My One Little Word

This is my word...motto...mantra for 2011. It is already working well for me. There are so many things that I want to become, areas that need growth that it was hard to pick just what my focus should be on for the next year. And then I heard myself telling my frustrated husband that the people at work are never going to change and he needs to change his perspective on the situation in order to stop being stressed. Perspective. That word seems to come up alot in my conversations. Every situation...every moment in your life can be viewed through different lenses...from different angels. Sometimes just changing your perspecitve can make all the difference. I am teaching my kids this word. When I have been frustrated the last few days with their behavior (not bad behavior...just irritating quirks), we have sat down and rephrased my frustrations in a more positive light. And it helped tremendously. Alot of my stress is all in my head. And I mean to do something about that in 2011. It seems to be paying off. I like to talk out loud sometimes and mentioned this morning about the things on my to do list. Just so I could hear them. And lo and behold Billy and Isabel started the dishes and Collin vaccumed and did laundry. Wow! I suddenly am blessed with some free time and I am going to go enjoy it. Have a wonderful end to 2010. See you next year!

A little nostalgia

Look what came in the mail today! Happy sigh! I'm not feeling well, so I am looking forward to a hot shower, a good cup of tea and some reading time.

Guess what I found today while I was picking recipes for the next few weeks?
This was my Great Grandmother's recipe box. I remember a long time ago my Grandmother was cleaning out the basement and was going to throw this out, but I asked if I could have it. I put it up and haven't looked through it since. What is wrong with me? I flipped through it today and had fun looking at the old recipes. Some typed...some clipped from magazines and newspapers and some even hand written. What a treasure! I don't recall alot of special family recipes on my dad side, but I am excited to look through them to see what I can find. I have a book of recipes that my mom/Grandma gave me as well. I think it is about time that I made recipe books for the family.

Just a couple of cards

One of my favorite card making books is "A Card A Day" by Paper Crafts. If you have not seen it, you really should check it out. I know Archivers, JoAnn and Hobby Lobby carry it. It has actual cards and not sketches for every day of the year, but I have not run out of inspiration yet. Here are two cards I whipped up from the January card examples. The paper is very different from what I normally use, but I'm really liking it.


Only 8 more days until the first challenge kit is posted on our new blog! I hope you are planning on playing along with us this year!

Confessions of a Scrapbooker and a NEW BLOG!

Alright, I have to get this out of the way once and for all. I did not take pictures this Christmas. There. I said it. I made a special December Daily album so that I could document the month...had my camera at the ready on Christmas and realized that I was spending so much time trying to get pictures that I was missing the whole event. So I quit and didn't look back. I hardly feel guilty at all. I can still journal about it and get some after shots, but I spent some quality time with my family and stopped being the crazy lady with the camera for once. I'm not sure I will keep that up. LOL

So...did you know...that red pepper jelly is really yummy! Especially on cream cheese and crackers! And did you know ....that you can buy bulk bags of the dehydrated marshmallows from cereal? Did you? Well, now you do. I know those are odd things to get excited about, but they just make me happy.

Now onto the big news! My friend, Meridy, and I have started a challenge blog that will debut on January 5th! We both love kit clubs and love to make our own kits, so we decided to challenge ourselves and YOU to make our own monthly kits! I really think kits helps me scrap faster and better. It takes the guesswork out of it for me and lets me scrap whenever I get a few minutes.

Each month, on the 5th, we will post a kit that we have found to use as inspiration and the kits we came up with based on that. Through out the month we will share tutorials on making some of the embellishments, mini challenges to help you use your kit and even a blog hop so we can all share what we have done! Are you with me? So here are some links that you will want to know for our challenges:

My blog (I will post throughout the month about the challenges and what I am making)

Meridy's blog: http://www.meridy77.blogspot.com/

Our Challenge Blog: http://http//counterfeitkitchallenge.blogspot.com/

And facebook! Yep! You can like us on facebook. Just look for Counterfeit Kit Challenge!

Let me know what you think by commenting here or on facebook! And feel free to offer suggestions!

I'm not sure I can stand it!!

I am a neat freak. There is nothing wrong with that. I have calmed down substantially since I got married and had kids, but it is still in me. I feel like twitching every thime I see and mess and feel the need to straighten. And now the mess has invaded my scrap-space, my sanctuary. I think I might start twitching now. The good news is I got my Clip It Up prize. The bad news is that I have to deconstruct my room to get it all set up. That is not at all a problem except it is Christmas and I don't have time and my room has to stay this way until I can find time. Bleh. That part I hate. Off to make some Christmas treats and wrap more presents. :)

Clip it up in the house!

My Clip It Up came today and I can't wait to put it together, but I must. Christmas activities call! I did get some great photos today of our sleigh ride with Santa. Yes, you hear that right! We got to ride in a one horse open sleigh with Santa! Isn't that cool? Isabel was acting shy (totally NOT in her character normally) and Collin was explaining how this was not REALLY Santa. Just a guy in a suit. Sigh. Be quiet, boy.

Hippity Hop!

My main reason for loving Thursdays is...it is Unity Blog Hop Day! I "heart" those girls! Their blogs are fantastic and I always get so inspired that I pout a bit about having to leave to go help at my son's school. I would rather stay home and play. If you have never tried a blog hop, it is SO easy! All you do is go to the Unity Stamp Company Blog and click on the cute green blog hop button. It takes you to another designers blog...you just keep clicking away, gathering inspiration as you go. The nice thing is that you can do is as you have time. :) I'll try to post back later with some of my favorites from the hop.

So.....you may remember me mentioning about Simply Rene's Clip It Up giveaway. For the last, what has it been, 2 months I have been posting on their blog and facebook to be entered into a drawing for their floor model clip it up....and I WON! Yep. I am doing cartwheels here folks!

Check that thing OUT! Amazing! No, it doesn't come with all the stuff, but that is not a problem. I have enough here to fill that puppy up. I can't wait to get it (they are trying to have it to me by Christmas) and share pics. with you. I will be in heaven setting it all up and reorganzing my room.

Off to the hop now! Keep checking in here...I have a fun surprise to share with you all on December 27th. I think you are going to like it!

The simple life is NOT for me!

There are alot of things that I can do without. Apparently a computer is not one of them! I can now join cyberspace once again on my sweet new Sony Vaio. It is so pretty. And fancy. But mainly pretty. LOL I solomnly promise to be more gentle with this new friend and not take it for granted. (And to back it up regularly....)


I am happy to be coming back to share with you over the next year with more cards, more layouts, more challenges and...a secret. Yep. I am developing an secret identity. (Imagine me running into a phone booth and whirling around until I reveal my snazzy new outfit.) I am going to be starting a new challenge blog with a new friend of mine, Meridy. We have been chatting on 2 peas about our inspiration to do a joint challenge together. I am SUPER excited about it! We have big plans that include a new blog (we will both keep up with our regular blogs to post things that we each make), facebook page, blog hops, challenges and some surprises! What will our challenges be about, you ask? I might give you a hint about that a little later. Be on the lookout for it starting in January, though! I think it will be great fun!

In the meantime, I will post a few things as I get them done. I'm feeling a bit rusty! LOL Scrapping time has been fleetingly with all of the holiday activites. I dusted off my supplies, though, to whip up a card for Mojo Monday! Love this sketch! I have a feeling I will be using it again!

Go to Mojo Monday if you want to play along! I would love to see what you make!

Also in the works for me is a December Daily Album and chosing my One Little Word for this coming year. Last years word was Embrace and I tried my best to live it. What word would YOU choose for 2011, if you could pick one word to live by?