Acknowledge and Move On

It's the most wonderful time of year

Which really means it's the busiest time of year.  CRAZY busy but in a good way.  We have had lots of activities to attend the last two weeks but I am happy to say, for us it now slows down.  Last week alone we had three Holiday parties and my husband's 20 year anniversary party at Disney (which was AMAZING) plus all of our regular going ons~ School, lacrosse, birthday parties etc etc etc.  It has been a whirlwind for sure and I LOVE every minute of it. 
This is definitely my favorite time of year.  I love to listen to Christmas music (in small doses which is key~), the lights, the hot toddy's and the shopping.  Usually by this time of the month I am done with all of my shopping.  This is not the case for this year but that is okay it will get finished and if it doesn't, well the season is about more than gifts.  Funny how the older I get the more I see the truth in that statement. 

The New Club Q Ships tomorrow and if you haven't become a member yet, THIS IS THE MONTH TO DO IT!!! This kit is FANTASTIC and includes one of our brand new paper lines, Verry Merry.  Here is what you will get if you join or are a member:

If you get the layout kit this is what it will include:

And if you get the Altered Kit:

Here is one of the project I made with the kit:

I embossed the card base with My Grand Calibur Machine and an embossing folder.  I used the Tahiti Powderpuff Ink Pad and a scrap of paper form the kit for the card front.  I added a Making Memories Tag and the My Mind's Eye wooden flag.  I also used the I Roc tool from Imaginisce and I have to say, the tool is AWESOME!  I have been loving how easy it is to add bling to anything.

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!

Final Day for QQ Blog Hop and a Card

Today is the final day of the Quick Quotes Design Team Blog Hop!  Be sure to visit the main Quick Quotes blog to see where today's journey will take you.  There is another giveaway so be sure to follow the hop and it isn't too late to hop along on the first two days either to be included in ALL THREE PRIZE Giveaways.

This Past weekend I went to a wedding and had an amazing time.  This was the first wedding I have been to in a long time and I was SO EXCITED to make a card.  The Wedding Colors were yellow and grey so I used Teresa Collins Carolina Breeze Paper (Which was PERFECT!).  Here is the card

I embossed the front of the card with a Sizzix embossing folder and my Grand Calibur and then added the pearl circle and heart accents (From Making Memories).  I inked the edge of the Carolina Breeze paper with a new Tim Holtz Seasonal Distress Ink (Iced Spruce).  The bride/groom sticker is from American Crafts, the Stamp is from Stampin' Up (I have had this one FOREVER!) and then I added the flower trim.  I was so pleased with the card that when I was buying the supplies to wrap the gift I almost bought a card (I did not do this though I was close) to give them too so I could keep this one!

Quick Quotes Blog Hop Day 2

Hello and Happy Sunday!  This is Day two of the Quick Quotes Design Team Blog Hop.  If you just happened upon my blog you will want to start at The Main Quick Quotes Blog.  If you are hopping along already, you should have arrived from Adora's Blog. 

Here is my project for the blog hop.

I cut a Kraft Card Base (4.25x5.5) and layered a piece of our BRAND NEW Very Merry Paper on top of the card (It is inked with a Maraschino Cherry PowderPuff Ink Pad).  I used my Grand Calibur Die Cutting Machine and Spellbinder Dies to cut the small snowflakes (which are attached with pop dots creating dimension) as well as the frame.  I added a Seasons Greetings Vellum under the frame and attached to the card with four Glittered Brads.  This new paper is included in the December Club Q which will start shipping on December 15.

Don't forget about the SWAG!  Start at the Main Blog and follow the hop commenting along the way and return to the main blog and be sure to comment there as well to be eligible for the giveaways!  There is a giveaway for each day.  Today's Prize is a Miss Morgan Paper Pack and 2 Ink Pads. 
Here is a project I did with the Miss Morgan Paper...

Thanks for stopping by, good luck on winning the SWAG and be sure to head on back to the Main Quick Quotes Blog and let us know what you think!

Happy Thanksgiving and A Blog Hop

Happy Belated Thanksgiving!  I hope you had a great holiday with family, friends, great food and possibly some shopping!  We had a very LOW KEY day, spending it at home with just our immediate family.  We watched the parade and some football, put up and decorated our tree and outside of the house as well.  My husband is a trooper and we left the house in the evening to brave the Black Friday Crowds.  A lot of the stores changed their opening times to Midnight and I think that it made a HUGE difference in the amount of people out and about shopping.  We were lucky and got all that we had set out to get, probably because we didn't have any large electronics on our list!  I even got some crafting time in over the holiday break...I am just about finished with our Holiday cards (I will be sharing them throughout the week!) and this year I did something a little different.  Usually, I make all the cards the same but this year I was inspired by my good friend Kate to switch it up a bit.  She makes EVERY Card DIFFERENT, just like snowflakes, no two are the same.  While I like her idea and was inspired by it, I made about six of each design (I couldn't do EVERY Card different, I tried..lol).

Also This weekend, there is a Quick Quotes Design Team Blog Hop.  Head on over to the main Quick Quotes Blog which will tell you all you need to do to be in the running for a prize.  The Blog Hop is three days long and there is a PRIZE for EACH DAY!  Be sure to check back here tomorrow to see my project for the blog hop!  Also, Quick Quotes has a BRAND NEW WEBSITE and it is AWESOME! To Celebrate and show how THANKFUL we are for ALL OF YOU there is a SALE going on RIGHT NOW!

 

**ALSO I would like to Say HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my Mother In Law, Pollie.  Happy Birthday Pollie, I hope you have a great day!

Middle of November ALREADY?

Holy Hannah, this month is FLYING By.  I guess being really sick for a week really doesn't help slow things down.  First Let me catch you up on my Thankful Days (long post warning inserted here):

 

Thankful Day #4: I am thankful for REAL football weather during a Friday night High School Game. Remember, cold temperatures are relative, but sitting in the stands in Low 60 degree weather with a strong breeze is very cold for a Floridian, but AWESOME Football weather and making it better, the Boys won and are now in the District Playoffs!

Thankful Day #5: I am thankful for coffee..not only first thing in the morning to get me going, but also for the midday coffee that kept me warm today during the Lacrosse game.

Thankful Day 6: Today I am thankful for friends, both near and far. I have a great network of people that enrich my life in many ways whether I speak to them on a daily basis or only once in a great while. And if YOU are reading this, you are one of the people I am thankful for.

Thankful Day #7: Today I am thankful for my children. I am AMAZED everyday by both of them in both positive and not so positive ways but they bring me joy, aggrevation, smiles, laughter, tears and more love than I ever imagined possible.

Thankful Day 8: Today I am thankful for the WWW (World Wide Web) which allows me to work from home and keep in touch with people who are important to me.

Thankful Day #9: Today I am thankful for music. Watching the CMA's and enjoying all of the live performances and yes Kari Calvert, I did know most of the songs thanks to Chase Granger

Thankful Day #10: Today I am thankful for VD Thursdays(Vampire Diaries Thursday).  Bring on Damon and Stefan. Hey, all the posts can't be deep and heartfelt, sometimes it is okay to be shallow ;)

Thankful Day #11: Today (AND EVERYDAY) I am thankful for the men and women who bravely and selflessly serve our country (both past and present) by being a member of our Armed Forces. I am humbled by the sacrifices that they make for my freedom and safety. I would especially like to thank Jim Heney and his family, Suzy, Jade, and Ethan Heney.

Thankful Day #12: Today I am thankful for quiet early mornings. I love getting up before anyone else and enjoying the quiet, hot coffee and music/computer/work time.

Thankful Day #13: Today I am thankful for the ability to unplug and spend real quality time with my family on a beautiful Day.

 

We have been pretty busy around the house with School activities as well.  It is amazing how busy I am with a child in High School and here I thought it would slow down once High School started (Boy was I WRONG!).  We have been spending our Saturday's at the Lacrosse field for games

This past Saturday Chase played for almost TWO Hours and scored a goal.  They won both of their games and are undefeated at this point.  Rhyan has been a SUPER Sport and spent the afternoon keeping score and sending text message updates to Chuck who couldn't be there because he was working.

The NEW Club Q Ships tomorrow...if you are not a member it is not too late to join..this month's kit is AMAZING Featuring BRAND NEW Paper line called Copper Kettle.

Here is my first project from the kit:

I made a canvas as a gift for a wedding that we are attending later this month.  I used paper and Canvas from the kit and added a piece of paper from the Cherry Truffle line.  The clocks on the new paper are FABULOUS and I had some Maya Road clocks that matched perfectly!

I still had LOTS of flowers left from the Petaloo Cross promotion last month so I was able to add those to this project as well

I hope you have a great Monday!

 

Thankful for November

Hello!  Sorry for the absence, it was a crazy October with lots of travel and lots of family and school activities, my husband started a new position in his company and Fall Ball for Lacrosse started.  I am happy to say that the travel is over for 2011 and I am looking forward to being home with my family and getting into a nice routine.

Fall is my favorite time of year, and this year is no exception.  I have been enjoying Pumpkin Spice Lattes at least once a week and the fall sweaters have been brought out (not often can I say that living in Florida!).  I am sad that there are only a few weeks of High School Football left though as I do love being able to see the Friday Night Lights.  Speaking of Football, this past weekend was Homecoming for my oldest daughter.  There was the game (which the boys won!) and a dance the following night.  On the night of the dance, there was a before dinner and an after dance breakfast (A long but fantastic evening for the kids and the parents that chaperone)

Chase and Her boyfriend (of 11 months YIKES!).  The dinner before the dance had about 80 kids attend for pictures and dinner and the breakfast afterwards had about 50 kids in attendance.  I think they all had a great night, the bad thing though was Chase had a Lacrosse game the next day early in the morning.  However, all the girls showed up ready to play and they won their game (WOOHOO!)

During November I am going to mention something I am thankful for everyday...so here is a recap from the first two days:

Thankful Day #1: I am thankful for my husband, who is also my best friend. The past 22 years have been full of ups and downs (mostly ups) and I wouldn't change a thing.

Thankful Day #2: I am SUPER Thankful for my job(s) which allow me the flexibility to not only take and pick up my children from school and attend school functions, and work from home but also allow me to be sick without feeling too much guilt when I nap off and on all day long. I WORK FOR THE BEST COMPANIES and I am very thankful for that.

And today is Thankful Day #3: I am thankful for modern medicine.  I am not usually one that takes medicine easily, I typically try and power through..however, when I cannot make it through on my own, I am thankful that there are medicines that I can take that allow me to breath through my nose.

What are you thankful for today?

 

Fall is my Favorite time of year

and one of the main reasons is because I can get Pumpkin Spice Lattes from Starbucks.  Also, the weather in Florida is cooler, I get to go to High School Football games, and finally my travel schedule slows down.  I have two main trips left for the year and a quick trip to Miami..Then I will be home for a few months and I am VERY Excited about this.  It feels like forever since I have been home for more than six days in a row...

There is a new Club Q getting ready to ship on the 15th of this month..

This kit features wonderful papers from Teresa Collins Designs.  Kits start shipping on October 17th since the 15th is a Saturday.

This time I am headed to Palm Springs

The Private Reserve in York was a SUCCESS!  I had a great time visiting with everyone and meeting some new attendees.  I am constantly amazed at how creative people are.  One of things I love about teaching is how everyone receives the same supplies, but the final results are so different.  It is amazing how adding a unique touch can completely change the look of a page or project.  We have also had very creative entries into our contests at the Private Reserves as well...I am very inspired to bling my own bras...

I was only home for two days before I had to leave again so there was no scrapping time for me.  I only had time to act as the Taxi driver for my children and clean up around the house.  I literally took the clothes from my suitcase and put them in the washer and dryer and then back into the suitcase (and yes, there were colors and whites in there together to save time).  I am looking forward to scrapping this weekend though with fellow Design Team member and Quick Quotes Teacher Lisa Giesbrecht.  I am pretty excited for this weekend as we are celebrating Stacy's (one of the owner of Quick Quotes) and Karrie's (one of the employees) birthday and there is no where better to celebrate than Palm Springs.

 

Headed to York PA

Via Philly with a 4 hour layover.  In my carry on I packed some scrapbooking supplies so that I could be scrap productive on my layover..but it seems that higher powers had different plans for me.  When I arrived at my gate in Orlando and boarded the plane, the overhead bin space was full and I had to check my suitcase to my final destination.  BUMMER..but, if you have a four hour layover in an airport, Philly isn't so bad as there is a lot of shopping that can be done.  Or blogging.. 

I spent last weekend in Washington State for the Grand Mound Private Reserve.  I LOVE going to this location for a few reasons..

1) It is like 5 minutes from the Quick Quotes Warehouse so we can get anything we need at anytime.

2) It is the first place we had a Private Reserve and there are women that have been coming each year and it is always great to see them again

3) It is like 15 minutes away from a casino (I admit, I am a heathen and enjoy a little gambling now and then) and this year I had an AWESOME casino buddy tag along.

4)The venue where the PR is held is a Great Wolf Lodge and it is gorgeous, but more importantly there is a Starbucks in the lobby and the restaurant serves Sweet Potato French Fries.

5) I get to see the ENTIRE QQ crew including all of the people that work in the warehouse making things happen.

There are many more reasons why I love going to this particular venue but I could go on and on..one thing that I do not like about this location is that it is located in the Pacific Time Zone, which means it is harder for me to connect with my family, especially on school days.  I was very happy to get home and see my children as I was unable to speak with one of my daughters almost the entire time I was gone. 

I also get inspired by all of the attendees and what they do with the projects we teach..it always makes me want to go home and scrap.  Unfortunately I probably won't have time to scrap on my own until October as we have 3 Private Reserves in a row with little time at home in between.  But, Since I have been participating in the Sketch challenge at Scrapbook.com I do have some reserve layouts to share

Have a great Thursday!

Quick Quotes and Peachy Keen Blog Hop

Thank you so much for joining us for the Peachy Keen Stamps/Quick Quotes Blog Hop!  If you've just come from  Melin's blog,then you are hopping along just fine.  If not, make sure you start at the beginning over at Quick Quotes' blog so you don't miss a single chance to win one of two fun prizes up for grabs!  You'll have until Sunday night to complete the hop, (and there was even more inspiration posted on several blogs yesterday as well!)

Peachy Keen Stamps and Quick Quotes have partnered this weekend to bring you incredible creations from both Design Teams. You'll see how versatile our products truly are!

For my project I used the Miss Morgan Paper line from Quick Quotes as well as the New Purple Passion Powder Puff Ink Pad.  I was lucky enough to work with Happy Birthday Kids Stamp Set (PK241) and it is a great stamp set...

These are great stamps that are easy to use and leave a clean crisp image. Once the image is stamped it is very easy to customize with color and bling!

I made a second card with the September Club Q Contents (and I used a Maraschino Cherry Powder Puff Chalk Ink Pad) and the Cake Stamp.  I also used Stickles to decorate the cake...

Thanks again for stopping by! I hope you're inspired and ready to create!Don't forget to leave a comment on each designers' blog for a chance to win either a Quick Quotes prize package or two stamp sets from Peachy Keen!The deadline for commenting is 11:59pm EDT, Sunday, September 18th.  Here is what you could win:

Peachy Keen Stamps PRIZE:

Basic Paper Doll Face Assortment

Faceless Fruit Stamp Set

 

Quick Quotes PRIZE:

Family Canvas Kit (All inclusive)

Glitter Chipboard (2 sets)

PVC Frosted Embellishments (flowers)

Your next stop on the hop is Nikki Foraker's blog.