Cute!

A little something to share...I saw this on Ali Edward's blog and thought they were just too cute! These are obviously custom prints...but you can also customize what you want them to say. Tanner wants his to say "you are incredible." LOL. But the artist is willing to put in anything (as long as it's positive!) And you pick the colors you want too!

Just thought I would share...if you have a house full of animal lovers like I do...then it's all good!

And speaking of animals, last night as I was reading the kids their bedtime stories, they wanted to know all about our dog, Macintosh as a puppy. Eventually they asked where we "found" him, what his mother looked like, what he liked to eat as a puppy etc. I answered all of their questions and told them we would have to get out the scrapbooks to show them what he looked like and how small he was. Suddenly they wanted to know specifically where his momma was...and wasn't he missing her a lot everyday? These are tough questions to answer in 4 & 5-year-old terms. LOL. I told them that I was Mac's momma now. They looked puzzled. I was giggling about it a little, when Tanner asked "Mom, well where did you find us then?" I was all out laughing by that point! I didn't think, at 5 years old, I would be having to explain the "where do babies come from" question! I told them that I didn't "find" them...of course I carried them around in my tummy until it was time for them to be born. Tanner had to add "And you got really fat?" Yep, that sums it up...I got really fat, and then you were born. LOL

Happy Friday everyone! Don't forget that our new kit "Paperweight" will be up for sale on March 1st at 8:00 a.m. CST!

More sneaks...

I cannot believe that it is almost March! Just wanted to share some sneak peeks from my gallery. This kit is just sooo cute! It's called "Paperweight." I love that name for some reason. This kit is full of vintage office supplies and has lots of paper included...10 sheets of patterned paper plus cardstock. And since I have a love for patterned paper this is a very good thing!
Here's a peek at one of the cute acrylic pages by Heidi Swapp. They are one of my favorite things from this kit. You can do so many things with them! Wait until you see everyones gallery!
I think this might be my favorite layout...maybe it's just that I got out the paint! LOL. That owl paper is just a-dor-a-ble!

And finally, today is a rainy (more like a downpour) kind of day, and so I decided I needed a little pick-me-up! The kids and I love these Fruitista Freeze's from Taco Bell and they have a new one that's lemonade...go get yourself one...seriously. It was good.
Be sure to check the website on March 1st at 8:00 a.m. for the big reveal of "Paperweight." I hope you have a fantastic night!

Counting crazy!

Chloe is cracking me up lately...she is really into counting everything, and I do mean everything. The things she usually counts are the number of broccoli spears on her plate at dinner (she LOVES broccoli) and the number of dresses that Cinderella has to wear, and the number of cups in the dishwasher as she hands them to me to put away. So today as she counted everything in the store, she needed to use the bathroom. (Okay, I know I have posted about their need to use every public restroom in the entire state of Illinois...and how it's always an emergency...and how most of the time, if we're going to be there for longer than about an hour, we have to visit the restroom twice! Why me?) So we head into the bathroom and she starts counting the sinks (of course) and then as we wash her hands she starts counting the bathroom stalls and decides that those numbers must correspond...so that everyone who uses the bathroom has their own sink. It was true of our Target today. Man is she observant or what? I have never in my life considered counting sinks or toilets or anything else in a restroom for that matter. Maybe that means she will have better math skills than her mother? That would be good. LOL. So next time you're in a public bathroom you'll have to count to see if the ratio of stall to sinks is even. Ha ha.

I also have one more quote by Tanner to share. He is just going through this super sweet phase right now, where he tells you exactly what is on his mind, and loves to talk mushy to you. It's really so cute. I am soaking it up, and not looking forward to the day when he thinks I'm a total dork...just because I'm his mother. So I was putting him to bed last night and we had prayed and he had been tucked in, and of course he had just one more thing to tell me...

"I love you Mom...you're the most happiest Mom in my life. And you're the most

amazing-mazing-mazing-mazing Mom in our city and I love you!"

I ran right into the kitchen to write it down so I could just get it word-for-word exactly how he had said it. Does life get any better than this? Yes, I know I could choose to focus on all of the hard things that I'm dealing with in my life (and trust me there is plenty of that) I could focus on the people who are negative and who have tried to hurt me and my kids. I could throw my hands up in the air and give up my HOPE. But when I focus on the those sweeter-than-sweet moments, and don't give the other stuff a second thought. The clouds clear and the sun starts shining right down into my soul. So that is what is important today to me...counting sinks...I am choosing to have faith and believe that God is working all of those hard things together for my good and the good of my kids also. Sometimes you just need to "refocus your focus." Can I get a good Amen? LOL. Hope you have a great night!

Ah Monday...

It's been one of those days. I actually really like Mondays...a fresh start to the week, a chance to get a head start on my list of things to do. But my plans were foiled today...and I only got to cross off a few things on the list making me feel totally unproductive. Ugh! It was for no reason in particular either. Just life! Here is my Chloe girl looking WAY cooler than I do in my shades. She cracks me up!
Here is a peek at one of my layouts for my March gallery. Are you getting excited? I am!


And here are a couple of layouts that Katie Haddox just sent me for her February gallery. She was in the process of moving...cross country...and so that is why she didn't have a gallery last month. Better late than never...huh?
I LoVe this one! Look at all of those letters you get in that Basic Grey dark chocolate chipboard alphabet! You can literally write a letter...so cute Katie! Thanks so much for sharing these with all of us!
There is something about that cupcake in this layout...maybe because it looks life-sized that makes me really hungry for one. Mmnnnn. Maybe I need to visit Portland too? LOL. Hope you had a great start to your week!

Sneak peeks...

Okay, I am just having so much fun playing with my March kit! I just had to show a small glimpse of what you'll be getting! This kit is full of bright cheery colors and cute details. It can be used for SO many different projects and themes. I am currently working on 3 projects with it all at once. I'll show peeks of those soon...once they look a little less "in progress." LOL.

See what I mean about "in progress?" LOL.

Happy Friday! Hope you have a super weekend!

Way to go!

I have some super exciting news to share with you all! Two of our very talented designers have been published in Scrapbook Trends Magazine this month using our October kit "Chit Chat."

Nicole Eshelman (who was a guest designer this past year) was featured for her layout using the KI Sheer Delights. These pictures of her little Buzz Lightyear are just adorable and I loved how she stitched the cardstock to the edge of the sheer delight...very cute!
And Katie Haddox was featured for her layout shown below. Love it!
Here's her hidden journaling that was tucked behind the photo. Isn't that stitching around the border great too? I loved the October kit.

The good news is that I still have some October kits sitting here. Wink, wink.

Congratulations to Katie and Nicole! You are great and deserve this recognition! Keep up the good work, and the inspiration!

Quote of the day...

Tanner after school comes over to sit in my lap and says "Mom...I love Chloe and Maci and Marcus and all my friends...but I LOVE YOU THE MOST!" It doesn't get any better folks...nothing could be sweeter or more genuine than the honesty in his voice. What a gift to be loved SO much. They are coloring and drawing pictures while I do the dinner dishes and you should see the creativity! (The stack of drawings from today is HUGE!) Hope you had a great Tuesday!

Scrap stuff...

Well I made a small dent in my to-scrapbook list this weekend. I had a few more ideas to make layouts using my "Dark Chocolate" February kit. (I just usually never have the time to finish them before my gallery has to be done.) So yesterday afternoon I sat down and finished them, and then used some of my CHA stash of new products to make one more layout as well. I also have made some progress on my gallery for March, but that can't be shared quite yet...LOL.
I made this layout using the February kit and our Christmas card picture from this year.
Half of my journaling was done using my old typewriter and then I used the Basic Grey monogram letter stickers to write "earth." Originally they were a pale blue color, but I decided I wanted them to be brown so I used ink to cover the blue and then still wasn't happy with the color of them, so I painted over the top of it with cream paint. Finally they looked "right" and I liked the way it turned out. I added ribbon that I stitched to the picture and the little home metal tile under the photo. I also used the darling winged wool felt heart that my mom had made (which I shared in an earlier post.) I love the way it turned out!

The journaling reads "As long as I am on this earth...this will be where I feel most at HOME...with you in my arms."

This layout is about how much I LOvE dark chocolate! I think the world would be a better place if we all ate some chocolate everyday. LOL. I love the look of the KI Memories stamp, stamped over the October Afternoon music notes paper. I added paint to the edges and rub-ons to the centers of the flowers to give them a little extra personality.
The rub-ons are by Fancy Pants in "Daily Grind." I think they give the layout just the right touch of color.

And finally, I had fun playing with some of the new My Mind's Eye product, and I love that little title that says, "Life, I love you." Perfect for my frame of mind. It's from their "Penny Lane" line.
I added some KI Memories buttons, a little lace from our February kit, and a heart shaped Love, Elsie chipboard button. The word stickers used in the journaling are by Rebecca Sower from a 100 years ago. LOL. I love them. I stitched around the entire die cut paper to add some more texture and liked the way it turned out. I loved these pictures of our feet!

Hope you have an excellent Monday! Just a quick reminder...if your subscription went through today or you made a purchase...your kits are being sent out in the morning because of the holiday!

"V" Day

So in an effort to make Valentine's Day a success here...we started the day off with a breakfast of heart shaped toast. But to tell the whole story I have to go back to the beginning. Last night I decided to stay up late and make paper hearts to hang from the kitchen ceiling to make the house look a little festive. I cut out some hearts freehand and threaded them with some floss and then hung then around the ceiling in the kitchen. It wasn't hard and it didn't take long, but it made today feel different than any other ordinary day. So I was dead to the world at around 3:30 this morning...Chloe woke me up to tell me that she was "just too cold under the covers in her bed." I told her she could climb in, and fell right back asleep. Another 5 minutes passed and I hear her little voice say..."Mom...I saw the hearts in the kitchen." and then she just giggled to herself for the next 5 minutes. I told her that they were supposed to be a surprise for the morning, but I couldn't help but giggle with her because she was so giddy she could hardly sleep after that. So this morning there was lots of excitement about the decorations, and the heart toast and the presents. Really what says "I love you" like a new squishy cockroach? LOL. Tanner is in heaven! The lady who checked me out when we bought it almost jumped when she saw it because it looks so real. Ugh. The sad part is that they do probably get that big too. Ick.

Chloe got a puppy that barks "I ruff you."And I decided that what I wanted for "V Day" this year was a new snow shovel. So we headed to the hardware store last night and I picked out this. Pretty exciting huh? You know you're jealous! LOL.

They had a few kid-sized shovels there also for under $5. So we brought home 3 new shovels and you would have thought I had given them the moon for how excited they were about trying them out. (It didn't hurt that the snow started flying while we were buying the shovels.) So today we have been shoveling...even though we only got a tiny bit of snow. And playing, and now they are watching Valentine cartoons. I'm listening to my newest favorite artist Francesca Battistelli. Check her out...seriously!

And just so you know...all of the hearts were made with Sassafras Lass papers. Love them all! Here are a few close ups.

My plans for tonight are to scrapbook and catch up with one of my best friends here. Yippee!
Hope you have a beautiful Valentine's Day and that you are surrounded by love!

Inspired...

It's amazing when I take a look around and find so many things that inspire me...sometimes it's prints and patterns, others times it's color, or nature, or family. I see so much beauty in the things that surround me. Sometimes these things are a little used and shabby...like this old toy phone that sits on my moms desk at her house.
Sometimes it's a picture of a "moment" that you wish you could just freeze.
Sometimes I'll see texture or pattern that pulls me in.
Or some REALLY cute new scrap supplies. (Sassafras Lass...need I say more?)
Sometimes it's object inspired by nature that are so simple...yet so beautiful.

And you all know how I feel about palm trees...definitely inspiring!

Music!!
Seeing the imaginative things that my kids create.

Or a new pair of shoes. LOL. (Chloe's idea of a pair of new shoes at least.)

There is so much beauty that inspires me that is right in front of my nose. I am going to make an effort to seek it out everyday and let it inspire me. What inspires you? With Valentine's Day approaching...I want to take a look at my relationships...and appreciate each one for how it enriches my life and how each person truly inspires me. Have a great night!

Random...

Do you ever have one of those days where you just feel like you were at the starting line of a big marathon the minute your feet hit the floor in the morning? That was today. The sad thing is...it was just work and kids and cooking and grocery shopping and post offices and emails and the usual...nothing exciting to report. SO, my sister tagged me with the whole 25 random things about me thing, and I figured...why not?

So here goes...
1. I am VERY happy at the ripe old age of 32! Yikes...I don't feel that old! (okay maybe that doesn't count as a very random fact.)
2. I absolutely can't stand fish or seafood...even the smell. Yuck.
3. I am a girly girl and like all of that stuff.
4. I love to be crafty and scrapbook...I know you're all shocked! LOL.
5. My favorite desert is anything chocolate...and the darker the better.
6. I still keep in touch with my best friend from first grade, even though we haven't seen each other since we were 12!
7. I always root for the "underdog."
8. I am a "car" person, meaning I probably know more about makes and models of cars than most girly girls.
9. I love to travel and have been around the world, but I would still love to see Paris. (And a lot of other places for that matter.)
10. I am an animal lover, but couldn't even think of being a vet because that would mean seeing them hurt! I couldn't stand that.
11. I am a brutally honest person...and am an open book...just ask those who know me best.
12. I moved out on my own right after I graduated from high school, not because I didn't LOVE my family...but because I wanted to prove it to myself that I could be independent. (But I always went home for food. LOL. Thanks mom and dad.)
13. I like sports...and have played a lot of them.
14. I love movies...my dad thinks I watched a few too many...they aren't REALITY.
15. I love food...and try my hardest not to diet. LOL. My favorites are Italian and Mexican. Mmmmnn...I feel like some lasagna.
16. My dad is a pastor and has been since I was 4. He has been one of the biggest influences in my life. I can say without a doubt he is the one who taught me to dream BIG. He has more integrity than any other person I have ever met in my life...and I luv him.
17. I used to love riding my bike when I was a kid...now it's one of my least favorite things to do. (I have no idea why?)
18. The 2 best days of my life were the days I had my kids!
19. I would love to live internationally...and spend 2 months in one place and then move to another for 2 months. I mentioned I like to travel...LOL.
20. I live in the country...even though I am a "city girl" through and through. I have learned to appreciate the good in both.
21. I have a pretty big collection of shoes and purses...this must be a result of the whole "girly" girl thing right?
22. I rely on the Lord for everything in my life...I would have absolutely NOTHING if it weren't for Him.
23. I seem to be prone to breaking my toes??? Seriously, I have never ever broken anything...besides my toes.
24. I love a good love story...but it HAS to have a happy ending, and no one can die!
25. Oh and this is a good one...I totally guessed what Ali Edwards was naming her baby. (I advertise on her blog...and she had a baby today.) I guessed either Alice or Anna or Annie. She named her Anna. Big congrats to her and her cute little family!

If you are still reading this post...and aren't asleep on the keyboard...good for you. You deserve some chocolate! LOL. Hope you have a great night!

Good times...

It's a beautiful day here...around 60 degrees and I am headed outdoors to take down the Christmas lights. It's not a fun job, but someone has to do it! That is what happens when you leave town...everything still needs to be done when you get home again. I also am helping the kids write their Valentines for their school party this coming week. Seriously...is it really that time of year again? I am trying to get creative thinking of something fun to do with the kids, since it's a Saturday this year. Maybe the zoo, which is their favorite thing in the world to do? Maybe mini-books for each of them and a picnic (the picnic is contingent on the weather being as beautiful as it is today. LOL.) I also thought about decorating their rooms one day while they are at school with hearts everywhere...they would be so excited about that! They love to "decorate" as they call it. Mostly that entails them stringing Chloe's hair ribbons and animals all over the house. Fun. (Can you sense my sarcastic tone here?)

Before we left Colorado we took a family picture...I can't remember the last time we were all in the same place at the same time. Group photos, especially with 4 kids, are just so much fun! It's so hard to get a good one. Here is what we ended up with. It makes me miss my family so much just looking at it! (My little nephew Caleb was cracking us all up hiding from the camera...he's 2 so we cut him some slack.)
These aren't my favorite...but it is a picture of the 3 of us, which is rare, so I'll take it!

Love this girl...a LOT! Miss you Holl!



The cousins...this was the best one.
This was trying to get them to be silly together...as you can tell Tanner is always up for silliness!

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!