Mr. Snowman Today

Here is another picture of our snowman! This is this morning after getting dumped on all night. Of course, the snow didn't stop until about 4pm today so it has even more on it now!

Tadd measured this evening and we have between 15-16 inches! Unheard of in these parts! Tadd is right now getting dressed to go snowboard the road by our house! There is definitely enough snow and no cars! I best go watch this! Have a good night!

Christmas Gift

Well, since we are STILL getting lots of snow, I have been very productive! This bag is for my cousin. We have a theme each year and our gifts follow that. This year's theme is sports. This bag is going to be a "Mom's Survival Bag" for sporting events. I have a little first aid kit, water bottle, hand sanitizer, chapstick, hand warmers, and toe warmers to put inside! This bag was surprisingly easy to make! And if you know me and my track record with sewing projects...that is saying something! I got the pattern for this in Karlee's etsy shop! Very easy instructions!
And a few pictures from our snow! Tadd and Isaac made this guy on Thursday!

And here he is on Saturday...we're not exactly sure how his head has not fallen off!

A Few Snow Pictures

**edited title to say SNOW pictures instead of snot pictures! LOL!**

I know I haven't updated in a while...'tis the season! For those of you bugging me about updating : ) here are some pictures of our winter weather! Looks like more is on the way and Tadd is home from school again tomorrow and probably Isaac too! Sounds like a baking day to me!

Tutorial for A Walk Down Memory Lane

Hello ladies! Today's class makes a great gift for the little girls on your lists! And it is SUPER easy! In fact as I was starting to write it up...I realized there isn't much to it so there is just one picture at the end!

Supplies:

Hair Clips

Felt butterflies or Flowers

Kaiser Rhinestones

E6000 adhesive or Hot glue gun

Sandpaper

1) Sand the end of you clip a little...this helps the adhesive grip.

2) Adhere the gems or pearls down the center of the butterfly (I did 3) or to the center of the flower. I tried a lot of different adhesives for this and found the adhesive already on the Kaiser gems worked the best! My 2 year old has worn hers 4-5 times and none have fallen off!

3) Glue the butterfly or flower to the end of the clip. The E6000 glue is strong! Your felt won't fall off! It does take 24 hours to dry. I have used the hot glue gun before but have had to restick later!

This picture isn't great...I'll try to get another one when the sun comes up!

Here's my daughter wearing one for her 2nd b-day which was a butterfly party!

That's it! Easy as can be!

Christmas Organizer Tutorial is Up!

I thought I would post my class here as well as at A Walk Down Memory lane but it doesn't seem to want to transfer over and I definitely don't want to retype it all! So here is the link as well as a few pictures! Let me know if you make one! I'd love to see it! Here's my cover:

And one of the inside pages.And what is inside one of the envelopes.

BG Daily Deal!

Just had to let you know that today's daily deal (see below post!) at AWDML is a screaming deal on Basic Grey collection packs! Those of you who know me, know Basic Grey is my absolute favorite so I totally plan on taking advantage! From today through the 12th, these collection packs will be just $7.50!!!!! That's 58% off the regular price! And she has lots of the different lines! You can find the collection packs here. And the instructions on how to get the daily deal every day here! Happy shopping!

12 Days of Christmas Crop!

Today is the first day of the 12 Days of Christmas crop at AWDML! Come join in the fun! It is 12 days of classes, challenges, and games! That's right...12 classes, 12 challenges, and 12 games! Imagine all the gifts and projects you could get done! Here is the class line up!
1-Origami Tree card
2-Christmas Planner (This is my first class! I'll have it on this blog tomorrow as well!)
3-Glass Ornament
4-Altered Wooden Clip
5-One Sheet Wonder cards
6-6 Easy to Reproduce cards
7-Holiday Mini Album using Coffee Cozies
8-Mini Coaster Calendar
9-Hairclips (My 2nd class!)
10-Holiday Patchwork Hanging
11-3-D Christmas Ornaments
12-Datebook
And that doesn't even include all the challenges and games! Be sure to stop by for lots of fun! There is also a different special deal in the store each day! So make sure you check that out as well!

Some fun giveaways and chances at prizes!

I wanted to share some blogs that I have been frequenting lately. All 3 have been having some great giveaways...mostly from moms who have etsy stores! And even if you don't win anything, you get to see some really fun stuff!
These first 2 have great kid crafts and activities when they aren't doing the fun giveaways!
MakeandTakes
Kiddio
This one does the most giveaways!
30Days

CocoaDaisy, a scrapbook kit club here in Oregon is doing a sort of food drive. The cool thing is, you can donate the food to wherever you want! For every 5 cans, you get your name in a drawing for some great prizes (there are over 50 prizes!). Just take a picture of you donating the food, put your picture in their gallery and let them know how many cans of food you donated. The food drive goes from now until December 20...plenty of time! Here is the blog post with all her information and list of prizes!

What have YOU done?

Just saw this on another blog and thought it was kind of fun and I was curious how many I have actually done! You are supposed to bold the ones that you have done.

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band ....at school
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland /world
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you're not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelos David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone's life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Read an entire book in one day

If you do this, let me know in the comments...I'd love to see what you have done!

One Down, One to Go!

Saturday was my first bazaar of the year! It was a little slow but I still did pretty well. It is always fun to see what others make and see what of mine sells! The things I thought would go well...didn't. And the one thing I wasn't sure of...sold really well! Here are a few pictures of my table!
See anything you just can't live without? I am at another bazaar in NE Portland this Saturday. Leave a comment, and I will be sure to get you the address. Can't make it or live out of town? After Saturday, I am putting all my stock into an etsy store. For those of you not familiar with etsy, it is like a year-round, national bazaar! All hand-made and vintage items. There is nothing in my store right now, because I am taking it to the bazaar, but next week you can see the items at: www.pensneedles.etsy.com Thanks for taking a peek!

Thanksgiving Placecards

My first online class started today at AWDML! It is for a couple of placecards...one for the adults and one for the kids! Can you guess which is which? =)

For all the instructions, look here!

WooooooHooooooo!

Check this out! I am so excited! I had a chance to browse through the galleries and holy cow...some VERY talented ladies! And I am especially thrilled to get a chance to be on a team with Joscie! I have admired (and drooled over) her work for a long time! I am going to float off to bed now! =)

She's 2!!!

Erin turned two over the weekend! We had a little family party. We went with butterflies this time...because I found cute butterfly cupcakes to make on Martha Stewart!

Oh the joy of a 2 year old! This wasn't even a toy...it was a sleeping bag! (Princess of course!)

Here are the butterfly cupcakes! Oh so fun to make!Such concentration on blowing out the candles! It took A LOT of tries!

A few Christmas cards

I did these cards for a Guest Design Team contest that I didn't get so here they are!

Sorry for such a short post...have to go b-day shopping for a certain little girl turning 2 on Saturday!

XC...almost over!

I missed my every other day post this weekend but it wasn't my fault! =) Tadd has been on the computer editing his movie for the xc awards banquet tonight! We (Isaac and I) drove down to Eugene for the state meet! Somehow the rain stopped and it was a gorgeous day! Tadd's boys were ranked 12th but got 8th! That was there goal from the beginning of the season! WooHoo Raiders! So tonight is officially the last day of xc stuff...the awards banquet! I am just excited that I get to wear my red heels! (see here!)

This is some more bazaar stuff. These are Christmas gift tags. I think I will sell them in packs of 10 for $3-4. I have a ton (I think 25 sets!) but I'll just show you my favorites!

Hair Candy

Here is some more stuff for the bazaars. Love these! I like how they display better without the rubber bands attached so this is what they will look like and then people can choose their rubber band color when they buy it. There are 2 sizes for the pony holders and then the clip buttons are even smaller. I took a picture with all three for a comparison. The gingerbread ones are just for fun. I am also working on some butterfly clips but they need to be embellished so I'll have to post those later!
Small Hair Candy:
Large Hair Candy:Hair Candy Clips:A little size comparison:I love gingerbread people so I made a few of these!

Vintage Button Rings

This project was not really planned. I saw the ring bases on an etsy shop where I was getting something else and bought 6 of them. This is now my favorite thing I've done for the bazaar! So much so that I just bought some more! I think the one on my hand will now be mine! The buttons I used, I bought at an antique fair. But I have my great grandma's buttons and I always hate to use them on cards and things so I think I am going to make all the women in my family one of these rings using my her buttons!


Let me know what you think and how much you think I should charge at the bazaar for these little cuties!

A Walk Down Memory Lane Sneak Peek!

Here's a little sneak peek of what I did with the November kits at AWDML!

More fun stuff tomorrow! Stay tuned!

Not my favorite!

OK, I'll be honest...these are not my favorite cards! But, since they are for gifts and I know not everyone likes bright, primary colors like me (LOL), I stepped out of my box and made these! They're kind of growing on me actually!

Hopefully tomorrow at nap it will be nice so I can get some pictures of all the stuff I have finished for the bazaar! It's so windy right now, I think it'd blow everything away!

The Weekend!!!

Tadd only had half a day today...conferences! So I haven't been able to get on the computer...he's editing a movie for his xc runners! He is now mowing the lawn so I'll quickly post some more cards so that I don't mess up my "every other day" goal in the first week! =)

Not the best picture but you get the idea! It was super windy out and the cards kept blowing away! So it was a very hurried picture!

Have a great weekend everybody!

Making Cards

I think I have already said that I am making cards as gifts for my family. I decided to make 10 cards and they are NOT going to match. I decided not to match them because I think maybe they'll want to send more than one card to people throughout the year so I wanted different looks. When I am making the cards, I am usually making 2 different color choices...just because I like to! Here are the first ones I made!

Goal: Post More Creations!

In preparation for the bazaars I am doing and just Christmas in general, I have been creating like a mad woman! But, I always forget to take pictures and post it! I have to get better at that! So my goal is to post something new at least every other day! Phew...hope I can keep up! So here is the first thing. This is a card I made for the Hero Arts weekly challenge. I hadn't played in awhile but this one was to use patterned paper and HA stamps. Since I love basic grey and they were one of the featured companies, I chose their "Offbeat" line. And I couldn't resist those fun monkeys! Hope you like it!

Has it really been a week????

I can't believe a whole week has gone by since I have posted! Bad blogger! I have been working on some cards to give as Christmas gifts. My friend Megan comes over every Monday to work! I already have 3 cards done for all the women on my list! Way ahead of the game (at least for me!).

Last year Anna (cousin-in-law) and I did a couple bazaars. After spending WAY too much time on it and staying up until 2:00am for WAY too many nights in a row, we decided that we wouldn't do anymore bazaars until our kids were in school. But of course, we couldn't even last a year! We are doing 2 bazaars in November! In the past I have found projects that involve sewing and get it in my head that I should do that. But, although I can sew, it is not my favorite thing to do. So this year, I decided besides all of last years leftover stuff, I would do papercrafting things! (oh and those cute little hair candies I showed earlier!) I thought Christmas gift tags would be fun. So yesterday, I whipped up 100 tags! And now I think I am addicted! They are so fun to pick the papers and then embellish with stamps or stickles! Hope they sell because I have a feeling I am going to make a lot! LOL! I'll post a picture soon!

Oh and don't forget, Tuesdays are my day to write on the AWDML blog! You can see it here! And there is a chance to win Skinny Cow ice cream! YUM!

A Walk Down Memory Lane Blog

Tuesdays are my day to post on the AWDML Design Team Blog. Today is all about photography! Check it out here!

Hair Pretties

I have seen these online a few times and today with Isaac in school, I ran (well, drove) to JoAnn's to get some supplies to make them myself! I think I could get addicted! They are so easy! I just used scraps of fabric that I already had and it is so fun to go through the scrap pile! I would have made a lot more except this was all the buttons I bought because I wasn't sure I would like them! Well, I do! And now I NEED more! LOL!
These are the ponytail holders. Can't wait until my hair is long enough for a pony! It looked very cute in Erin's hair though!
Here they are on clips. These buttons are smaller than the ones on the ponytail holders...should have taken a side by side photo I guess!I am thinking about making some of these to sell at a little show (more on that another day!) and maybe for if I ever start an etsy shop! I need a good name! Hair dots? Hair candy? I am so bad with that type of thing! Got any ideas? How about price? I am thinking 2.00 for the ponytail holders and 3.00/pair for the clips?!?! What do you think?

I've been Tagged!

Jessica tagged me yesterday (or the day before?). Now, I love to play along with things like this but I am going to have to break the rules on this one! I just really don't have many friends that blog! And since Jessica tagged all of our fellow AWDML dt members...I'll answer the questions but not actually tag anyone! So...if you have been wishing to be tagged...consider this your tag!

Here are the rules:

1. Link your tagger and list these rules on your blog.

2. Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.

3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs.

4. Let them know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

7 Things about me:

1.) I am 35 years old.

2.) I can't leave the house in flip-flops unless my toes are painted!

3.) I am a speed-reader and go through 2-3 books a week.

4.) I have a huge sweet tooth!

5.) I love Cracker Barrel...we plan our vacation routes around them because there are none in Oregon or Washington! Their biscuits are to die for!

6.) I am addicted to Coca-Cola! (but won't drink Pepsi!)

7.) Someday I will go back to teaching again...but probably not middle school again! =)


Hope everyone is having a good day!

Teddy Bear Parade

This morning was the Teddy Bear Parade! Isaac's preschool had a trailer with all the kids on it! All the moms (and dads) walked behind! It is a cute little parade! Here are some pictures of my little bear!

I haven't posted for a while...there has been a little cold going around the family and it wiped me out this week! I did get to a LSS on Friday to scrap for 6 hours but other than that I have been just kind of useless! Hopefully will feel better this week!

Reverse Scraplift Winner!

I won the reverse scraplift contest at CocoaDaisy! Here is where I previously posted about it! I won a $25 gift certificate! I think I am going to make myself wait for the October add-ons since I liked that kit so much! Maybe I'll find something that will be great for my heirloom album!

WOOOOOHOOOOOO!!!

I made the design team at A Walk Down Memory Lane! I am so excited to be working with Lisa and the rest of the team for the next 6 months! They have a great kit and a full store as well. I did some looking around in the store today and holy cow! There is a lot of product! Hope you'll come stop by!

Decathalon

So this was week 3's layout for the scrapbook olympics. It was decathalon. We had to use 10 elements...no more, no less. Harder than I thought but I really like what I ended up with. The background paper and photos count as an element as well as all the embellishments. I was the ONLY one out of about 75 that did a double page layout!

A New Way to Eat & Coburg Mini

I had seen these meals on the internet awhile ago but finally gave them a try. It was so easy to come up with some fun foods to put in the muffin cups...in fact I had a really good time at the grocery store (did I just say that?) looking for little foods. The kids thought it was funny too. Erin kept giggling and Isaac gave it high praise by saying it was "So Yum!" I think we're going to try to do it on Mondays as a special thing. Here are some more examples of muffin tin meals.

I think this is definitely the fastest I have ever got a book done after the event! This was the mini album and supplies from the October CocoaDaisy kit that we were using for the heirloom album. I just changed mine to the actual antique fair! I printed my pictures on textured white cardstock for a different look. Sorry these pictures aren't great...I couldn't get the little book to stay open!I couldn't resist using Ali's trademark of using the first letter of people's names on this picture of us.