking to do!! But I'm ready for the Spirit to fill me with His joy. To know that through all this madness of life He is still with me and He is the reason for me. (if you can't tell... it's been a long and very hard week for my hunny and me). So making this card put a smile on my face and I hope it does yours too!

Prince Of Peace is absolutely one of my FAVORITE stamps!!!! If the artist is reading this or if you know who drew this one, please let me know! :) This was the first Unity stamp I ever bought. LOVE IT!!!

Next is a creation of mine. Now don't laugh too hard because this was my first run. I will keep practicing until it is perfected! ;)

This is CHOCOLATE!!!!

Isn't it WILD!!! I'm waiting for the arrival of my grainy background stamp. When I get it, I will be making Chocolate bark (Thank you Martha Stewart!) as Christmas gifts! I'm so excited! I will absolutely share the final project, but I thought the practice run came out pretty good... and it's almost gone!!! LOL!

Have a great weekend!!!

Unity Stamps: Dream Tree

Christmas Time!

2010-12-02T11:55:00.002-05:00

I LOVE crafting at Christmas time! Every year I do ornaments for all the grandparents. This year our ornaments look like this...

Lots more coming, but for now... sleep.

I'm nursing a cold that is really kicking my butt!

YUMMO!!!

2010-11-30T13:50:00.003-05:00

It is that time of year again. You know, when you bake all those yummy treats and put on 10-20 pounds!!! LOL! My first request was for a pumpkin roll for Thanksgiving. One of our family faves! I make 2 just for my house! This was the first one (they got better as I practiced).

Pumpkin Roll

2 eggs

1 cup sugar

2/3 cup pumpkin (canned solid pack)

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp baking soda

3/4 cup flour

Grease cookie sheet and line it with wax paper then grease the wax paper. Combine all ingredients together and spread evenly over the wax paper. Sprinkle with finely chopped pecans if desired. (I don't) Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes. Take out of oven and sprinkle with powered sugar on the top. roll up in a dish towel and let it cool completely in the refrigerator for one hour.

1 8 oz. pack cream cheese

2 Tbsp butter

1 Tbsp vanilla

1 cup powered sugar

Remove the pumpkin roll from the refrigerator and roll it back out.

After combining all ingredients for the filling spread the filling evenly over the pumpkin roll. Roll the pumpkin roll back up and refrigerate it for at least one hour.

Enjoy!

FWF Friday! Circus Style!

2010-11-19T07:30:00.004-05:00

This was one of the BEST trips we've ever made! It was spur of the moment and the boys had never been before... I went in school, but I guess they don't do that anymore. Anyway, I add color to the stamps using rub-ons. I think it's just the right touch. What do you think?

Thanks for stopping by! :)

Birthday, Birthday, and MORE FWF Birthday!

2010-11-12T09:05:00.004-05:00

It's official... My twins are 11!!! I can't believe how fast it's going!

I put A LOT of thought into their birthday party this year and I think they really enjoyed it (at least I hope so).

Here's the CAKE...

The decorations. I made this candy steamer using an idea on the Martha Stewart show. It was glittery and fun.

The theme was skater dude, guitar,and bikes with lots of color. It's hard decorating for a bunch of boys.

Thankfully I got my girlie style on when doing this card for our neighbor.!

I used another stamp for the inside sentiment.

That's all for today!

Have a GREAT weekend!

I've been published!

2010-11-09T15:14:00.002-05:00

I'm the type of person that feels everything should be leading to something. I often approach my crafting with that mindset, so I REALLY wanted to see a project and my name in print! It FINALLY happened with the July issue of Cards!

So fun!!! :)

Post-Halloween Friends With Flair

2010-11-05T07:48:00.003-04:00

I had planned on posting this last Friday, but with the twins birthday party, I never had time to so I hope you enjoy a little late halloween layout! :)

My favorite pictures from last halloween's traditional carving of the pumpkin!

Love this pumpkin! And that ribbon stamp really! Really I love all Unity! he!he!

Hope you have a wonderful weekend and find some time to stamp!!!

Catching My Breath--PICTURE HEAVY!!!!!!

2010-11-02T07:46:00.004-04:00

We had so much fun at the fair!! I've been so busy that I'm only now getting to share the pictures. As a special treat my Mom went with us.

We got to see the boys.... HA!

This was Timothy's first time riding the fair rides and I think it's safe to say that he had a BLAST!!

When we got home we watched the local news and they showed Nick & Noah sliding down this slide!!!! How cool!!!

This is without a doubt my absolutely favorite ride!!! Loved sharing that with the twins!!

I DON'T DO HEIGHTS! But these guys do!!! :)

I have so much more to share so check back! There are more pics from the fair, some cool crafts I did for the twins birthday party, and even a layout!!!! Yes, I did squeeze in a scrapbook page. It actually took me 4 DAYS to do, but little by little I got it done!!!

I'm Still Here!

2010-10-26T12:46:00.003-04:00

Promise!

It's been CRAZY busy getting ready for the twins 11th Birthday Party!

I have TONS to share.... starting next week!!!!

You Really Are My Friends

2010-10-15T07:51:00.004-04:00

I love FWF day because I really feel like you are my friends. I mean I share my pages with you, I share recipes with you, and I share our family photos with you. You have to be my friend... right??? Well, today I have lots to share with you. First up is a page using one of the newer scrapbooking stamps and an older scrapbooking stamp. (I'd show you which ones but the NEW site isn't up yet)

My husband is the greatest. If you can't read the story then click on the page to enlarge it so you'll know what I mean. :)

Second is our family time last week!!!!! And I am thrilled to announce that we have even more family fun for this weekend!!!! But first, check out how my twins went down to the beach!

It was very cold when Nick rode, but it warmed up for Noah.

TOTALLY PEACEFUL!

This is where we did a little crabbing. :)

This boy did NOT leave 'Big Haus' side ALL day!!! Too cute!

The twins chillin on the sand.

It was so nice to get away. When I got back I started on the twins birthday stuff (see invitation below). There's tons more to show you for that, but that's next week. :)
Until then Keep Stamping!

Shhh. It's A Secret

2010-10-13T11:56:00.004-04:00

It is almost birthday time again! I can hardly believe the twins will be 11 years old! This year they wanted something a little more grown up so we went with a distressed skateboard theme with a mission impossible feel.

I used Unity's worn grid and numbers stamps for the inside. All other was digital and my own creation.

I'd love to hear what you think. :)

Grandma's Love

2010-10-11T12:15:00.003-04:00

It is amazing to see how a child develops little 'traditions' with each Grandparent. For my twins and one of their grandpa's it was saying "whoa, whoa, pa". Don't know why they did it, but it stuck and he became known as whoa whoa pa. LOL! For Timothy, there are several little things he does and I want to capture each one. I've started with his Grandma. He loves her so very much and she loves him right back.

Love these special moments!

FLAIR FRIDAY

2010-10-08T07:51:00.003-04:00

I'm so excited that the weekend is almost here! We have an awesome family day planned for Saturday. I'll share it all next week!

For today I'm sharing another family day that we took. (I hope that we will take more time do these family days because the twins are beginning the wonderful journey to teenagers and I think it STINKS! Literally and figuratively!) This was a day spent at the Z Max Dragway. They ran 4 wide this day and it was AMAZING!!!

Thanks for stopping by!
Now go get stamping! :)

All stamps are Unity. The circle border is from the Nov. SB Kit Capture Life (artist was either Lisa, Lindsay, or Michelle Bertuzzi) and the monthly report is from the Jan SB Kit Unforgettable Moments (by me)

Memories

2010-10-06T07:48:00.003-04:00

I think one of the memories that stands out for me the most is making roads in the dirt at the sitters house and riding my little red Z28 up and down those winding roads. No worries, no concerns, just plain fun. So when I caught my little fellow doing the same thing I had to snap some pictures! :)

He played out there for hours!

Oh Sweet Memories!

Shweee!

2010-10-04T10:54:00.004-04:00

Just for the record, I'm not totally convinced that I spelled my title correctly. LOL! At any rate, I am finally starting to get a rhythm going. I'm no where near caught up, but I am now an organized mess!

I did this layout using the sketch for the Back Porch Memories guest designer contest. Then last week hit and I realized that my plate is full and I can NOT take anymore time away from my boys. They are changing and growing so fast. I don't want my 'hobby' to take the place of my true love, so I did not enter it in the contest. Instead I have it here for your enjoyment! :)

Thanks for stopping by!!

Wednesday

2010-09-29T12:17:00.003-04:00

My days are flying by and I can't seem to catch up! Wait for me Wednesday!!

Thank You Lord!!!!!!!!!!!

2010-09-27T09:49:00.005-04:00

I have a birthday card to share with you today using one of my FAVORITE stamps from the Feb 2010 KOTM!! I think Lisa drew this one. (So sorry if I'm wrong).

And we have had a wonderful blessing! It started raining yesterday and has not quit!!! We have been so long without rain. The fields were parched and the peanuts were dying. Thank you Lord for this beautiful rain!!
Have a great day!!

FWFF- Pieces Of You

2010-09-24T08:22:00.002-04:00

Happy Friday! Mine is going GREAT! I've got the music blaring, the kids are out of school today so my Mom wanted them, Wesley's at work so I'm HOME ALONE!!! Does that ever actually happen????? So today will be a scrapbook and drawing fest!! :) Speaking of scraping and drawing... today I'm using the puzzle pieces from the Jan KOTM Savor The Journey. I was so excited that these got picked up and the inspiration actually came from a Bazzill ad!

Check out this boys pouty face!! Hilarious!!!

I hope you've found inspiration! now go get stamping!!

Summer Recap Part Duex

2010-09-22T12:53:00.007-04:00

We are so fortunate to be close enough to the beach to take day trips during the summer! We had so much fun watching the boys try out the skimmer board.

They rode the waves until their boogie board broke. Then they just improvised! LOL!

This little fellow couldn't decide if he liked the waves or not.

We had a blast!

Have a great day!

Sweet Grape Salad

2010-09-21T07:50:00.004-04:00

This is the BEST snack I have EVER had. I'm telling you, you HAVE to try it!

Sweet Grape Salad

8oz. cream cheese- room temp

8oz. sour cream

1 tsp. vanilla

2 Tbsp. white sugar

1 cup chopped pecans

1/2 cup brown sugar

Mix the above together by hand.

4 cups green seedless grapes

4 cups red seedless grapes

By hand mix in the grapes.

I am telling you... you WILL NOT be disappointed! This is an AMAZING recipe!

As Promised

2010-09-20T09:58:00.005-04:00

Here is the 2nd installment of what I will now call Inspiration Breakdown! LOL! I'm still using the stamps from Ippity's Love In Return plus I'm using one from the Dec KOTM Delightful Moments. This time I used the distressed dots to form a corner.

I stamped this on wood grain pattern paper.

And here is the result.
I hope this inspires you to pull those stamps out and try something new!

Flair Friday!

2010-09-17T07:35:00.005-04:00

As many of you know I am very blessed to be an artist with Unity. It amazes me how God works in lives. How can anyone doubt that He is very much ALIVE!! Sorry. I'm not preaching, I'm just extremely thankful for all that has been bestowed on me.

Moving on...I thought it would be fun to let you inside my thought process. When I draw an image I almost always have something in mind. The first stamps that I'm using are from Ippity's Love In Return kit.

I was TOTALLY thinking of my guys when I made this one! I LOVE circle stamps! There are so many different ways to add them to a layout.

This is exactly what I had in mind for this one. I thought it would go perfect in the corner of a page.

And I had actually gotten this idea from an ad in a magazine. I think it makes an excellent border. I love the fading off to nothing.

I have another layout using these same stamps, but in a different way. So keep in touch! (Don't ya just love a teaser!! LOL!)

BTW, can anyone tell me how to get tabs on my blog??? I'm slow so be specific. LOL!

Now go, Get Stamping!!

All stamps are Ipppity

Summer Recap

2010-09-16T09:26:00.008-04:00

This summer was filled with surprises where our boys are concerned. They all grew and matured overnight it seemed. We spent a lot of our summer learning more about the young men that the twins are becoming and one of the things that we found out was that Nick likes to play golf. He has never showed any interest in it before. One of our lazy afternoons, Wesley was in our front yard hitting balls and Nick asked if he could hit some too. Over course Wesley was over the moon happy to show him and Nick really picked it up and enjoyed it. (Noah... not so much. LOL!) As a result we took the kids to Knights Play, a par 3 course. It was hot, but it was also fun!

You will notice that I'm not in any of these pictures. It's because I HATE golf. I was the family photographer. It was such a fun morning spent with our fast growing boys!

A Page A Day Keeps The Blues Away!

2010-09-15T11:05:00.004-04:00

I miss summer so very very much. I miss having everyone home. I miss all the fun excursions. I really do enjoy every moment, even the tough ones. However, when everyone is home, there is no craft time, no scrap time, no stamp time, and absolutely no down time! Therefore I am way behind in all my scrapbooks. So here is the first of many pages that I will be rolling out and sharing.

Hope I've inspired you.

Now go get stamping!

stamps are Unity:...a little happy

Hodge Podge of Happiness

paper: My Mind's Eye, Bazzill

chipboard: Sassafrass

calender: Jenni Bowlin

UGHHH!

2010-09-14T07:31:00.002-04:00

It was bound to happen. I have officially caught my sons cold. YUCK! It's making it's way through our house. First, it was Nick, then Timothy, now me and Noah. So today I will leave you with a project that was showcased on Ippity's Flatter Saturday a few weeks back. (I was so surprised to be featured on the site!)

Get stamping!

Fabulous Friday

2010-09-10T13:21:00.004-04:00

Today I wanted to share another digi page. I actually did this as Timothy's 4th birthday party invitation. I absolutely loved how I caught the sun in the picture of him running.

I am so excited about today! The windows are open, I've got my dear hubbies favorite dessert made, planning an awesome supper (wild mushroom stuffed ravioli), the kids are going away for the night, and my man is bringing home a movie (I'm sure it WON'T be a romantic movie, but I still love him). Can't wait to unwind with the man of my dreams!

Make it a Fabulous weekend!!

Killer Blueberry Muffins

2010-09-09T09:47:00.003-04:00

One of the many things I've decided to start is a cookbook. I haven't done a single page yet... but I have been taking pictures of the food that will go into the cookbook! LOL! That has to count for something, right!

INGREDIENTS

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 Tbsp. baking powder

3/4 cup sugar

1 stick unsalted butter, melted

1 egg

3/4 cup whole milk

2 cups fresh blueberries

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 12-cup muffin tin.

In a bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and sugar. In another bowl, combine butter, egg, and milk and mix well. Pour wet ingredients into the flour mixture and with a spatula, stir until just combined. DO NOT OVER MIX. Gently fold in blueberries.

Spoon batter into muffin tray, filling each cup about 2/3 full. Bake 20-25 min.

Bon Apatite

I'm Back!

2010-09-07T12:19:00.003-04:00

Boy did summer FLY!!!!

I've been snapped back to the reality of schedules and school lunches.

I REALLY, REALLY miss the laid backness of summer, however, I can't wait to share it all with you! I'll start with a digi layout I did of my handsome baby boy (He's not much of a baby anymore! He's grown soooo much and he doesn't like being called Baby anymore :( That happened fast!) He was the ring bearer in our cousin's wedding this summer. So HANDSOME and he did an AWESOME job!!!

There is lots more to share, but I have tons of laundry to do! I'm off to enjoy the day!

LIFE

2010-06-09T11:06:00.003-04:00

LIFE.

It happens.

It FLIES!

These two are now officially 5th graders!

Angel Wings

2010-06-02T18:01:00.003-04:00

I CAN NOT BELIEVE THIS LITTLE GUY WILL BE 4 YEARS OLD SOON!!!!

A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words

2010-05-24T09:47:00.003-04:00

THE PROBLEM:

I love scrapbooking. My memory is horrible so I like to document EVERY step my boys make. Along the way I developed a very strong passion for photography and I found that I CAN NOT get that beautiful Carolina blue sky to show up in my photos. While googling the problem I found one solution in PhotoShop. Here's my result.

What do you think???

THE TECHNICAL:

In PSE using your magic wand, click on the sky. It will then select your entire sky ONLY!!

Then use your gradient bar to choose a gradient. In mine you use either the first or second one. Sorry I can't be more specific. It doesn't name them, but you'll know which one to use because it starts with color and fades to nothing.

Now click the foreground color box and choose the color you want.

Click the top of the selected sky and pull down. VIOLA!!! Isn't that cool!!

To deselect go to your select button at the top of PSE and choose deselect. That's it.

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial! :)

Friends With Flair

2010-05-13T20:29:00.006-04:00

Wow! It's been a while since I've done FWF!! I'm an awful blogger!! :)

To make it up to you, I have 2 cards to share and 2 pics of Baby just for fun.

Isn't he a cool dude?!!!?

I was actually practicing using a black backdrop. I still have a few tweaks to make. He's a smidgen pasty. Practice makes perfect.... right?

Have a good weekend!

Little Blessings

2010-05-10T14:53:00.003-04:00

This little fellow has been BEGGING me to take some pictures of him with his tractor and trophies so here is the final result.

His tractor pulling started as a way to help with his shyness and has turned into his passion!!

Oh yeah! I live with a bunch of red necks!! LOL!!!

and I LOVE them all!!

Happy Mother's Day

2010-05-07T11:49:00.004-04:00

Aren't these the most handsome boys EVER!!!!

This was my Mother's Day present. They did so good! And for the grandmas....

I hope they like it!!

Happy Mother's Day!

4 Christ

2010-04-11T18:17:00.007-04:00

This is taking a little longer than I thought it would so here are a few sneaky peaks!! :)

I'm still NOT even HALF through!!

You guys did so good that I have a lot more than I thought I would.

Thanks so much! I enjoyed meeting you all! :)

FWF Makes Me All Happy!!!

2010-03-19T08:33:00.003-04:00

I am super happy today even though I had only 4 hours sleep and this has been going on ALL week! My precious angels have decided that they would catch a bug.... separately. So for almost 2 weeks I've had one child sick!!! YUCK! And it wasn't one of those messy gone in a day bugs. No this bug lasts 4 days minimum!!!

So why would I be happy? My sweet Mom and Dad said, sick or not, they want the boys to stay with them tonight!!!! Aren't they the best! Good nights sleep, here I come! :)

Now for your viewing pleasure (or at least I hope it's pleasure) I have a layout of a very special time that I have dubbed...

The All American Meltdown :)

and a card that I made combining Little Buggers, Eco Chic , and the wonderful October KOTM.

Have a great weekend!!!

My Mind's Eye Challenge #9

2010-03-17T18:56:00.004-04:00

I am super excited about this month's challenge over at MME!!

It is a sketch challenge!!! And this is an AWESOME sketch!!!

Didn't I tell you???

There's one catch... Your layout has to be a 'Blast From the Past".

How fun!!!

So here's my little blast from the past (or should I say two little blasts from the past!!)

Thanks so much for looking and thanks MME for such a FANTASTIC challenge!!!

FWF SPRING EDITION

2010-03-11T17:48:00.005-05:00

The sun is peeking through the clouds, the daffodils are in bloom, and the temps are on the rise. I think it's safe to say Spring has sprung in NC!! I am soooo glad to finally see it, however it does hinder my crafting! :) I've not been inside all week!!

So I did this little number tonight and it goes along with the All Things Unity challenge.

I got to ink up the Unity Store Kit!! I NEVER get the store kit, but one look at that lighthouse and I knew I couldn't pass it up!! Now if anyone can tell me where to get some good sentiments to go with it (like 'Jesus is the Light of the world','So let your light shine', etc) that would be great!!!!!

I'm off to dodge the April showers!
Have a great weekend!!

Mojo Monday..... Sunday???

2010-03-07T11:14:00.002-05:00

Oh My Gravy!!! Have you seen the prize for the Mojo Monday sketch this week???

There will be one Verve Stamps set given away to one winner out of every 75 entries!!! I have been eyeing Verve Stamps for months, but economy, money, yada yada,.... has kept me from buying any so I JUMPED at the chance to win some!!! Here's my card!

I LOVE FWF FRIDAY!!!

2010-03-05T08:50:00.002-05:00

I just LOVE FWF, don't you?!!

I'm in the process of switching computers so if I've shone these before I am sorry.

This card is for my twin cousin who is getting married in July.

And this layout is so I'll never forget how much my Noah LOVES the Wimpy Kid books. We searched every Walmart around so we could find the entire set and he read them within 1 WEEK!!!

I LOVE this book stack stamp from the everyday adorable set. It is too cute!
Have a great weekend!! :)

(DISCLAIMER: I just noticed I spelled Wimpy WRONG!!! Don't laugh too hard!)

FWF: It's A Little Different

2010-02-26T07:28:00.004-05:00

I am SUPER excited today because I am taking my boys to the CIRCUS!!!! I can't wait for them to see the animals and watch the show!!! We try to set aside time every month to do something extra special with the boys. Sometimes it's the park, sometimes a movie... I hope in the grand scheme of things that it will keep us close during those quickly approaching teen years. :)

For my FWF, I decided to shack things up a bit. I was talking to a friend and she said she wanted to buy a Copic marker to see what the fuss was about so I decided to show her. I did NOT use Copics though (they are out of my price range). I used Prismacolor markers which are on sell at Jerry's Artaroma right now for $1.99 each!!

In my first example I used my Marvy paint pens which I love. I use them with my stamps A LOT!

You can see my lines and ordinarily I would NEVER color the background with these, but I was trying to make a point. :)

In this one I used my Prismacolor markers. You can clearly see that the lines are not as noticeable.

And here is my finished card using the Prismacolor markers.

I am in NO way an expert at this. There are TONS of tutorials out there that you can read, but I learn more when I just sit and play. :)

Hope you have a WONDERFUL weekend!!

This stamp is from the Go Ahead... Wish kit.

A Little Sunshiney FWFF

2010-02-19T09:46:00.004-05:00

What a week! We got snow AGAIN!!! I HATE snow, but this snow was perfect!! 4 inches, gone by afternoon, none on the roads, and no school closings! If we lose anymore school days we have to make them up at Easter break :( !

See my guys.

And my Mom with Baby.

So much fun, but I am definitely ready for some sunshine!!

And some fishing!

There is so much more I want to share with you, but I have to save it for now.

Have a WONDERFUL weekend!!!

All stamps are Unity

MME Challenge #8

2010-02-18T14:36:00.003-05:00

This is my layout for the 8th challenge at My Mind's Eye! Everything is MME and a little doodling by me. :)

Love this pic of my sweetie! It was taken on film about 13 years ago! YIKES! Where has the time gone??

It's a Valentiney Friends With Flair!!

2010-02-12T07:58:00.003-05:00

Valentiney is not even a word,but I thought it was cute! :) In honor of Valentines, I'm going to share a few things I LOVE.

I LOVE this man!

We all LOVE these pups!!

(they don't stay in the house, btw. and they are for sale to a GREAT home)

I LOVE these boys!! They light up my life! They keep me on my toes and they are the funniest little things I've ever seen!!

I LOVE this card (although the lighting is awful and I only noticed that NOW!! Sorry!)

I LOVE that every spring the boys I LOVE the most set out to find crawl fish and then go fishing together. No Mom's allowed. It is strictly male bonding time. Isn't that cool!!!

And I LOVE comments from all my bloggy peeps!!
HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!!!!!!!

Happy Birthday and Lots Of Love

2010-02-03T20:00:00.003-05:00

I have a card today that I did for my MIL's birthday. I LOVE this stamp from Unity!!!

And this layout I did of my Daddy. I LOVE him so much!! He's really changed over the years, but he's still so special to me!

His health is fading and his spirit is fading with it. I hate to see it! It really breaks my heart.

Thanks for LOOKING!!!!!!!

Yea!!! It's Friday!!!

2010-01-21T20:10:00.006-05:00

Happy Friday! Actually it's Thursday night, shhh don't tell. :)I'm so excited about my layout that I'm just going to jump straight to it.

What do you think?? I took this pic at night and tried a new way of saving it!! I am LOVIN it!!! The colors are right and I love how there is no border around it. It's like it's floating in air! I must say that the more I learn about my camera and photography in general, the more I LOVE IT!!!

This is also my layout for My Minds Eye. I love them almost as much as I love my camera! :)

Well, I'm off to enjoy my fam. They are ALL home today! YEA!!

Unity stamps used: Amazing Me and Capture Life

If you haven't yet tried Unity's monthly Scrapbook Kit, You DEFINITELY should!!! You'll LOVE IT!!

Love is Beginning To Flair Up...

2010-01-15T08:49:00.003-05:00

O.k. So my guys don't call me the "Queen Of Corny" for no reason. LOL! Could my title today be any more corny???????

Oh well. That's me. I love to smile, even at the silly, goofy, corny stuff! :)

Have you started on your Valentines???

I have!!! I've seen a lot of people embossing metal and I LOVE the look, but I don't have any metal. What's a girl to do?

Well THIS girl glued aluminum foil onto cardstock!!! Voila! Instant metal!

Thanks for looking!

I'm off to enjoy my day!

August KOTM: Remember Happiness

May KOTM: Another Sweet Day

A New Year A New Friends With Flair

2010-01-08T11:07:00.003-05:00

I'm LATE!! The boys had a 2 hour delay this morning and I can't catch up!!

These are my first layouts of the year and I got to use my Christmas present to make them.

MY CRICKET!!!! Walmart had them for almost half price after Thanksgiving and my sweet hubby snatched one up just for me!

I'd love to chat more, but I've got a hungry toddler waiting one me! Have a great day!!!!

The LAST Friends With Flair of 2009!!!!

2009-12-17T08:44:00.004-05:00

Wow! Time flies!!! I can't believe we are fixing to ring in a NEW YEAR!!!

Our house is a bustle with activity! The boys will be home soon for 2 WEEKS, Christmas is right around the corner, and we might get SNOW!!! I do not remember a time it snowed before Christmas! The boys are STOKED!!!

My first layout today is my version of Eryn's layout that you can see here. I just LOVED it so I lifted it and made my Prom layout.

Really?? Who gets to go to the prom with their life long sweetie!!!!!

This layout makes me laugh. You must click on it to read the conversation. These guys are AMAZING!!!

Can you tell that I LOVE these little woodland creatures!!

Last for today is my entry for the monthly challenge at MME.

I just LOVE LOVE LOVE that Unity is doing scrapbook kits now!!!! They are AMAZING!! If you haven't gotten one yet... you should!

Well I'm outta here til next year! I want to spend every second with my fellows!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!!

Friends With Flair Friday.... and.... The Start of Something New!!

2009-12-03T14:21:00.007-05:00

Yeeehhh! It's another installment of FWFF! I'm sooo glad I've had time to join in this week. It's been 2 weeks since I've had a chance to join and I have missed it terribly!!! So today I have 2 layouts for you!!

I am thrilled to announce that I am in the process of starting a digital stamp blog called Stamp itals!!! It's not running quite yet, but I do have a few digital stamps ready for those of you who make your own Christmas cards.

Abiding Shepherd

3w X 2-5/8h

$2.50

Light of the World

3w X 3-1/4h

$2.50

I am the Door

3w X 3-1/4h

$2.50

And here are a few sample cards

I forgot to load the image of just the stamp. Sorry! This one is called

A Savior Is Born

4w X 3h

$2.50

If you are interested in purchasing any of these just email me at michellestancil@bellsouth.net and tell me which ones you want. I will send you an invoice through Paypal. BE SURE TO ADD YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS IN THE COMMENT SECTION WHEN YOU PAY!!!! I will email your stamp as soon as the payment is confirmed! :)

All products are 300 dpi JPG downloads with a white background. This ensures a crisp stamp and easy to use.

Thanks!!!

It's Flair Time Friday!!!

2009-11-13T07:05:00.002-05:00

This is my second most favorite day of the week, Thursday is my favorite of course!! :) I love that Unity is a company that lets it's customers shine! It really does make you feel wanted!

I'm starting today with a tag I made using the scrapbooking kit Capture Life and Kitchen Logic.

I'll be wrapping this tag around some home made goodies at Christmas this year.

Second, is a layout. You know I LOVE My Mind's Eye so I couldn't wait to get in on a little contest they are having. And the winner gets their choice of 3 MME COLLECTIONS!!!!!!!! The sketch and all the rules can be found here.

This boy is such a funny sight when he's playing Raving Rabbits!!! I love it!! I used Capture Life, the store KOTM, Le Chic, and the Aug store KOTM in this one.
This gloomy, cloudy, rainy weather has been making it VERY difficult to get good pictures to upload, but it looks like I'd better get used to it. Looks like we will be socked in for quite a while.
Have a great weekend!!!

FWFF Are You Still On a Ippity High????

2009-11-06T08:30:00.004-05:00

Oh My Gosh!!!! If you haven't joined in with all the loyal UNITY FANS then NOW is DEFINITELY the time!!!!! They have just started the most FANTASTIC thing ever called IPPITY!!!! Yippee for Ippity!!! Now you can buy Unity's great quality rubber stamps and resale them and MAKE MONEY!!!!!!! How PERFECT! You must check it out!!!

As you know I'm a scrapper. I love preserving those little memories that I'm certain to forget. With that being said I have to plug Unity's Scrapbook Kit. It is the best yet!!!! I absolutely LOVE it!!!

Can you believe Christmas is only 7 weeks away!!!! YIKES!!!! So I've started on gifts and cards. We have roughly 50 people on our Christmas list, NOT including immediate family so every year is filled with lots of home made goodness. Here's a candy dish for a diabetic relative.

And I just went over the existing label with my own for the body wash.

And my first Christmas card of the season! Only A LOT more to go!! LOL!!

Last, but certainly not least. My man got himself a buck last night! I can't begin to tell you how much this meant to him. Way to go Babe!!!!!

Hope ya'll have a great weekend! We will be doing a roller skate bday party and the boys are soooooooooo excited. Wish us luck!!! LOL!

Stamps: Unity, Prince of Peace, LeChic Vintage, Aug. 08 KOTM

Paper: Deja Views, October Afternoon

Kids Are Home so I'm Keeping It Quick!!

2009-10-30T11:52:00.002-04:00

Ack!!! I this is the worst downloads EVER!! But I'm being stretched thin. You can get the idea. These are 2 more pages for Mom's retirement album.

All stamps are Unity... DUH!!! LOL!!

Have a great weekend!!!

FWF, Birthday Party, and Boys!!!!!

2009-10-23T08:22:00.004-04:00

Where does time go?? I know I ask this same question A LOT, but really???? Time seems to slip right through my fingers!

My precious boys are turning 10 Tuesday and I don't know how it happened so fast!! We are giving them their party tomorrow so the house is a bustle getting everything just right.

My boys came into this world too soon on the calendar, but it was the perfect time for God to show us His love and protection!!!

(Noah)

(Nick)

(Sweet little angels!!!)

Happy Birthday my sweet, sweet boys!!! I love you to the moon and back!!!

Now how about a little Unity love!!

My card was done using my fave Unity stamp... worn music.

And here is another page in Mom's retirement album.

Thanks for stopping by!!

Friends With Flair!!

2009-10-09T09:00:00.002-04:00

Wow! What an exciting time of year! We have the twins birthday 2 weeks (we're hitting double digits!!!), one of my dearest cousins is getting married next Saturday, and we have 2 births coming up next month!!! So EXCITING!!! For baby gift #1 I decided to do a little scrap care package. I did a layout for the baby's scrapbook.

If it's a boy...

If it's a girl...

And a handy little book for mommy to keep in her pocketbook to take notes those first few months because we all know there will be no scrapping for a while!!!! :)

I added an envelope for any mementos.

I hope she likes it!!

The Bro challenge this week is perfect for me!! I'm making a recipe box to give away as a Christmas present. Hopefully I'll have some done to show you next week... and I have a few more pages done in Mom's retirement album. So much to do... so little time.

Take care!!!

Another Installment of Friends With FLAIR!!

2009-10-02T09:27:00.002-04:00

I'm keeping it short today because the hubby is home sick and I over slept so the twins are home too!! Hope the teacher doesn't stop by my blog today! Ha! ;)

I have a card for you...

And a layout!!! I finally found time to scrap!

I have to admit, I really think my hubby is HOT in this pic. There is something about that motorcycle that just sends my heart in to overdrive. Maybe it's just the fact that I love him soooo much.

PP: My Mind's Eye, Basic Grey
Stamps: Unity Stamp Co.~ Old School Ride , Le Chic , Just My Type , June and Aug. Store KOTM

It's FLAIR Time Baby!!!

2009-09-25T08:58:00.002-04:00

My Hubby thinks I'm talking about Rick Flair every time Friends With Flair comes up in our conversation! Hehe!!

Today I have some cards for you because I have not had time to scrapbook!!! Can you believe it?? Who stays too busy to scrap???

I did this card for last weeks rendition of the Bro Challenge. If you haven't checked it out here's the link. It is seriously fun and you could win a TON of Unity!!!!

Thanks for looking!!!

Have a great weekend!!!

Unity Stamps: Worn Music, La Chic, June KOTM, Something Within

Bevy of Butterflies
pattern paper: MME, Sassafras, Basic Grey

Happy Monday!!

2009-09-21T12:42:00.002-04:00

I know! It's Monday and I'm posting! Truly shocking!!

I have to share with you my latest venture. I've been going around attempting to sell my handmade cards. I've never been intuitive and certainly never a risk taker, but an uncle has been constantly pushing me to do something with my 'talent' as he puts it. So I'm trying Uncle Dan. I've had a few nibbles, but no bites. I'll keep trying though. :)

Here is a set that I made. I'd love to know what all my bloggies think about it!!

Thanks for looking!!! :)

We Have Flair, Oh Yes We Do! We Have Flair, So How 'Bout You?

2009-09-18T08:46:00.003-04:00

Yeah! It's another edition of Friends With Flair Friday's!! If you have no idea what this is then you can find out here. There is so much Unity fun happening over at SCS! A very cool contest and a chance to get a $5 off coupon!!! Check it out!!! See! I told you it was fun!!!

Here are a few layouts I did this week. Life still hasn't slowed down and it's been hard for me to find my groove, but I'm sure I'll get a rhythm going soon! :)

My first layout is one I did using Pamela's sketch over at Scrap and Stamp.

pattern papers: My Minds Eye

die cut stickers: October Afternoon

stamps: Unity- July KOTM, Le Chic Vintage

pattern paper: My Mind's Eye

stamps: Unity- Le Chic Vintage , Just My Type, Amazing Me

How About Some Friends.....With Flair!

2009-09-11T08:38:00.002-04:00

Today is Friday so that means it's time for Friends with Flair over at Unity! Hop on over there so you can get a list of all the people participating today.

I'm so excited today! I'm going to my first football game of the season tonight and my Panthers will be playing Sunday (Go Panthers!!) and my Mom is officially RETIRED!!!!

I'm so incredible happy for her! She worked at the same job for 34 years!!! She's only 50 something (not going to tell everything). She started that job right out of High School. Amazing. So I'm putting together a retirement album for her and here is the first page.

Congratulations Mom!! It's well deserved!! Love you!!

Have a great weekend!

Do You Know What Time It Is??

2009-09-01T11:01:00.002-04:00

It's Sept. 1, Silly. LOL!! No. It's time for the Unity KOTM challenge!! You can win a free KOTM and let me tell you. Once you try these stamps you will love them!!! So head on over to the SCS forum and join in!! This month it is a color challenge using green, black, purple, and orange. It's perfect for Halloween pics, but I don't have any. So this is what I came up with....

Whatcha think?

We Have A Winner!!!

2009-08-28T16:21:00.002-04:00

I know! I said I'd announce the winner this morning. But it's morning somewhere... right? ;) It has been a CRAZY BUSY day!!!

My hubby picked number 27 and that is Jacqueline!!!! Congrats girlie! Email Eryn and let her know you won off my blog!!!

Now I'm off to continue my busy night! Have an awesome weekend!!!

And A Happy Hip Hop To You!

2009-08-27T10:44:00.002-04:00

Oh! I am so sad that this is my last Hip Hop!!! I've enjoyed being the GDT soooo much!! Thank you for all your kind words throughout this month, it has meant so much to me!!!

Now on to the show! :)

Aren't you lovin these peaks at the Sep. KOTM!! It's going to be another winner! I can feel it!

Today, I made a card. I know... shocker!!! My sis's birthday is tomorrow so I made her this card using the Aug. KOTM. You can still get this month's KOTM with the very cute stamp set Sending My Love free!!! But hurry! You only have 4 more days!!

And Angela was in a special kind of mood today!!! Every blog is giving away stamps!!! :)! All you have to do is leave a comment and I'll announce the winner here tomorrow morning!!!

Now you're off to CHRISTI!!!!

Hip Hop School's In!!

2009-08-20T10:43:00.002-04:00

Today is all about the scrapbooking kit called Le Chic Vintage!!! Isn't it AMAZING!!!! I soooo gotta have it, love it, can't live without it!! But sadly, it's not available until September 1st. :(. The Unity site will have a lot of stalkers!!

Another kit that is equally FABULOUS is this month's KOTM!! This school house is just perfect for all those back to school photos that I will be taking next week!

I love that bird!! He's the perfect accent piece.

Isn't this saying GREAT for school!!!

Next you're off to the very sweet and very talented AJ!!!!

Thanks for stopping by!!

We're Just Hip Hoppin Along!!

2009-08-12T21:09:00.005-04:00

Today is all about Sending My Love!!! Even the title screams Valentine's! I am just in love with this incentive kit and I know you will be too! To get it just Hop on over to the Unity store and sign up for the KOTM before Aug. 31st. It's that easy!

Aren't these envelopes adorable!!!

I thought this kit was perfect for documenting my son's first crush!! Can you believe it?? And he's not quite 10! Look out ladies! :)

My second project is a bookmark I did using Something Within. This is one of my FAVES!!!

Next is the extremely talented JULIE!!!

Baby's First Bike!!!

2009-08-10T10:41:00.004-04:00

Here's a layout I did for the GDT at Unity. It's wrong so don't follow my example!!!:) But, you still have time to enter!!! The deadline is 5pm central time!!

While doing this, I learned a very cool technique! I bought some white staz on ink a few weeks back thinking that I would be able to stamp crisp white images on my colored pattern paper. Not so. However, you can stamp on transparencies and then glue them to the page! That's what I did for the butterfly. If you have other ideas about using white staz on, I would love to hear them!!!!

all stamps are from the Aug. KOTM, Unity

pp: My Mind's Eye

And lastly, is a layout of my Baby. He is growing up too fast! I love the way he looks when he is sucking his thumb!! (I know I need to start trying to break him, but could you deny that face?!!?)

July KOTM, Unity

Aug 08 KOTM, Unity

Thanks for looking!!

Hip Hop!!!!!!

2009-08-06T11:00:00.005-04:00

I am so STINKIN' excited about my first ever Hip Hop!!!! If you are coming from the very talented Robyn then you are on the right track!! I love Unity! I love the quality, I love the people, I LOVE the images and speaking of images... this store kit is AMAZING!!! It reminds me of fall, which is right around the corner. The ferris wheel is so fun. I immediately thought of the fair!

There are just too many things you can create with this stamp set.

I have so much fun making cookies with my boys. When they have a half day of school I will lay all the sprinkles and chips out on the table. I'll get the dough made and then pick the twins up from school. They know when they walk in the door that it's going to be a sweet afternoon!!

This measuring cup and spoons is ADORABLE!!!

Now don't FREAK OUT if you don't have a store nearby that carries this AWESOME kit, because there are a few online stores that carry it!!! You can find them HERE!!

Well that's all for today. Don't forget to check out Angela's blog for all the sweet deals today and then join us at SCS where we will chat it up and give away free Unity!!!!!

Next, you're off to Laura!!!

HHH

2009-07-30T23:56:00.000-04:00

Oh My GRAVY!!!! Have you seen the new Unity???? I am drooling over these images!! If you haven't seen them then you must go check them out here... http://www.flickr.com/photos/shoppingdiva/. You'll have to scroll through a few pics of some new papers at CHA, but I don't think you'll mind ;) wink! wink!

Now on to the show.

This is a mini that I did for the twins little friend. Her birthday is Saturday and she's really into art and writing stories so I think she'll like it. (The boys have promised me that she's only a friend. Wonder how long that will last???)

Thanks for looking!!!!

Strawberry Traditions

2009-07-27T19:29:00.000-04:00

Time is flying by my friends! We've been shopping for school clothes and trying to wake up earlier. Some summers I'm glad to see end, but this summer has been so wonderful. I really don't want it to end. Wesley will be heading back to school in 3 very short weeks and the twins will be going one week later. It's too soon!

This layout really doesn't go with my story, but I can't not post some sort of picture.

Better Late Than Never HHH

2009-07-17T11:56:00.000-04:00

Ack!!! I completely forgot to post this last night! Sooo sorry!!! I'll make this short and sweet. I finally inked up my Bevy of Butterflies!! LOVE IT!!

This was another layout using the sketch for the Aug GDT challenge. I really enjoyed that sketch and I am looking so forward to being one of the Guests next month!

I used:
Confession
May KOTM
Bevy of Butterflies

Birthday Pics

2009-07-13T10:41:00.000-04:00

Baby's birthday was a success!!! He loved every second! It was filled with toys...

(this was courtesy of the ever charming and funny Lucas)

Baby LOVED the bug catcher kit!!!!

Then there was cake, or in our case, cupcakes! I ordered these from Walmart because Baby thinks they have the bestest cupcakes and icing! LOL!

The aftermath of a cupcake!!

The whole crew of kiddos. You'd never know that Baby was the youngest one. He hung right with the older ones. They even treat him like he's their age. Very sweet.

And we ended the evening with Horton Hears A Who and popcorn.

Fun times for a special little boy!!!

HHH and A Very Happy Birthday!!!

2009-07-09T21:15:00.000-04:00

It is so hard to believe that this little fellow is 3 years old!!! My how time flies.

So today will be filled with balloons, bubbles, cupcakes, streamers, and water guns in celebration!! Happy Birthday Baby! We love you so very, very much!!!

Now on to Hip Hop Hangover!

My first layout is my confession. The boys first pool party and those girls made such a fuss over the twins. Another milestone I'm not ready for... GIRLS!

I used Confession, and the Nov. and June KOTM.

Now, my second layout is what I like to call a dud! LOL! I had this image in my head, but it DID NOT transfer to the page!!

For this one I used the June KOTM , Confession, and Worn Music.

Thanks for looking!!

HHH 7-3

2009-07-03T01:17:00.000-04:00

Happy Forth everyone!!! We don't have big plans for the day, but we do plan to catch the fireworks!

I'm still reeling from our beach trip... I know. I haven't posted pics yet, but seriously. When do we have the time. I think that the ladies that have kids home all summer, work an outside job, and still manage to update their blog daily MUST be superwomen. I am NOT!!

I did manage to get one of our beach photos scrapped. I adore this pic of Baby looking up at Nick (whom he adores!). Love these boys!!

I used the May KOTM, June KOTM, and worn music.

Thanks for looking!!!

Monday Musings

2009-06-29T11:41:00.000-04:00

It's so hard to believe that this little fellow is fixing to be 3!!! Honestly, it seems like his been 3 for a year now.It breaks my heart that he is growing up so fast. He's favorite saying is "I'm trying to be bigger mommy." and he is trying... way too hard!!!

I got the idea for these invitations from Elizabeth Kartchner's blog.

It's Hip Hop Hangover Time Again!!

2009-06-25T21:47:00.000-04:00

Is anyone else feeling summer exhaustion??? We just got back from the beach (pictures to come) and I am dead on my feet!!!! These guys started their day at 7 in the morning and didn't quit til 11 at night. There was the ocean, the pool, the playground, the arcade, crabbing at night, fishing during the day, eating nonstop.... I am soooooooooo very tired!!

Here's a layout I did before we left.

What a fun day this was! We always look forward to picking fresh strawberries every April. For this layout I used the November KOTM. I love this kit!!! It's one of my absolute faves!

Well, I'm off to go see the new Transformers movie with the big boys (Granny will be watching Baby because he's not quite old enough for this movie).

My First HHH

2009-06-18T22:26:00.000-04:00

Yea for me!!! It's my first ever Hip Hop Hangover!!! I have been in love with Unity stamps since I saw a Christmas card Chelsea did. I ordered the stamp immediately and the rest is history! I am a full fledged Unity addict now. Here is my layout using my beloved Unity stamps.

I used everyday adorable, May KOTM, and What's your Mood.

Thanks for looking!

Next stop is Tara...

God is GREAT!!!!!

2009-06-17T10:43:00.000-04:00

As you know, last Tuesday our male lab, Hershey, ran away. I am happy to report that yesterday (exactly one week later) he is home and safe and very skinny!!! We found him at the pound. We never expected to find him there, but we are so happy to have him home especially DH and the boys!

Life has been crazy around here with everyone home, but hopefully I'll have some pages to share soon.