At the Zoo!

Favorite sister Jan and I were emailing yesterday morning and she mentioned the kids were on Spring Break this week and they were headed to Tampa's Lowry Park Zoo for the day and me being me, I invited myself along! John was gone for the day with his folks, so why not!

We had a blast! We were there til 4:00 and got to see the new baby elephant, baby pigmy hippo and baby orangutan. Course Jake is all about animals, so much so that I started calling him Noah! He knows the Zoo by heart, what animal is coming up, so we got a running commentary from him all day! That animals habitat, what it eats, what it's poop looks like (Like I was concerned about THAT!) And Joy was just her little Princess self! She's so good natured. I told Jan that the two of them get along better than she, Kathy and I did growing up. Two of us were always ganging up on the third. I hated both of them, or Kathy hated Jan and I or Jan hated Kathy and I! I think that's the way with odd numbered kids! It was a fun day. I got sunburnt on my arms and face even with sunscreen on. Maybe I should invite myself along more often!

New schtuff!

I had two 40% off coupons from Michael's that were burning a hole in my pocket, so when John and I went out to run errands on Sunday, we went to Mike's and used them both! And in the process, got two 50% off coupons to use starting this coming Sunday! I got some new t!m Holtz Fragments that are different shapes other than circles or squares and have a hole in one end that you can thread fiber through. I got a new Xacto knife since the one I'm currently using was my dad's and I've used all eleventy-billion blades he had and I can't find the size blade it takes anywhere. Mike's had the new EK Success punches on sale 40% too, so I got the two that have been calling my name since they came out! Just doing my part to stimulate the economy!!

Happy Birthday Debbie!

Yours is the final in a long list of friends who have birthdays in March! Hope you have a fabulous day, even though you've got to work!

Deb recieved her gift from me the other day. She got a hanging frame (not one of Sue's Famous Wall hangings, which she already has!) and an altered book album. She also recieved one of the boxes filled with candy for winning a spot in my Share The Love game in February.

Happy Birthday friend!

Share The Love gift

This is what Jenn, Debbie and Chris all got for playing the Share The Love pay it forward game with me back in February. I filled each of the boxes with Reese's Miniature Peanut Buter Cups and Hershey's Miniatures. Don't dispair if you didn't win! I may do another pay it forward game. Stay tuned!

CPS challenge

Really simple but beautiful sketch by Tami at http://www.cardpositioningsystems.blogspot.com/ this week. I chose to turn the sketch on it's side for my card.

I had CTMH Key To My Heart paper pack out working on another project, so I decided to use it for this challenge. I'm loving my new Nesties Labels 4 dies, so I used them again. I also used the flourish stamp from the matching KTMH stamp set. The flowers are CTMH that I sponged Tulip, Creme Brulee and Sorbet inks on and added a bit of bling for the flower center. Fiskars Elegant Fountain punch was used on the cardstock strips. .

Happy Birthday Jenn!

Today is my friend Jenn's b'day. In honor of this momentous occasion...here's what Jenn got from me. Her favorite holiday is Halloween, so I made her one of Sue's Famous Wall Hangings that she can put on a table. (I bet it stays out year-round!) I also made her a pocket Memory Book. And probably best of all, not one, but TWO pairs of Big Gurl Panties. Since she always seems to be losing hers! So now she's got a spare pair!

Happy Birthday BB!

A little pick me up

My friend Heather has been feeling kinda blue lately, so I decided to get her a little something to hopefully make her feel better. I went shopping last week and Yankee Candle was just putting out all of their new summer candles and accessories. They had the cutest little flip flop tea light candle holder and I couldn't resist! I got a pkg of tea lights to go with it and made a cute little penguin card with a hula skirt to complete the gift. She got it yesterday, so I can share now!

CardPatterns challenge

Another rockin challenge this week at CardPatterns!

When I saw this DP in the Autumn Leaves Mat Stack I got at Michael's last week, I knew I wanted to make a black and white with a pop of color card with it. This was the perfect opportunity. I used two different types of CTMH Black Ribbon Rounds and backed it with White cardstock. I used my new Labels Four dies from Nestabilities and placed a single CTMH Big Pinks flower that I sponged Hollyhock ink onto and added a CTMH Pretty Pin as the flower center.

OCC challenge

A color challenge for us this week at Our Creative Corner! The challenge was for SU! colors; More Mustard, Bashful Blue and Not Quite Navy and a neutral. I used as close as I could on CTMH colors with Honey, Heavenly Blue and Moonstruck and SU! Kraft cardstock for my neutral. The stamps are from a new t!m Holtz set exclusive to Michael's called Flights of Fancy. Brads are unknown from my stash.

Amy R's challenge

Amy's got another great sketch this week. Check it out!

http://prairiepaperandink.typepad.com/amyr/2009/03/friday-sketch-55.html

I was at Michael's the other day and they had a really cute Mat Stack by Autumn Leaves called Pretty Poppies marked down. Forty sheets of patterned paper, 6.5" x 4.5" for $2.39!!! Needless to say, it came home with me. Even though I'm on a use it up kick, I could not pass that up! This card was designed using three of those papers. The mailman brought me a nice surprise yesterday too! My new Nestabilities Labels Four dies. The rest are still on back-order. Maybe I'll have them before CHA July!! So I opened those bad-boys up and used them to cut the Citrus Leaf and White Daisy cardstock. I used CTMH Treasure Life and Grey Flannel for the background flowers. I cut the poppy out of one of the pieces of DP and pop dotted it onto the background stamping. I used my EK Success scalloped border to cut the black cardstock. The brads were white! I put Glossy Accents on them and dipped them in Sparkle n Sprinkle Spirited Green glitter.

New hairs!

I got them cut AND colored yesterday! Last color was before Convention in July last year and my last cut was before Thanksgiving. I was looking shaggy...and dark! Summer's coming, so I needed to lighten things up a bit. So we whacked it all off! I even let her cut it up over my ears. I can't tell you the last time I've let my ears show, because of the thang that ended up being basal cell that was in my ear for so many years. But it's gone and the spot is all healed, so why not show my ears?! We also made it blonder. I lift in about 10 minutes and I told Heather when she was washing me out that I took that to mean that God really did intend for me to be a blonde, since I lift so quickly! Now I jsut have to remember to use a LOT less shampoo!

CPS challenge

Such a cute pattern from Tami at http://www.cardpositioningsystems.blogspot.com/ this week!

I had an idea in my head as soon as I saw the sketch. I decided to lay the sketch on it's side. I used CTMH Stardust paper pack. Lion and sentiment are from CTMH Life's A Jungle stamp set. I used CTMH Sassy Strands for the lion's mane and CTMH Bitty Brads for his eyes. Sakura Jelly Roll pen in black for his nose for a bit of shine. I tied four pieces of jute where the 4 paper strips join at the top.

CardPatterns challenge

Those gals at CardPatterns keep coming up with the cutest sketches! And the DT does such great examples with the sketches. If you haven't checked them out, you should!

Since I already had CTMH Heirloom (retired) paper out, I figured I'd just go with the flow! I used my CTMH Four Seasons stamp set for the Spring tree and stamped it using New England Ivy, second generation, for a softer look. The sentiment is from CTMH Say It In Style. I used a couple of pieces of jute tied in knots and a metallic brad from my stash to complete the card.

OCC challenge

Another great sketch from March's hostess Kim at Our Creative Corner this week.

Feeling my "masculine" side today, so I went with CTMH Heirloom (retired) paper pack. Grungeboard heart is from t!m Holtz, painted with Old Paper Distress Paint, then came back in with CTMH New England Ivy around the outside for dimension. The "U" is CTMH CTMH Color Ready Alphabet Oxford. I sponged CTMH Vanilla Cream ink, then did just the outside edge in New England Ivy. I used my "somewhat" new EK Success punch for the torn paper edge. A piece of CTMH twill ribbon and a brad from my stash.

Amy R's challenge

Amy gave us another great sketch this week at Prairie Paper & Ink.

I was in need of a masculine card, so that's what I did with my challenge card. Paper pack is CTMH Heirloom (retired). Stamp set is CTMH Raccoon & Friends (retired). Twill is CTMH, as is the chipboard ribbon slide. I did change up the position of the ribbon, moving it from the bottom of the card where Amy had it to the top. Otherwise, I followed the sketch pretty closely.

Dermo good news!

Finally!

Went back for my check today and she was very pleased with how well all three sites have finally healed. The last one we did is completely healed and she says it should have very little scarring. The first two sites were a bit more complicated. Since they had been done the longest and had the most damage, they are both gonna leave pretty nasty scars. They have both finally scabbed over and she said a lot of times, she will take the scab off, but she said we're better off leaving these alone with all of the problems we've had with them. So the scars will be worse, but they are covered with clothing 99% of the time, so I'm not worried about it. I'd rather have a couple of scars than the potential of having something cancerous left inside me. And since all three sites were looking so good, she said we could go back to the skin tag freezing. So she froze a bunch more and said she doesn't want to see me for three months unless I notice something that needs her attention. Woo Hoo!!

Yard pretties

I am kind of amazed at some of the pretty flowers we have already in the yard. We didn't get a lot of rain this winter and I refuse to turn on the sprinklers. We are currently in a three year drought that has the greater Tampa area about 3 feet below normal in rainfall. Reservoirs are dry and they have now had to start pumping groundwater for people to water their lawns and to have drinking water, which will only increase the likelyhood of sink holes. Yet, there is still residential and commercial building and no further cut backs of our already stringent water restrictions. Sorry, I cannot justify watering my lawn when I may not have enough water tomorrow to drink. Just one more way of raping our state dry of it's resources. Ok, I need to get off this soapbox before I fall and hurt myself!

First we have a few roses, then the dogwood tree (my piece of the Smoky's in Florida!), Black-eyed Susan, azalea and the front of the house which you can now see since we cut the redneck trailer trash hedges this past weekend. I have to get some CLR to take the rust stain off the far right side stain on the wall where the soaker hose blew out. We have very high rust and iron in our water. We have to soften what comes in the house, but don't do it outside, so when I do water, anywhere it touches the house, it turns it a nasty brown color.

Janelle's birthday gift

Once again, the USPS is moving with lightning speed! Janelle's birthday isn't til this Sat, and I sent her gift a week early since it was going to the left coast and she got it in three days! Amazing. She's a teacher. Enlightening the next generation. So with that in mind, I made her one of Sue's Famous Wall Hangings that she could put in her classroom and think of me everytime she looked at it! ;) I also made her a clippy board that she can use on her desk to jot down a quick note. And a little door hanger that I turned into a card holder with 4 3x3 cards inside that she can use. Happy Birthday BB!

CPS challenge

Another great sketch this week at http://www.cardpositioningsystems.blogspot.com/. Tami keeps coming up with such great ideas.

I used my Scor-It to score the bottom piece of Sweet Leaf cardstock. Then topped it with the stripe paper from CTMH Paper garden paper pack. The mouse and sentiment are from CTMH Egg Hunt stamp set. The mouse I colored using colored pencils. Ribbon is from my stash and the punch is Fiskars Elegant Fountain Embossing punch.

CardPatterns Challenge

LOVE the challenge this week at CardPatterns! There are so many ways to interpret this design.

I started with SU Kraft cardstock. I used my Scor-It and made lines 1/4" from all four sides. I also used CTMH Aspen paper pack. The owl and sentiment are from Papertrey Ink - Wise Owl Stamp Set. The ribbon is CTMH Creme Brulee Ribbon Round collection.

OCC challenge

Kim gave us a limited supplies challenge this week on Our Creative Corner. We could use a maximum of three layers and one embellishment. This called for some creative thinking!

I started with SU Kraft paper and used my new Nestabilities Pierceabilities Ric Rac Scalloped edge for the bottom. After I cut it out, I left the die in place and came in with CTMH Desert Sand ink to give the design a bit of dimension. Then I grabbed my Scor-It and made some overlapping lines across the top and sides. I found a giant flower in my Deluxe Designs chipboard stash and covered it with a piece of CTMH Cocoa Cafe paper, then distressed behind it with a bit of CTMH Desert Sand ink. A big, honkin' green button from my stash and a couple of pieces of jute for the flower center. Three layers and one embellishment make a pretty cute card!

Amy R's challenge

Amy gave us her first sketch that she did, just updated a bit for this week's sketch. Check it out here:Prairie Paper & Ink

Her first card was a Bella, so I decided to dust off my first Bella in honor of that! Grumpabella was my first and still my favorite! I'm still on my "use up the old paper packs kick", so this is CTMH Paper Garden. I used my Coluzzle to cut the circles. Grumpy is colored with Ranger Perfect Pearls and colored pencils. Chipboard is CTMH. Ribbon is from my stash.

Blast from My Past!

I was channel flipping the other day and happened on a show on Food Network about fair food. One of the things they talked about was Pronto Pups. Now I never remember them from the fairs, but I DO remember having them at home. The mix came in a cake box size box. You mixed 2 parts mix to 1 part water, dipped your hot dogs and fried them. And they (in MY opinion!) were sooooooooo much better than corn dogs. I remember eating pronto pups up into my late teens, early twenties when I was in my first apartment. Then the mix disappeared. And I was sad. I consoled myself with the occasional corn dog when we'd go to the fair, but it was never the same. I found out while watching the show that corn dogs are all cooked at the same time and left under a heat lamp til somebody buys them. Pronto pups are cooked when you order them. Which is why they tasted so much better to me! And lo and behold, there is a company in Oregon that sells pronto pup mix! And I ordered some! Smallest amount you can order is a 5 lb bag! I didn't care! Mailman just delivered it. I ordered it on Tuesday. Today is Thursday! How's that for service! I've already got my dinner plans in place for tonight, but tomorrow night...Pronro Pups at Sue & John's! Here's a link if you'd like to order some for yourself! They even have candy and caramel apple making supplies. AND cotton candy making supplies! How cool is that?!

corn dog mix, pronto pup mix, corn dog sticks