think fast

attention basic grey fans

So, I mentioned I was cleaning out the scrap cave. Yes indeedy, I was. I decided to pull the trigger and sort out my beloved Basic Grey stash. It filled THREE paper holders. I mean, seriously? Am I the only one who buys and nevers actually cuts Basic Grey's beautiful paper?

Well, if you follow this blog (or my work in Paper Crafts Magazine) you know that I am mainly a "fun and cute" kind of gal. Bold and bright. Graphic and clean. Not exactly Basic Grey material. It's time I face facts - this paper needs to belong to someone who will give it more love than I have to give. (Heh).

Now, when I say "stash" what I really mean is Hoarder Status possiblyover600sheetsofpaper "stash". Whew. MUCH of it is brand new. Like, still in the plastic wrap brand new.

Now, while I have purchased a lot of this on my own, a lot was also given to me via the extremely nice folks at Basic Grey in editorial sample packs, etc. So, I divided the pile into seven very full Priority Mail boxes. I am selling each box for $26 - shipping included and all the money will go to our church's Mother's Retreat 2012. Each box costs a flat rate of $10.95 to ship, so $15.00+ dollars will go in the fund from each box.

I mean really, how fun is that? I get much needed space in my cupboard - the paper gets some love - and Mother's Camp get a little boost.

Each box has a minimum of 85 sheets of paper, coordinating sticker and alphabet sheets, bonus embellshments (all new in packages). I have noted what each box contains in general terms. Every box has extra things not listed. You can certainly have dibs on a certain box if you see something intriguing. Please email me, or leave a comment. I will let you know how to pay.

WOW What a response - all sold out. THANK YOU!

BOX A:  Granola (still in pack), Eva, Kioshi, Porcelain, Sultry (100+ papers)

BOX B: Little Black Dress & Crude (still in pack), Green at Heart, Capella, Marjolane (100+)

BOX C: (Latest releases) Hello Luscious, Lauderdale, Life of Party, Curio, Hopscotch (95+)

BOX D: (Vintage box) Stella Ruby, Blitzen, Skate Shoppe, Romani, Perhaps, Lucky, Ambrosia, Scarlett's Letter (100+)

BOX E: (Holiday box) Nordic Holiday, Wassail, Jovial, Eskimo Kisses, Eerie (90+ 6X6 paper pad)

BOX F: Pyrus, Sugar Rush, Indian Summer (still in pack) Mellow, Recess, Lime Rickey (100+)

BOX G: Max and Whiskers (new), Green at Heart (new), Wisteria, Archaic, Origins (85+ papers plus 2 lace papers, 2 favor kits)

THANKS for helping me out! Out with the Old...In with the New. Yay!
Later.

winter solstice

It's no secret that I LOVE the sun. Summer is my favorite time of year. And, yes, I live in Phoenix. So, each and every year I celebrate the Winter Solstice. The shortest day of the year. Want to know why?

Because it's finally over. The days will only get longer and my beloved summertime is on its way. I even made a card to celebrate.

Ha! Ha! Just kidding. I did NOT make a card to celebrate (did I getcha?). But, I thought this card was quite appropriate for the coming New Year. I would love to wish each and every one of you Peace, Love and Happiness for 2012. (I used THIS adorable Paper Smooches stamp, btw).

I'm in the midst of a major purge --- good things just might be coming your way. Stay tuned for a big post tomorrow!

Later.

meet ralph

Yes, we broke down this year and invited a new friend to our home. Ralph is our "Elf on a Shelf". He is mostly nice with a little bit naughty thrown in. Eloise is still on the fence whether she likes him. She's pretty happy when he is sitting under the Christmas tree. But, that tends to give Ralph crazy ideas...

Eloise informed us, "That does NOT look pretty".

She did get a giggle out of Ralph's artwork, but didn't much appreciate him eating her favorite cereal.

Ralph gets around, too. He colored her a pretty picture and even found one of our chicken eggs in the coop.

He hid in Ello's stocking, then helped Santa plan out his route.

Apparently he loves to play Hide and Seek. Eloise found him pretty quickly this time.

He helped me frost cookies one morning and he loves Ello's blanket.

Even a busy elf needs to settle down sometimes, though. He helped Eloise brush her teeth and picked out a book to read. She loved that. (If you have any fantastic Elf ideas, please let me know...I'll be keeping notes for next year).

I hope you all have a very blessed Christmas and a Healthy and Happy New Year!

Take care.
Later.

quick DIY gift idea

I know everyone in the world has either an iPad, a Kindle or a Nook on their Christmas list, right? How about a cute little case to go with the gift?

I actually made this for Meghan about a month ago, but I thought it would be fun to share in case you are stressing about a last minute gift for the person who has everything. Homemade is always special.

I basically followed THIS tutorial, but of course I had to switch up a few little things.

I added a pocket inside to store the charging cord. I didn't want it rubbing on the Kindle while in the bag. I used basic fleece for the inside. Flannel would work, too. Minky is super soft and a little more "cutesy".

The zipper was super easy to install. Just remember to buy one long enough to go across the top plus a few inches extra. As for the outside pieces, you can do whatever you want. I pieced the two fabrics together with some black ric rac for trim. You could quilt the outside, add buttons, flowers, applique, anything. Super fun!

So, are you done shopping and wrapping? I AM! That means I have time to edit a few photos of Ralph - our sweet and sometimes naughty elf. Eloise has been going crazy keeping up with him.

Will post those tomorrow! Take care and be careful driving out there today.
Later.

 

gingerbread madness

Wow! I did get some photos edited. Amazing considering Eloise was sick for the good part of the day. She was in the whiny, I'm getting better and don't want to sleep stage, too. I should have counted how many times she said "I'm bored." It might have been a world's record.

Anywhoo- good thing she is so adorable. Here are some shots from Monday's Gingerbread madness. Sticky Frosting + Dozen Preschoolers = Messy Amounts of Fun...

Dip stick into frosting bucket, swipe a little bit on the crackers, lick the rest off. Well done, Eloise.

Serious concentration. Her fine motor skills are pretty darn good.

So proud. I was pretty proud of her, too. She stuck with it all the way to sprinkling coconut on top for snow. So cute.

After the houses were done and faces (mostly) washed, we had some circle time. The kids sang Jingle Bells and then proceeded to their favorite - the Bear Hunt. (Heh - I used to love that one as a kid, too).

A little bit of free time. "Make a wish, Mommy" after finishing her cake.

The class studied gingerbread all week leading up to this day. Eloise is pretty good at reciting "Run, run as fast as you can..."

Thanks for sharing with me. I have a quick LAST minute gift to share tomorrow. See you back here then!

Later.

it's a wrap

Yes, the contest AND my gift wrapping is done. Okay, almost done. But, pretty darn close.

First, the winner of the Paper Smooches stamp set is:

LOVE decorating treats...your ideas are awesome and fun with this new stamp set...which I totally love..

My favorite treat is..........lemon cheesecake drizzled with raspberry sauce....mmmmm Sounds good right...I might just have to get a piece this weekend.. (cheesecake factory)

Posted by: Annette A. | December 16, 2011 at 06:44 AM

I will send you an email, Annette - and Kim will be shipping your stamp set directly from her workshop. Heh.

I also wanted to share a couple of last minute gift wrap ideas. In keeping with the kid's choice of tree decorations this year, I went with bright and colorful gift wraps. I had the fun blue wrap from last year's clearance (love buying gift wrap the day after Christmas) and then I found the adorable polka dot at Target.

I made some simple tags for several of the gifts.

Basically circle punches and some Quickutz die shapes. I couldn't resist adding a bit of baker's twine, too.

Another die, this time on a square card. Love the little snowman.

And my favorite of the day - a cute penguin that I created myself. I had a gift bag with a penguin so I kind of followed the idea from the bag and hand cut this little guy. I attached the tag to a little suitcase. Fun!

Thanks for checking these out. I am editing a few photos from Ello's Gingerbread party at school that I want to share. But, today she is sick in bed so I won't make any rash promises. Hope your holiday preparations are in full swing!

Later.

muchas smooches

Did any of you used to read Calvin and Hobbes? I used to love when Hobbes would tease Calvin about Susie and say "Muchas smooches". Hee. I always think of that when I hear about Kim Hughes' adorable stamp company called Paper Smooches. (I know, I'm weird).

But, I do have exciting news today! Paper Smooches just released a super cute stamp set call "Yummers" and I am lucky enough to be helping promote it. AND, I'm giving you the opportunity to WIN a set for yourself. Read on...

First of all - there is the set. I know, way cute, right? I couldn't wait to get this one inked up! Even though it is not a Christmas set, I was inspired to use it to make a cute tag for a holiday goodie box.

One of my favorite things to do with Kim's stamps is paper piece with them. Just stamp the original, then stamp again on patterned paper, cut out and adhere. Easy-peezie. By using holiday colors, this tag looks quite festive. Wait until you see what's inside!

Oh yes. The moistest, and "yummiest" Pumpkin Whoopie Pies (from Country Living Magazine) just perfect for this stamped project. It was my first time making these and they turned out SO good. The only thing I changed was the baking time (12 minutes instead of 20). Otherwise - pure genius. The filling is flavored with cinnamon, cream cheese, cloves and maple syrup. Seriously.

After finishing the project, I treated myself (I promise I only ate one, not three) to a cup of coffee and a whoopie pie.

So, I'm on a baking kick this week -please leave a comment about your favorite "yummers" treat and I will enter you to win one of these stamp sets! Yay. Contest is open until midnight on Sunday, Dec. 18th.

Now, please head over to Paper Smooches blog AND Jacyln Miller's blog for two more chances to win. Love it. (P.S. I am trying Jax's Bacon Chipotle Brittle today - will let you know how it turns out).

Later.

 

 

christmas cookies

And baking in general...I would love some fresh ideas!

Mom and I are baking today (and tomorrow and maybe Friday) and we will make all the usual suspects: Homemade Fudge, Sugar Cookies, Finnish Pulla, Peanut Blossoms...but I'd love to try something new this year.

What are your favorite holiday treats? Link me up. You guys are the best!

Later.

tomorrow

Tomorrow, tomorrow...it's always a day away...

Sorry, that's the song I played for my piano recital back in 7th grade. Never could get that song out of my mind. Jessica's comment about tomorrow never coming brought back all the painful memories. Hee, just kidding.

Anywhoo - how about a few decorating photos that I promised last week. I don't actually do a ton of holiday decorating besides the tree, but this year we persuaded Mr. Grinch Keith to put up some lights.

I think most of the persuading was done by this little girl (she's not spoiled or anything).

By the way - cutest haircut ever, right?

Oh yeah, decorating. Here's Daddy and Princess attempting to untangle the lights. How about that winter grass? Love it.

Making some progress. (Love this golden hour lighting).

Getting a little piece of garland hung. This is Harrison's "don't take a picture" grin.

Sophie busy trying to get some lights on the garland.

Harrison switches over to wrapping the brick pillars. It looked so cute when it was done.

Meanwhile I decked out some pine branches for the front door. Just some ribbon and a few ornaments. Easy and cute.

Back in the house, the tree is finished right down to the crooked star and clump of stockings in the lower right corner. Wonder who did that? By the way, the kids and I switch off every other year. I get to pick the decorations one year, they the next. Guess whose turn it was this year?

And someone new has joined the celebrations this year. Meet Ralph - our Elf on the Shelf. Yes, I broke down and joined the elf craze. Eloise is still on the fence. She likes him sitting under the tree, but isn't too crazy about his adventures. So far he has tried to eat her ice cream, taken ornaments off the tree, dived into a cereal box and more. I will be sharing some photos of his adventures soon.

Have a great Monday.
Later.

deck the halls

Had a chance to start my holiday decorating this past weekend. I always start with my table centerpiece. My kitchen table is situated so it's the first thing you see when enter our home. It's an all white table (from IKEA) so I it's like a blank canvas.

Here's a peek at how it looks after playing around with some ornaments, paper and glue.

I posted more details and my process over at Paper Crafts Connection today - why not check it out?

I'll take more some photos of decorating and share those tomorrow.
Later.