INKSPIRATIONS

Baby Cards Blowout . . . featuring Baby Button Bits

2011-06-23T09:33:00.012-07:00

Happy Thursday . . . sorry if that title sicked you out . . . as I thought about it, using baby and blowout in the same sentence never brings to mind good things (Ew!) I think I have been a mom too long . . . but anyway . . .

Today I decided to post a few of the baby cards I have made recently. I have decided that the cards I use most often are baby, birthday and thank you - so I plan to make most of my cards fall into these categories if possible. Practical eh? Yeah, that is me lately!

This first card was made with a set called "Baby Button Bits" (Papertrey Ink).(well, okay, all the cards I did for this post are) It has been around awhile. It was designed to work with buttons perfectly and I adore it!!! I thought the black and yellow "bee" colors would be cute and the sentiment really makes it a baby card. Sometimes I like to go back and work with some of the sketches I never had time to get to on the Mojo Monday blog . . . and this is one of them! It's an awesome site to find layout ideas! If you have never checked it out, GO! You'll love it!

This second card kind of goes a little overboard on the pink, but hey, when else can you get away with that? If someone's having a baby girl, generally they are darn excited to see that much pink! *grins* I used MOJO175 sketch for that card.

Last but not least, I made this lovely card using the same stamp set, and using a patchwork technique challenge from Splitcoaststampers. I really LOVE the look of patchwork and I love that it uses up scraps in your scrap drawers (I have 4 drawers of scraps, so really, I *need* to use this WAY more often). This card again features non traditional baby colors, but is all baby! I am almost sad that I will have to give it away one day -- I really like it! It also uses that gorgeous bakers twine that is oh so trendy right now in paper crafting! Thanks for stopping by! Hope you have a wonderful day and have some time to get inkspired!

Wishing You a Fabulous 4th!

2011-06-22T13:43:00.001-07:00

I know it has been forever since I have blogged. I have found the majority of my spare time sucked up with having two babies 14 months apart. But Baby M is 15 months old now, and I am starting to find a little bit of time to pursue my hobbies again.

I am going to make some efforts at back blogging some of the fun stuff I have been up to . . . since ultimately this blog journey is for me to remember, and you get to come along for the ride.

So today, I have a card for you that I stamped this morning. I have a few more cards I have stamped recently that I will upload over the next couple of weeks to share with you. I stamped using a new Pure Innocence set that I got from My Favorite Things. I have always been a sucker for the Magnolia images and these new, somewhat similar images did not disappoint . . . they are similar in that they are fun to color and fun to paper piece. This set is called "Little Firecracker."

Stamps: Little Firecracker (My Favorite Things) Paper: Liberty Stripe (BoBunny), Liberty Freedom (BoBunny), Night of Navy (SU!), Solar White Classic Crest (Neenah) Ink: Memento - Tuxedo Black (Tsukineko) Accessories: Pure Poppy Buttons (Papertrey Ink), Navy grosgrain ribbon, swarovski crystal, diamond stickles (Ranger), sewing machine (Singer), white thread, copic markers.

Patriotic Rag Wreath

2011-06-20T20:59:00.000-07:00

As I was blog surfing I came across this idea (I always find SO many things I want to make), and knew I just had to make one, so I did! It was so simple to make and I think it is just SO festive! (I do need to pull some threads off it though -- OOPS).

I used 6 of the fat quarters that you can buy at JoAnn's (wait for them to go on sale for $1 each if you have the time) and then the ring I used for the middle is one that I found in the section with the mirrors, googly eyes and felt (also at JoAnn's).- it is just a plain gold metal loop. I know they sometimes carry them in silver too -- either will work since you don't see it.

I used these instructions HERE

HERE is another example of the wreath using an actual wreath form.

Hope you are having a fun summer so far and that you are almost all prepared for the 4th this year! Happy 4th!

Nutcracker - Ballet Arizona at the Symphony Hall

2010-12-23T10:06:00.003-07:00

Last night I took my little ballerina E to see the Nutcracker for the first time.

First we parked, and on the elevator down to street level, we met one of the dancers who played an angel and a soldier. That was cool. Then we went out to eat at Steve's Grill about a block from the Symphony Hall. It was actually really yummy and they had the skinniest fries I have ever seen. It was cozy and relaxing. It was raining a bit while we were in the restaurant, but when we left it was just barely misty. YAY!

In the symphony hall, we got our picture taken with a Sugar Plum fairy -- I asked E if she wanted it to be just her, but she insisted I be in the picture as well.

Then the show began. We had great seats - row 11. It was magical. E sat the first half on my lap because she was leaning back and forth a lot and I wanted to make sure she could see. Then at intermission we got her a booster so she could use her own seat. The show went by super fast. The music was fantastic and the ballet was beautiful!

Me and my little girlie

E fell asleep on the way home in the car, a sure sign she had a great time *smiles*

Gingerbread House Kits (Or Parent Torture Kits)

2010-12-18T21:41:00.022-07:00

Hehe! We made a ~~gingerbread house~~ er . . . nice pile of gingerbread decorated with candy. It was a lot of fun, well, except for the roof sliding off just moments after we took some pictures. In the end, it dried okay, and I learned some lessons - 1) use enough icing, but not too much 2) prepare the house base and let dry before letting kids know it is time to decorate the gingerbread house 3) icicles really MAKE the house, leave them off and it looks bad 4) stick to gingerbread men, they are so much easier with little kids!

That said, here are some cell phone pictures (sorry for the bad quality but my camera was MIA in my disaster house - please ignore the messy counter in the background):

Decorating . . .

Smiles with the FINISHED HOUSE:

Happy 2nd Birthday Little Man!

2010-12-04T22:00:00.001-07:00

(Singing Happy Birthday to E)

E turned 2 today! Michael had to go to some political thing, so we spent the morning in town and got balloons for him and did some shopping at Kohls! I love that store! I got a cute new dress (red) for Christmas, and some cute trouser jeans, ties for the boys and one to match for hubby. It was a great morning. When we got home we set up for E's family birthday party. My SIL Laura came over with her hubby and cute kids.

Laura and I went shopping for stuff for taco salad and went to a holiday boutique and then we all just hung out at my house. We even managed to get in a game of "Settlers of Catan" in before they left which was fun as we had not even opened our game boxes since we moved here two years+ ago. Sadly I was not the winner though. I am so glad they came! It made it so much more like a birthday than just a special day where we ate brownies (yup, little man doesn't like cake so much). Thanks for making the drive you guys! You're awesome and I am glad you moved closer!!!

(Eating brownies and ice cream)

(Mic, Ben and Laura)

(Opening Presents)

(J, E and Kayla playing with E's new spiral speedway)

(Little Baby Levi showed off his walking skills while he was over)

(No Family resemblance there at all . . . lol)

SUNDAY - The Beach

2010-09-12T16:30:00.000-07:00

Michael really wanted to see the ocean. We usually avoid it because almost always we all get sunburned regardless of the amount of sunscreen we use. SO, we decided we would go for 30 minutes only. Usually I don't burn, and in the 30 minutes I was not burned, but I did get burned in the 30 minutes more it took to change all 4 of my kids out of wet swimsuits and into clothes for the ride home. I changed them in the van but my back was exposed to the sun the whole time, so I got a burn on just my back. No kids are sunburned though, and neither is Mic (my silly redheaded hubby) so I am calling it a success.

SUNDAY - Character Breakfast at Goofy's Kitchen

2010-09-12T13:53:00.041-07:00

I am SO glad we decided to schedule a character meal. Breakfast was fantastic. The food was great, the service was great, then encounters we had with characters were AWESOME! The kids had SO much fun! I will for sure be doing this again next time we go, since there are like 4 other places that have character meals. It was pricey, but not that much more than the cost of most food in Disneyland, and just so relaxing and great!

(J getting Chip's autograph)

(E making a new friend)

(Goofy signs E's autograph book and Baby E loves Goofy)

(E meets Belle who she has a lot in common with and they discuss books)

(The kids meet Mulan and J shows off his gummy worm mustache)

(E & J doing the twist in Goofy's kitchen in the middle of breakfast)

(Mac n cheese pizza and peanut butter and jelly pizza - YUM *gags*)

SATURDAY - Disneyland

2010-09-11T22:48:00.000-07:00

We are SO not the DIEHARDS that we used to be. Four kids at Disneyland is sure a workout!! We used to be able to stay till midnight with ease, but by 9:30 pm, we were so tired (E even said "mom, lets not do anymore rides and just go back to the hotel"). We had fun though. We lost one of my favorite hats for Baby M, but *maybe* Disney will find it and send it to us (we reported it lost to Disneyland Lost and Found).

(Kids made a totem pole - or tried - in front of the rose garden at Disneyland Hotel)

We arrived at the park at 8 am, and got our free volunteer tickets (from the Give a Day, Get a Disney Day program), and then hopped on the Disneyland Railroad and rode it to Toontown station and then visited "It's a Small World" (which was fun with all the new additions) and all the rides in Fantasyland. We knew it would be so crowded later in the day. It was super happy and hardly any lines at all. The longest line was for Peter Pan and I think it was all of 15 minutes or so.

(M and the fab 4 on the Disneyland Railroad - Baby E was a little nervous)

(E and J spinning us like crazy on the teacups - all 6 of us in one cup)

(M, Daddy and J on Dumbo)

(Mommy and Baby E on Dumbo)

(E got to go by herself this time - and was a few behind me - FUN!)

(In line for Peter Pan - M with her first visit button - 6 months old)

(My three trying to pull the sword out of the stone - no luck)

After we finished Fantasyland, we went to the bakery on Main St. and got some breakfast. We had cinnamon rolls and E had a banana nut muffin and J had a carrot muffin. YUM! This is also where we somehow lost M's hat. Ooops.

(E meeting Mary Poppins and Burt - J was being shy)

(The Whole family with Mickey Mouse himself after we got our ears)

We decided the babies were getting tired, so we finished playing on Main St. and walked to the monorail and took that back to the hotel for nap time. Baby E got tired on the way back and had a little tantrum/rest on the sidewalk path.

(Walking along just like so, a little grumpy, and then . . . )

(BAM -- Baby E decides he will not walk anymore and here will be a fine place for a nap)

(He liked the Mickey ears when distracted with a lovely hedge he could touch - not so much other than that)

After a nap for both of the babies and a quick swim for daddy and the two older kids, who discovered that you can't wear life vests on the 100 ft slide at the Neverland pool and were sad, we headed back to the park. We made a quick pit stop in the lobby for an autograph book and some post cards.

(E goofs around with Goofy in the hotel lobby)

When we got back to Disneyland, we went on Matterhorn bobsleds, Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters and Space Mountain. Then we headed over to play in Toon Town for awhile.

(E thought it was pretty cool that he could spin the wheel in this car)

(My two crazies escaping from jail in Toon Town)

Then finally went to New Orleans square where we ate at the French Market, and Mic and I tried our first mint juleps (weird at first but totally grew on me) and the kids enjoyed beignets (E really wanted to try these because Princess Tiana makes them). After we ate, we finished the day by going on Pirates of the Caribbean and then visiting the Enchanted Tiki Room. We will miss Disneyland until next time!!!

FRIDAY - Disneyland Hotel/Swimming

2010-09-10T22:59:00.067-07:00

We woke up early this morning, packed, loaded the van and started to drive for California. We arrived around 2:30 pm at the resort, and checked in (they put us in the Wonder tower which was undergoing renovation (BOO). I was sort of sad about that, but the show must go on. The pool was also undergoing some remodeling, so there was lots of noise (BOO). I wish I had known about these renovations when I was booking and I would have probably gone with Paradise Pier. Oh well.

We walked downtown Disney for a bit after our bags were brought up. We got Mickey ears in the Build a Bear shop for "Bolt" (J's puppy) and "Abby" (E's lamb). We did a quickie browse of the Lego Store because J LOVES Lego.

Then we ate some dinner in The Grand Californian hotel at Whitewater Snacks. Afterwards we wandered back to the hotel (made a pit stop at Marcelline's confectionary for some treats - E got this awesome popcorn with chocolate and caramel - YUM, and J got a cupcake with a Mickey ring and a chocolate Mickey head truffle). They had the coolest caramel apples, or chocolate apples there, and I asked the girl at the counter if I could take a picture and she did one better, she opened up the case for me and took a couple pictures for me.

Then the kids got ready for swimming and went down for a night time dip in the pool. They were SO excited.

After their swim, they got ready for bed, and then watched a bedtime story on the t.v. (they have these bedtime stories of all the princesses and my kids just LOVED them)!! I passed out from exhaustion at this point, and Michael stayed up and got the younger two settled in. *so sweet of him*

And the winners are drum roll please . . .

2010-09-07T10:17:00.030-07:00

Happy Tuesday!! I hope you had a good Labor day! After finding out we had been robbed on Saturday (some idiot stole $50-$100 worth of copper wire from our A/C unit at our rental and ruined the unit - GRRRR), we spent our day organizing our garage! We just need to make a trip to the dump and things will be awesome in there! We will be able to fit cars in there! WOOHOO!

As promised, here are your winners from last weeks final Skipping Stones Design Team post. Congratulations to the winners and thank you to everyone who took the time to leave me a comment! I appreciate and read each and every one!! And the winners are:

Funny About "Men" stamp set by Skipping Stones Design

Here are your random numbers: 8 Timestamp: 2010-09-07 16:55:35 UTC

Camishel said... What an awesome card!

Sassy Snow (Unreleased) stamp set by Skipping Stones Design

Here are your random numbers: 18 Timestamp: 2010-09-07 16:55:58 UTC

Barb's Boys said... Amanda I love the way you slanted the musical score in the background and the use of the design on the hearts...beautiful card!

*****

I used random.org to generate random numbers from the comments left. Please email me ASAP (inkspirationsbyamanda@gmail.com) to claim your prize and leave me your address so I can send it to you!

(SSD040) & Blog Hop

2010-08-31T07:00:00.009-07:00

Welcome to Skipping Stones Design’s Blog Hop to celebrate the release of a new stamp set, "Always Here". If you just happened upon my blog today, you’ll want to go back to the beginning at Skipping Stones Design. You should have arrived from Maren Benedict's blog http://zanynotcrazy.blogspot.com/

Happy Tuesday! Today is my last time as a member of the Skipping Stones Design team and also the last week working with Maren's sketches. I have had the idea for this card floating around in my mind since I saw this sketch, so this card came together super quick and easy! I hope you like it!

We'd love for you to play along with the sketch and link your card at the Skipping Stones Blog. Just remember to use the keywords SSD040 if you are uploading to any online galleries.

Do you like blog candy? I sure do! Make sure you leave me a comment and I will draw 2 lucky winners next Tuesday to take home a Skipping Stones Design set! Just my little way of saying thank you to you all for your support and goodbye to Skipping Stones!

Your next stop on the hop is Alice Wertz http://aliceslittlewonderland.blogspot.com/ --

Happy Hopping!

Stamps: Timeless Textures (Skipping Stones Design), Love Notes (Gina K Designs) Paper: Solar White Classic Crest (Neenah), Real Red (SU!) Ink: Rich Cocoa Memento (Tsukineko), Real Red (SU!) Accessories: Hearts Nestabilities (Spellbinders), Cuttlebug machine (Provocraft), Pearls (Michaels Stores Inc.), brown grosgrain ribbons (unknown), small corner rounder punch (SU!)

AFI/Greenday Show - Phoenix, AZ

2010-08-31T01:26:00.001-07:00

AZ Republic Review of the Show (Has some good pictures)

My review: Best show ever. I could just leave it at that, but here's some fun numerical stats:

2 - Number of times Billie Joe mooned his bum at the crowd

6 - Age of the cute little boy who was brought on stage during the show

3 - Number of hours Greenday performed for (freaking amazingness)

2 - Number of rolls of T.P. shot at the crowd from a guitar T.P. shooter device thingy

1 - Number of crazy, beer drinking pink bunnies that were on stage. Disturbing and HILARIOUS

1994 - The year Greenday released Dookie (with the poop flinging monkey's on the cover that I thought was just hilarious - I was in 9th grade - have liked them ever since)

Greenday totally surpassed my expectations -- they put on such a rockin' show. Even the folks on the lawn were rockin'! What an amazing band! Hubby and I had the most fun we have had in years!! I felt youthful again rather than like a 31 year old mommy of 4 kiddies. It was fantastic! AFI was great too! They played Miss Murder almost as well as I can rock it on Guitar Hero III!

Me and my cute hubby (a little shiny and sweaty) at the show!

Mic rocking out and dripping with sweat! Good times!!

Locks of Love Donation

2010-08-30T13:12:00.000-07:00

So I started growing out my hair when I got pregnant with Baby E, and then just let it keep growing while I was pregnant with M . . . and those prenatal vitamins (when I could remember to take them) sure help your hair and nails to grow! I decided that I was going to donate it to locks of love, sometime after M was born, and then I was just working on growing it long enough that it would not be boy short when I cut it off. Today I went to Dolce Salon & Spa (in Chandler - they were delightful) and donated 4 braids! It felt SO good to not have sticky long hair anymore, and I felt good because I did something for someone else. I will post some pictures of my haircut soon (when I get time to do it up all cute) -- but for now, here is a picture of the braids I donated!

(SSD039)

2010-08-24T02:30:00.036-07:00

A Chocolate a day . . . keeps insanity away! No truer words have been spoken! I am partial to the ghirardelli dark chocolate squares myself! Or york patties -- Mmmmmm! Speaking of chocolate, I made these YUMMY cookies this weekend with my hubby - if you like chocolate and cherry, you gotta try them (http://thegirlwhoateeverything.blogspot.com/2009/09/double-chocolate-cherry-cookies.html).

What kind of chocoholic are you?

Today's sketch was created by Maren Benedict (as all of them this month have been) - Thanks girl! I have had an absolute blast playing with them!

I hope you have been playing too and uploading your cards to InLinkz on Heathers blog over at Skipping Stones Design. If not, be sure to do it this week -- she gives away stuff randomly over there, so if you like these stamps go do that! Easy peasy to win!!! Here is the sketch:

And the last thing I wanted to tell you about today is that next week (SSD040) will be my last time posting as a member of the Skipping Stones Design Team! Heather has had a DT call going on in the SCS forums (she wants some fresh blood). She is fabulous to work with (*tear, gonna miss you girl*)! Sept 1st, the new recruits start showing off their stuff! Hope you will continue to visit Skipping Stones Design and see what they are up to from time to time!

Stamps: Chocolate Volume #2 (Skipping Stones Design) Paper: Pink Posie (Pinecone Press Papers), Bittersweet - Vanilla Fudge (Basic Grey), Solar White Classic Crest (Neenah), Chocolate Brown (Core'dinations) Ink: Rich Cocoa Memento (Tsukineko) Accessories: Chocolate Dotted Organdy (Ribbon Fx - Hobby Lobby), Pink Rhinestones (KaiserScrapbook), Sewing machine (Singer), white thread (Sulky), Embossing template (Lasting Impressions), paper piercing tool

(SSD038)

2010-08-17T02:29:00.006-07:00

Happy Tuesday! For today's sketch, I played with emboss resist. I stamped the butterflies from "Healing Wings" in versamark and then embossed them using clear embossing powder, then I sponged color over the top. After a few minutes, I ironed out the embossing so it is flat to the touch-- looks really neat!

And here is the awesome sketch by Maren Benedict (Thanks girl, I absolutely just LOVED this one):

Stamps: Healing Wings (Skipping Stones Design) Paper: Coral Red #2 (Die Cuts With a View), Solar White Classic Crest (Neenah) Ink: Cameo Coral (SU!), Rich Cocoa Memento (Tsukineko) Accessories: Brown Button (Papertrey Ink), Sewing Machine (Singer), white thread (Sulky), sponge, clear embossing powder (A La Mode - Hampton Art), circle nestabilities dies (Spellbinders), Long Scalloped rectangle dies (Spellbinders), Cuttlebug Machine (Provcraft)

First Day Back to School

2010-08-16T09:41:00.013-07:00

My little sweeties are growing up so quickly. They are so smart and doing so well! I took some pictures this morning as they were headed back to school . . .

(SSD037)

2010-08-10T00:28:00.008-07:00

Another Tuesday, another sketch! Sorry I missed you all last week, life got in the way of stamping (I know, the nerve right???) Today I stamped an autumn card, basically because I am obsessed with it being fall soon and the leaves changing and the temperatures dropping (you hear me mother nature -- below 100F please - DARN Phoenix weather)! Here it is . . . TA DA!!!!

I mostly followed the sketch, but it was a square, and I have told you in the past how much I just strongly dislike square cards -- so I made mine rectangular, but feel free to do whatever you like when you create your work of art. Also, be sure to upload it and share it on InLinkz on the Skipping Stones Design Blog! We want to see what you make! I hand pierced and stitched the trail of "wind" that is blowing the leaves! Hope you like it!!!

I also wanted to say thank you to Maren Benedict! She is responsible for the awesome sketches you see on Skipping Stones this month! How lucky are we to get to play with them????

Stamps: Birthday Donuts (Skipping Stones Design) - the thank you sentiment, Timeless Textures (Skipping Stones Design) Paper: Chocolate Chip (SU!), More Mustard (SU!), Solar White Classic Crest (Neenah), Autumn Splendor - Candy Apple (The Paper Loft) Ink: Rich Cocoa Memento (Tsukineko), Close to Cocoa (SU!) Accessories: Brown Sheer Dotted Organdy (Ribbon FX - Hobby Lobby), Paper leaves (Prima Marketing), fabric, sewing machine (Singer), brown thread (Sulky), Dew Drops - Sunflower (The Robins Nest)

Look What I Made - Hair Bow Holder

2010-08-05T14:24:00.001-07:00

I'm not sure that many of you know this about me . . . but some do I am sure. I am addicted in a MAJOR way to Gymboree. I spend so much of my money there on cute clothes for my kids, and since I have 4, I usually have a kid in each size/collection so I can get whatever my faves are! I love Gymbucks! And I love love love that they have matching hair clippies for each collection! Darn addictive store!

That said, I have collected LOTS of clippies and korkers. I put some on the board I made, but I know there are some floating around my house that I will have to add later. Hopefully they all fit.

And here is what I made! I used this tutorial HERE! This project literally took me 10 minutes to complete once I had procured all the supplies and gathered them into my crafting room. EASY!!! I got my fabric at JoAnn's -- also the canvas (they were 50% off this week too -- WOOHOO!) The canvas size I chose was 12 x 16 - but you could use any size. I think it looks pretty cute on the girls room wall and I bet their clippies will be WAY easier for me to keep track of now!

RELATED: I found this awesome tutorial on how to make the korker bows that I love -- so if you have some free time you can go play: http://www.instructables.com/id/Curlykorker-Hair-Bows/

Oh and I am linking up to the Show Your Stuff Party at Fireflies and Jellybeans! Happy Thursday!

Look What I Made - Button Trees Frame

2010-07-29T12:42:00.004-07:00

I saw this awesome post: http://lindseyscraftlist.blogspot.com/2009/11/button-trees.html and got inspired by it and ended up decorating some shelves for fall yesterday in my house (and yes, it is still July . . . my hubby already mocked me since I am decorating for fall in the middle of summer, but it is darn hot here and a girl can dream right???) I put up leaf window clings in my front windows even . . . get over it!

(and yes, I do need to put pictures of my kids in those frame spots, and I will get to it eventually)

(My finished frame)

I made my button frame using a shadow box frame (I got on clearance for $3 - By Die Cuts With a View)that was pale baby blue, but I spray painted it chocolate brown, then I made my button tree (using felt) and I sewed the buttons on (using gold thread) because glue dots and gravity were not being friends. I think it turned out pretty cute and it was so simple! Go make one!

Today I am participating in the Show Your Stuff party at Fireflies and Jellybeans!

(SSD035)

2010-07-27T05:48:00.008-07:00

Blog Hop Tuesday, Tuesday -- can you believe this is the last sketch this month already? ZOOM, there goes July! Back to school here is August 9th, so pretty much we are there!! *cheering* Good thing I went shopping a couple weeks ago and picked up all the school supplies we needed because now I can relax and stamp while my kids enjoy their last few days of summer!

You should have arrived here from Heidi Van Laar's blog:

http://vanlaardesigns.blogspot.com/

I used *NEW* Friendly Fruit again for my card today! I used the cherry this time though and practiced my huffing skills -- I inked up the cherry, and then carefully inked up the stem in green, and then re-moistened the ink by blowing gently (huffing) on the stamp. *imagine trying to warm your hands up through your mittens on a cold winter morning and that is pretty much how you do it* Then I stamped. Repeat and cut out. Easy peasy!

I added stickles on top and the wetness of the stickles made it look more watercolor like (AKA, blurred) -- so if you are looking for a sharper crisp image, use fade resistant dye inks (rather than the SU! ones I used).

I also took some liberties with the sketch today -- I have issues with square cards -- we are not friends, I generally fight them -- but today I decided to include the square on a typical card (5 1/2 by 4 3/4). I think it works, you still get the feel of the sketch but in a new and improved "Manda safe" form! Special thank you to Kim Kesti for the awesome sketches this month!!

***PMS SALE***

The P.M.S. sale is back!!!!
P.M.S. sale~ the more you buy the more you save!!!!

P.M.S.~ in this case~suffering from the NEED to Purchase More Stamps!

Here is how it works:

Buy 1 stamp set save 5%, Coupon code: PMS1

Buy 2 stamp sets & save 10%, Coupon code: PMS2

Buy 3 stamp sets & save 20% (total savings $8.70) Coupon code: PMS3

Buy 4 stamp sets & save 25% Coupon Code: PMS4

for a total savings of $14.49 ~that's like getting one FREE

Buy 5 stamp sets & save 30%, Coupon Code: PMS5

for a total savings of $22.10 ~that is like getting 1 FREE and another one half off!!!

What to do: Put the stamps into your shopping cart as normal. When you are checking out there will be a box where you can type in a coupon/discount code. This is where you type the letters PMS and the number of stamp sets you purchase. For example if you are buying three stamp sets type in PMS3 into the box.

*This sale will last until Monday August 2nd at midnight

*****

Don't forget to head over to Skipping Stones and show us what you made with the sketch for a chance to win fame, adoration and some cool Skipping Stones stuff. Use Inlinkz at the bottom of Heathers post! Happy Stamping!!!

Stamps: Friendly Fruit (Skipping Stones Design), Everyday Button Bits (Papertrey Ink) Paper: Cherry Amore (Doodlebug Design Inc.), Spring Green Plaid (Colorbok), Vellum Cardstock (SU!), Solar White Classic Crest (Neenah), Intense Kiwi (Prism Papers) Ink: Ruby Red (SU!), Garden Green (SU!), Tuxedo Black Memento (Tsukineko) Accessories: Red & White Dotted Organdy (Hobby Lobby), sewing machine (Singer), white thread (Sulky), circle nestabilities (Spellbinders), Cuttlebug (Provocraft)

OFF YOU HOP TO SEE WHAT Chelsea Van Wyk MADE:

http://www.scraptasticvoyage.blogspot.com

San Diego Weekend -- Balboa Park & San Diego Museum of Natural History

2010-07-25T17:37:00.061-07:00

Our plan was to head to the beach today, but because more than one of us was sunburned, I decided that was not an option. We searched online from our hotel and found that Balboa park was nearby and that both the science center and museum of natural history were free for AZ Science Center members (*score right*) so we went to the museum of natural history! It was cool! E enjoyed the gems and J really loved all the dinosaur bones. I gave him his camera and he took some pictures. I think he did awesome!

He says "Cheese!"

We also got to learn some cool stuff about birds and owls vs. eagles with the museums "Miss Frizzle" from the Magic School Bus learning show. It was a Sunday also, so we got to participate in the "Dinosaur Sunday's" event. The kids got to dig for dinosaur fossils, make necklaces, color, battle a dinosaur, and play. They really enjoyed it.

*Gems Exhibit*

My two little dwarfs posing in front of the mine

E with her birth stone - Amethyst

E and J and an iron meteorite

*Dinosaurs Exhibit on 2nd Floor*

LOOK - Baby E was there! Smiling even!

E and the manatee statue

*sidenote: do you ever watch Veggie Tales? She was singing the Barbara Manatee song right before we took this picture . . . "Barbara Manatee, you are the one for me, sent from up above, you are the one I love" hehehe*

J thought this jaw skull hands on thing was cool!

E and Daddy walking back to our van through Balboa Park

San Diego Weekend -- Sea World

2010-07-24T23:51:00.003-07:00

We had fun adventuring around Sea World. We got to meet Shamu (the dressed up person version - lol) and got to see the new Blue Horizons show, and the Shamu show (where we sat in the "soak zone" and got splashed by Shamu) and the best part was that the kids tickets were only $5 (we bought the Sea World cares tickets).

Baby E got to go on the Abby's Sea Star Spin (which was one of his first rides ever and he loved it)and Oscars Rocking Eels twisty boat like ride (which was cute) in Sesame Street Bay of Play.

After that we went and watched the new Blue Horizons show (which featured acrobats, dolphins, and lots of cool costumes - I wish we saw more of the dolphins though and less acting and acrobatics and that it was not in the direct sun because we all got a little sunburned waiting for the show to begin.

E and J got to go white water rafting (for the first time ever after waiting in a long long line) at Shipwreck Rapids. Baby E and I checked out the starfishes at the California Tide Pool and the HUGE sea bass while they did that and it was a lot of fun.

We saw sting rays and eels. E was deathly afraid of touching the sting rays even after we explained that they could not hurt her, that they were altered. (We even got to see some baby rays). She was also TOTALLY afraid to go into the underground viewing area to see the eels, but then when we went, she realized how not scary they are. Eels are super creepy though, just for the record.

**SHAMU SHAMU!**

(If you have been to SeaWorld, you understand this chant of terror - and funny, they just happened to pick my section as the first one to send Shamu to to come splash)

My favorite part of all of Sea World was the penguins -- they were just amazing to watch, and if it wasn't so freezing, I would have stayed in there for a lot longer. It was like watching a live version of 'March of the Penguins' -- they were SO cute!!

The beluga whales were also really neat to watch . . . I was sad that the manatees had been moved to Orlando, so we did not get to see them. We ended the day by the kids and Michael going on Journey to Atlantis (and getting a wee bit wet). The kids all fell asleep in the van on the way back to the hotel, so that is a sign that we had a good day!

Baby M was there too -- although she spent lots of time in the stroller covered up!

Peek a Boo!

San Diego Weekend -- Red Robin - YUM!!!!

2010-07-23T22:43:00.014-07:00

My family has a thing for Red Robin, we all LOVE it there. When we arrived at the hotel and checked in, we decided to try and find some dinner. We decided to go to Uno Pizza, but after we drove to the location, we discovered it was no longer there, so we opted for our family fave, Red Robin! We got to sit upstairs (it was a two story red Robin), and that was a lot of fun!

Daddy and baby E!

My cute baby girl!

(Ignore how bad I look, I had been driving for 6 hours)

(SSD034)

2010-07-20T07:19:00.003-07:00

Happy Tuesday! Today I bring you sneak peeks of one of the new release sets from Skipping Stones Design. It's a little fruity, well, okay, a lot fruity -- I love it and I hope you will too! Here is my card this week using yet another AWESOME sketch by this months guest sketch designer *drum roll* Kim Kesti! Be sure to drop by her blog and thank her for designing the sketches this month!!!

Have you noticed that on the Skipping Stones Blog, Heather has added "InLinkz" where you can link the cards that you make with this awesome sketch for a chance to win prizes? It's an awesome way to get people to check out your work on your blog, AND have a chance at winning some free Skipping Stones stuff! It's WIN WIN!

Make sure you do that when you are done creating with this weeks sketch!!! Also, I know it is not a blog hop week, but be sure to go check out what the other Skipping Stones Design team girlies have been creating! They have made some gorgeous eye candy as usual and it would be a shame to miss seeing! Their links are on the right sidebar of my blog, under the Skipping Stones logo!

Here is the sketch:

Stamps: Friendly Fruit (Skipping Stones Design) - available later this month Paper: Orange/Green Plaid - Front Porch by Traci Sims (My Minds Eye), Pumpkin Pie (SU!), Solar White Classic Crest (Neenah) Ink: Certainly Celery (SU!), Tuxedo Black Memento (Tsukineko) Accessories: Diamond Stickles (Ranger), Circle Nestabilities (Spellbinders), Cuttlebug (Provocraft), teal satin ribbon (Unknown), sewing machine (Singer), white thread (Sulky)

(SSD033)

2010-07-13T04:16:00.003-07:00

Hey guys, sorry I missed you last Tuesday . . . I was recovering from the 4th and just did not manage to make it back to my stamp studio (and by recovering, I mean relaxing from sheer exhaustion, I don't drink) . . . but no worries, I have a fun card for you today! Hopefully by now you have ordered your Eclipse inspired "Fangs or Fur" set at Skipping Stones Design . . . I used it to make my card today!

I colored Edward with my copic markers and then went over it lightly with my Clear Stardust Gelly Roll pen to make him sparkle. It looks really cool in real life -- if you click on the picture, you can see it a bit better! I just L-O-V-E the sentiment on this card too -- perfect for a cute love note for your hubby (so he doesn't get jealous that you are watching the Twilight movies over and over again).

Here is the sketch by this months sketch artist Kim Kesti (yep, Papercrafts guru extraordinaire and you get to play with her sketches all this month on SKIPPING STONES DESIGN! Oooh, and Heather has this new linky thing, so when you finish your card, you can post a link to it on the Skipping Stones blog and win discounts in her store and an exclusive TOP STAMPER badge to put on your blog! So, get stamping girls (and boys)!!!

Stamps: Fangs or Fur (Skipping Stones Design) Paper: Plum (Core'dinations), Wisteria (Basic Grey), Solar White Classic Crest (Neenah) Ink: Tuxedo Black Memento (Tsukineko) Accessories: ribbon from scrap kit (Costco), assorted paper flowers (Prima Marketing), Clear Stardust gelly roll (Sakura), copic ciao markers (Imagination International Inc.), oval punch (SU!).

E's 7 Year Old Pictures (Kiddie Kandids)

2010-07-07T11:18:00.009-07:00

This is the last bunch of pictures -- one goal accomplished! I really wanted to get individual pictures of all my kids this summer, and I did it! It took 4 weeks, but it is done! I m excited to have current pictures of all of them! My next goal is to get a picture of all of them together done . . . but I will do that next month maybe!!

E's pictures turned out SO darling! She is so photogenic! I love the one in the chair, she looks so relaxed, confident, and beautiful! I love my first born baby girl so much and she is growing up MUCH too quickly!!

Happy 4th of July

2010-07-04T22:33:00.024-07:00

We had a small barbecue with some family and friends. (The Wrights, The Blads, Grandma and Grandpa Sewell) We had yummy turkey burgers, hot dogs, coleslaw, green salad, and potato salad that everyone just thought was so tasty! We talked a lot, played catch phrase and some mad gab and some wii. Later we sat in the back yard and watched fireworks from the park . . . I love that we can see the fireworks from our back yard. It is awesome, no crowds, relaxing cause all the kids are contained within the back yard. It was a fantastic day! Hope you had a fantastic 4th of July too!

Red Skinned Potato Salad

Ingredients:

2 pounds clean, scrubbed new potatoes
6 eggs
1 pound bacon (we used turkey)
1 onion, finely chopped
1 stalk celery
2 cups mayonnaise
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add potatoes and cook until tender but still firm, about 15 minutes. Drain and set in the refrigerator to cool.

2. Place eggs in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring water to a boil and immediately remove from heat. Cover and let eggs stand in hot water for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from hot water, cool, peel and chop.

3. Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain, crumble and set aside.

4. Chop the cooled potatoes, leaving skin on. Add to a large bowl, along with the eggs, bacon, onion and celery. Add mayonnaise, salt and pepper to taste. Chill for an hour before serving.

J's 6th Birthday DAY of FUN

2010-07-01T20:47:00.003-07:00

I asked J what he wanted to do on his birthday, and we made up a schedule for the day. The first thing was that he wanted to have a fruit plate for breakfast (he loves fresh fruit), and as usual, I was not quite prepared as of the morning of his birthday, so we went to the store to get some fruit, and on the way, I discovered that the A/C on my van had broken some time the previous night when I switched vehicles with hubby and he and the kids went home. AHHH! If you are not from Phoenix, it is on average about 110F here right now!

Seriously not what I had been planning to do on J's birthday, but I called the dealership and they figured it out so that I could rent a van for the day and they would get it fixed for me. We drove 45 minutes to the dealership (YUCKY sauna van but we had cold water and windows opened) and we were taken care of and out of there in about 30 minutes. ( I *LOVE* SanTan Honda) Once we had the rental, we went home, had lunch, I put both babies down for a nap and J played Lego Indiana Jones for a little over an hour while they napped. (That is what he had planned to do after breakfast in the morning).

When the naps were done, we headed to Jump & Shout Play Center (at Mesa Riverview) to play for a little while! It was a BLAST! The kids loved it, it was not crowded at all, and it was indoor and air conditioned which is FABULOUS if you are like me and hate getting all sweaty yucky!

Baby E's favorite toy at Jump & Shout

Mic was able to leave work a little bit early and came over to meet us there. We let the kids play a little longer and then headed to Red Robin for J's birthday dinner (he chose to go there, not that I minded, love that place).

J got a leapster game, a wii game, 2 lego sets and a camera

I told Mic it looks like we're drowning in kids in this picture - lol

After dessert and presents we headed home and the kids fell into bed -- they were all so tired! It turned out to be an awesome day thanks to the people who work at SanTan Honda helping me out! They ROCK! It was a great day of fun!

Happy 6th Birthday Little Man!

J's 6th Birthday Pictures - Kiddie Kandids

2010-06-30T11:37:00.014-07:00

What can I say about my cute little boy, who is equal parts charmer and troublemaker? It was fun to get his pictures done and I was excited about how they turned out (especially after last weeks fun with Baby E). I just love this big boy so much, he is growing up SO fast! Happy Birthday J!

(SSD031) - Blog Hop and New Release PARTY!

2010-06-29T05:37:00.056-07:00

Hooray! It's Tuesday again, and today is a special one, one SUPER near and dear to me, because today is the our blog hop to celebrate the two new sets releasing at Skipping Stones Design this month, Chocolate #2 and Fangs or Fur (a Fabulous Twilight Series inspired set).

Personally, (and I realize this won't be the popular opinion) - I am TOTALLY a TEAM EDWARD kinda girl! I think Jacob does look pretty good in the last movie (*drool*), and no doubt this new one (which I am dying to see) . . . but Edward is Bella's true love, and I am all in favor of true love. Plus there is just *something* about Edward that I adore! What about you? Are you a twihard? Are you more of a fang girl, or a fur girl?

**********

If you just happened upon my blog today, you’ll want to go back to the beginning at Skipping Stones Design. You should have arrived from Jennifer Ingle's blog.

We'd love for you to play along with the sketch. Just remember to use the keywords SSD031 if you are uploading to any online galleries or link your card at the Skipping Stones Blog.

Here is my card with this weeks sketch - I used the polished stone technique and alcohol inks for the background:

And here is the final AWESOME sketch from Teri Anderson (thanks girl, loved the sketches):

And finally, off you go to the next blog on the hop . . . you get to visit Chelsea Van Wyk (she makes some pretty darn cute stuff so be sure to leave her some comments and love!) Happy hoppin'!!!

Playing With Vinyl

2010-06-24T14:05:00.004-07:00

This week I created two new items to decorate my home using some vinyl that I purchased at Piccadilly Peddlar - Etsy store. I just love the way they turned out, so I thought I would share a couple of quick pictures of them. The first, a Family Home Evening board. I have always wanted one of these, but it seems like everyone already has one and they never do these at Super Saturday's anymore. I just LOVE the way it turned out!

The second was a tile with Pres. Hinckley's BE's. I thought they would be good for my children to learn about and read as they are growing up. It turned out AWESOME and literally only took me like 5 minutes (I had to run upstairs and grab a leftover tile from our bedroom included in that time).

Anyway, just thought I would share! I am in love with vinyl! Do you have a good site where you purchase vinyl for your home? If so, leave a comment and let me know where, I would LOVE to check it out!

Making Orange Berry Jam

2010-06-23T22:05:00.012-07:00

Tonight I decided to make jam because berries were on sale at the store today. My sweet hubby helped out a lot and it turned out to be a fun night. The jam turned out yummy, a little more thin than I would like, but delicious!

Orange Berry Jam (Earlene Ertelt)
Prep: 30 min Process: 5 min Yield: 6 Half-Pints

3 c. fresh raspberries
2 c. fresh blueberries
6 1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. finely chopped orange segments
2 tbsp. lemon juice
4 tsp. grated orange peel
1 pouch (3 oz.) liquid fruit pectin

Directions:
Place raspberries and blueberries in a food processor; cover and process until blended. Transfer to a dutch oven. Stir in the sugar, orange segments, lemon juice and orange peel. Bring to a full rolling boil over high heat, stirring constantly. Stir in pectin. Boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly.

Remove from the heat, skim off foam. Ladle hot mixture into hot, sterilized half pint jars, leaving 1/4 in. headspace. Remove air bubbles, wipe rims, and adjust lids. Process for 5 minutes in a boiling water canner (use canning instructions if you have never done this before).

Little E's Pictures - Kiddie Kandids

2010-06-23T21:37:00.012-07:00

Poor Little man, he is 18 months old and TOTALLY did not like the idea of some crazy girl with a tickle stick taking his picture, stealing his soul if you will. He was SO awkward and funny! It was such a difficult photo session! We managed to get a couple of decent pictures out of him, one smiling, and one not so much, just to remember this stage. Enjoy!

(SSD030) - NEW RELEASES

2010-06-22T06:30:00.051-07:00

For today's sketch card, we're gonna take a trip down memory lane and check out a vintage automobile from You Know You're Gettin' Old Birthday set by Skipping Stones Design and some vintage Basic Grey paper - sublime! I thought they were made for each other.

I cannot believe how fast time is swooshing by. I have been told to "enjoy those kids because it will pass so fast, you'll blink and it will be over" and I SO understand what they were saying now. It really is going by that fast! I can barely keep up! That said, it will be no time before this card is really true for me -- *giggles* I really like how it turned out because I think you could give this to an adult male -- which is (usually) a really hard demographic to design handmade cards for. YAY!

and here is the awesome sketch by Teri Anderson:

Stamps: You Know You're Gettin' Old Birthday (Skipping Stones Design) Paper: Not Quite Navy (SU!), Solar White Classic Crest (Neenah), Sublime - Vintage Paper Collection (Basic Grey) Ink: Tuxedo Black Memento (Tsukineko) Accessories: Sewing machine (Singer), brown thread (Sulky), Chestnut brown mini brads (American Crafts - Elements), Small Circle Punch (SU!), circle nestabilities dies (Spellbinders), Cuttlebug machine (Provocraft), Copic ciao markers (Imagination International Inc.)

AND HERE IS SOME AWESOME BIG NEWS:

Buy 3 Get Your Fave New Release Set FREE!!!

First off, I wanted to introduce you to the two new sets releasing at Skipping Stones Design next week . . . so you can save your pennies, or plan next months budget around affording these babies!!

OR, you could just get them for free!! HERE'S HOW:

Purchase ANY three (3) stamp sets. When you are checking out there will be an option to leave a note to the seller. Please leave a note telling whether you'd like Fangs and Fur OR Chocolate #2 FREE. The Pre order stamps are shipping right now~ONLY with this promotion.

Just think, you will be able to stamp along with the blog hop on the 29th as we release these sets if you pre-order NOW!!! These new sets will not be available in the store to buy until June 29th! Happy shopping!!!

One last thing . . . if you enjoy Skipping Stones Design stamps as much as I do -- I added an easy to grab button on the sidebar that you can copy and paste and add to your blog or site!!

Hot Dog Eating Contest

2010-06-18T21:27:00.014-07:00

My crazy, zany, lovable hubby managed to get himself involved in another eating contest at work . . . and he actually WON again . . . who would have thought? This time it was turkey hot dogs, just the meat, no buns. He managed to eat 13 in 20 minutes (that was the time limit) and his competition ate 12! EW! Here are some pictures of the event!

I like this one cause he looks like he is gonna puke (these were taken on a cell phone, so pardon the quality)

His competition - and a look at how many hot dogs they cooked and did not eat! LOL

My silly hot dog eating winner - scared for what their next eating competition will be -- me, I vote for donuts!

Baby M's First Photos - Kiddie Kandids

2010-06-16T11:17:00.013-07:00

I know, slacker! She is already 3 months and we have missed that purely innocent baby stage where she did not know how to smile yet, but hey, cut me some slack, I have four kids and LOTS going on.

Anyway, I wanted to get pictures of all my kids individually, so this starts the series of Wednesdays where I take my kids in to get pictures done. I figure once a week will not overwhelm them so much. Anyway, here are M's pictures (or at least the three that I purchased, my faves - apparently the others will be online eventually for me to share).

(SSD029) - Do We Dare Take the Chance?

2010-06-15T06:40:00.035-07:00

It's TUESDAY again! And today you get a special sneak peek at a new release set, not quite available yet, but keep checking back to Skipping Stones Design because this one will be releasing REALLY soon!

The set is called Chocolate #2! Mmmmm! Chocolate!! Need I say more? This set is just SO stinkin' adorable! If you are a chocolate lovin' girl, (which I am) it is an absolute MUST OWN!!! The sentiments are funny, you're gonna LOVE them! I had fun playing with this square sketch today . . . for some reason I find myself always in the 4 1/4 by 5 1/2 card making rut, and it was fun to bounce out of that and create this card!

and here is the awesome sketch by Teri Anderson:

Stamps: Chocolate #2 (Skipping Stones Design) Paper: Pale Pink (The Paper Studio - Hobby Lobby), solar white classic crest (Neenah), Blush - Tease (Basic Grey) Ink: Rich Cocoa Memento (Tsukineko) Accessories: Sponge, sewing machine (Singer), brown thread (Sulky), red gingham ribbon (SU!), copic ciao markers (Imagination International Inc.), Large scalloped Border Die (Papertrey Ink), Pink Rhinestones (Kaiser Scrapbook), Chestnut mini brads (American Crafts - Elements)

Zucchini Frittata (From FamilyFun Magazine)

2010-06-12T20:35:00.007-07:00

My awesome friend Melissa gave me 3 zucchinis from her garden (*thank you*) for this recipe since for some odd reason, our local walmart had NONE! I was excited because they were SO fresh and that is always YUMMY!

Since it was Saturday and the baby needed to be fed right when I needed to make dinner (isn't that SO how it goes?) - I asked my sweet hubby if he would make dinner and he said he would and took on the challenge of zucchini frittata! It was SO delicious and I was SO impressed! Like a crust less quiche -- Mmmmmm! He's a keeper *smiles*

Here is the recipe for you to try out! ENJOY!

Ingredients:

2 to 3 small zucchini

6 eggs

8-10 large basil leaves, chopped or torn

2 tablespoons fresh parsley

3/4 cup freshly grated parmesan

salt and pepper

3 slices bacon (we used turkey bacon)

1 small, ripe tomato, seeded and diced

4 scallions, chopped (we used green onions)

1 tablespoon butter

Instructions:

1. Coarsely grate enough of the zucchini to make 2 1/2 cups and place it in a medium size mixing bowl. Lightly salt the zucchini and toss it gently to season it evenly. Let it sit for 10 minutes, then use clean hands to squeeze the zucchini, pressing out the excess water.

2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs until they are evenly blended. Whisk in the basil, parsley, about 1/2 the parmesan, 1/4 teaspoon of salt and 1/8th teaspoon of pepper. Set the mixture aside.

3. Heat a 10-inch ovenproof non-stick skillet on the stove top. Add the bacon and cook it over medium heat until crisp, about 6 minutes. Transfer the bacon to a paper towel lined plate. Spoon all but 1 tablespoon of the bacon fat out of the pan. Heat the broiler.

4. Add the grated zucchini to the skillet and saute it over high heat for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. While the zucchini is cooking, chop or crumble the bacon into small pieces, add it to the egg mixture.

5. Add the diced tomato and scallions to the skillet and saute the vegetables until they are soft, not mushy (about 2-3 minutes). Add the butter to the skillet in pieces and stir it into the vegetables. Use a fork to loosely arrange the vegetables in an even layer in the pan.

6. Whisk the egg mixture again, then slowly pour it over the vegetables, covering the entire surface. Do not stir the mixture. Instead, gently shake the pan to help settle the egg. Cook the frittata over medium heat for 4 minutes without disturbing it.

7. Sprinkle the remaining cheese evenly over the top of the frittata. Place the pan under the broiler about 8 inches from the heat source and broil the frittata for about 2 minutes.

8. Remove the pa from the oven and poke a fork in the center of the frittata to see if it's done. We covered the hot handle with a heat resistant silicone sleeve, but you can also use an oven mitt -- place it over the skillet handle while the pan is out of the broiler to remind you that it's hot. If you see liquid egg around the fork, place the pan back under the broiler for another 45-60 seconds. When the frittata is done, transfer the pan to a cooling rack.

9. Let the frittata cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then carefully slide a flexible spatula around the edge to loosen it. Once it's free, gently lift the frittata with the spatula, tilt the pan and slide it onto a large serving plate. Let it cool at least 5 more minutes, then slice it into wedges and serve. Makes 6-8 servings.

(SSD028)

2010-06-08T05:05:00.003-07:00

Welcome to yet another sketch challenge with Skipping Stones Design!

If you are new, WELCOME -- please join us and when you upload your card to the galleries (Papercraft Planet, or Splitcoaststampers) please use the keywords SSD028 so we can see all your awesome work!

I spent some time browsing this weekend and leaving some comments and love. FUN FUN!!!

I was aiming for a funky, and fun birthday card today -- not my typical style necessarily, but I think I did okay. I love this sentiment from the set You Know You're Gettin' Old (Funny) Birthday from Skipping Stones Design.

Hope you have fun stamping and thanks again to Teri Anderson for the awesome sketches we get to work with this month!

Here is the sketch we are working with today:

Stamps: You Know You're Gettin' Old Birthday (Skipping Stones Design) Paper: Baroque Burgundy (SU!), Pink Passion (SU!), Basic Black (SU!), Solar White Classic Crest (Neenah), Fire Funky Stripe (KI Memories), Taylor (Daisy D's Paper) Ink: Tuxedo Black Memento (Tsukineko) Accessories: Self Adhesive Rhinestones (Kaiser Scrapbook - Papertrey Ink), Cornice Edge punch (Martha Stewart), Black with white dots organdy (The Paper Studio - Hobby Lobby), Circle nestabilities dies (Spellbinders), cuttlebug machine (Provocraft), copic ciao markers (Imagination International Inc.)

Shake 'n Make Ice Cream

2010-06-04T09:58:00.000-07:00

My oldest E asked me if we could make this recipe she saw in her magazine. Each month our church put out a magazine for kids called "The Friend" and it was in it. She was so excited and we actually happened to have everything on hand to make it, so I said yes.

My only recommendation outside of the recipe instructions is to wear gloves while shaking the bag. We almost froze our fingers off. This makes a soft serve ice cream, but if you pop it into the freezer for awhile after you make it, it hardens up! Super yummy! My kids had so much fun we might have to do it again later in the summer!

From "The Friend" magazine - June 2010

Ingredients:
ice
6 tablespoons rock salt
2 tablespoons sugar
1 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 sandwich size bag
1 gallon size plastic bag

1. Fill gallon bag half full with ice, then add rock salt.

2. Pour sugar, milk and vanilla in the sandwich bag and seal it.

3. Place the small bag inside of the large bag. Seal and then shake gently for 5-7 minutes. Enjoy!

(SSD027) and CC273

2010-06-01T14:41:00.008-07:00

Good afternoon and happy Tuesday! Things have been I N S A N E lately at my house, but I did manage to get a few minutes to play with this awesome sketch by our new sketch designer this month Teri Anderson! She has some awesome sketches that I just know you are gonna LOVE to play with - just wait and see this month (every Tuesday as usual!) I also incorporated the color challenge colors from Splitcoast (Barely Banana, Garden Green, Close to Cocoa).

With my card today, I wanted to play a bit with texture. I used some woven fabric I had because I thought it worked with the cat tails/bull rushes, whatever ya wanna call 'em! What do you think? I also added the extra circle (which holds the sentiment) which was not in the original sketch! Now it is your turn - GO PLAY with the sketch, and then post it in a gallery (like splitcoaststampers) and use the keywords SSD027 and I will come find it!! Show us your fabby work -- we want to see it!!!

and the original sketch for you to play with:

Stamps: Whispering Wings (Skipping Stones Design), Handwritten Notes (Papertrey Ink) Paper: Close to Cocoa (SU!), Barely Banana (SU!), Pinot Noir - Periphery (Basic Grey), Solar White Classic Crest (Neenah) Ink: Tuxedo Black Memento (Tsukineko) Accessories: 1 3/8 and 1 1/4 circle punches (SU!), circle nestabilities dies (Spellbinders), sewing machine (Singer), white thread (Gutermann), white brads (The Paper Studio - Hobby Lobby), copic ciao markers (Imagination International Inc.), loose woven burlap (Target - leftover from seeds packets from in the $1 shop)

Kindergarten Graduation

2010-05-26T14:29:00.002-07:00

J graduated from kindergarten today! It was a hot, sunny morning! He looked so adorable in the little purple graduation cap. We are so proud of him. He is a crazy little nut and has grown so much this year!

Being at his graduation totally made me think of the movie "The Incredibles" where they talked about celebrating mediocrity, and I decided that I totally don't even care, it was fun anyway. Mind you I would not want to do that for every grade.

The other thought I had while I was watching them walk was about how much potential each of these little people possess and how some of them may end up drop outs, and some might end up as doctors and mommies, they are our future.

After he graduated, we let him pick out a graduation gift, and he chose a Lego Darth Vader's ship. He started to work on it and then was not feeling so well, (aka, he tossed his cookies) so he ended up in bed. CRAZY day!

Congratulations son! Class of 2010!

J and his daddy in the classroom after he ate a very purple cupcake

J and his teacher Ms. Sermeno -- thank you for an awesome year!

My Little Charmer!

Skipping Stones Sketch (SSD026)

2010-05-25T08:35:00.024-07:00

Happy Tuesday! Can you believe how fast May has flown by? I have been SO busy! I am so sad that today is the last sketch from Jen Del Muro here as the Skipping Stones Guest Sketch Designer! She did such an amazing job! Hope you like what I did with it! I played with the multiple sentiments that come in the new Home of the Brave set. Happy Stamping!

Stamps: Home of the Brave (Skipping Stones Design) Paper: Brilliant Blue (SU!), Real Red (SU!), Silver (SU!), Solar White Classic Crest (Neenah) Ink: Real Red Classic (SU!), Brilliant Blue Classic (SU!), Versamark (Tsukineko) Accessories: Silver Embossing Powder, Silver brad (The Paper Studio), white buttons (Papertrey Ink), small circle punch (SU!), red gingham ribbon (SU!), heat tool.

Batterack

2010-05-22T11:53:00.001-07:00

Have you ever heard of batterack? No? I am not surprised. My husband came up with this name for his "fierce foam fighting" game that he plays early mornings on Saturdays with his friends. This past week, they managed to take some pictures, so I thought I would post them! It is hilarious to see grown men fighting in the park near my house like this -- but they all actually have a lot of fun, and it is great exercise (as seen by the fact that Mic always comes home all sweaty nasty!)

Field Trip - Phoenix Zoo

2010-05-21T17:25:00.000-07:00

We have created a tradition in our house of daddy going on field trips when he can get the day off work. It is fun for the kids to have a bonding time, and an outing with dad. E's class went on their second field trip of the year to the Phoenix Zoo. They got to see a lot of animals, despite the heat, and had a great time!

Skipping School . . .

2010-05-19T19:23:00.000-07:00

CHILDREN'S MUSEUM of PHOENIX

Is it bad that I let my kids skip a day of school to go on a mommy field trip? I don't think it is. I wanted to go to a free day at the Children's Museum of Phoenix for all Arizona Science Center Members -- and it was only for Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday this week. It was fun! Here are some pictures from our trip!

We only stayed at the children's museum for a couple hours and the visited the science center to see the newest exhibits there!

Tricycles and Car Wash Area

Lighted Sand Table - So COOL!

E exploring the 3 and under area . . .

Noodle Forest

E in the reading area (no surprise there)

*****
ARIZONA SCIENCE CENTER

We went and visited the "Goosebumps" exhibit - facing your fears and the kids got to write what they are afraid of on the wall -- I had to laugh at J's -- I am kind of afraid of that sometimes too!

The boys loved playing with the construction vehicles in the rubber chips

The boys LOVED the "Build It" area behind the Goosebumps exhibit

J loved building these light up creations with these fun blocks

(SSD025) & Blog Hop

2010-05-19T06:34:00.009-07:00

We're blog hoppin' today with the Skipping Stones Design Team and a few special guest designers today in honor of the new release of two sets -- Holy Carp! and Home of the Brave. Hope you will hop along with us and leave some blog love along the way.

If you just happened upon this blog hop, be sure to head back to the Skipping Stones site which is where the hop begins. You should have arrived here from Jennifer Ingle's blog (she's one of the awesome guest designers this month).

Here is my card for this week, using this awesome sketch made by Jen Del Muro! I just love this sentiment -- I totally would refer to my room mates in college, and even other friends as "hooker" so this was totally hilarious to me! Now I just have to wait for one of those people to have a birthday and this card will find a home. I just love the look on this droopy eyed fishies face too . . . so cute!!!

Your next stop on the hop is Angela Thomas' blog! She always has awesome stuff, so get hoppin' to see what she created and thanks for stopping by!!!

Here is the complete list of all participants in case you get lost:

Skipping Stones Design http://skippingstonesdesign.com/
Jen del Muro http://iheart2stamp.com/

Erin Grotegut http://www.inkysmiles.blogspot.com/

Kandi Phillips http://kraftykandikrafts.blogspot.com/

Deb Felts http://withastampandasong.blogspot.com/

Peggy Russell http://beautifulgreetings.blogspot.com//

Michelle Giraud http://twisted-chick.blogspot.com/

Jennifer Ingle http://justjingle.blogspot.com/

Amanda Sewell http://www.inkspirations.blogspot.com/

Angela Thomas http://sparkleandbling.blogspot.com/

Stamps: Holy Carp! (Skipping Stones Design) Paper: Bloom & Grow (My Minds Eye), Classic Orange (Prism), Solar White Classic Crest (Neenah) Ink: Tuxedo Black Memento (Tsukineko) Accessories: Copic Ciao markers (Imagination International Inc.), Round Plain and Scalloped nestabilities (Spellbinders), Cuttlebug machine (Provocraft), sewing machine (Singer), white thread (Sulky), Cancun green double face satin ribbon (Ribbon FX - Hobby Lobby)

Soccer Team and Individual Pictures 2010

2010-05-15T14:14:00.001-07:00

(SSD024)

2010-05-11T11:10:00.003-07:00

A little late this morning . . . I have a cold and have been running out of steam lately at the end of the day, so I had to work on the post this morning rather than last night . . . thanks for being so patient!!! *smiles*

It's Tuesday again, time for another sketch! I am just LOVIN' this new set called "Holy Carp!" So funny! Hope you enjoy the sneak peek I created using this great set - Just in time for Fathers Day too -- and it will work for other seasons too -- a birthday card, or just because, or retirement! Great new set! Go order yours as soon as it goes on sale!!! Thanks again to the AWESOME Jen Del Muro for the sketches this month -- they ROCK!

Stamps: Holy Carp! (Skipping Stones Design) Paper: Garden Green (SU!), Textured Brown (Hobby Lobby), Origins - Sugar Pea (Basic Grey), Solar White Classic Crest (Neenah) Ink: Tuxedo Black Memento (Tsukineko), Rich Cocoa Memento (Tsukineko) Accessories: Sewing machine (Singer), brown thread (Sulky), Brown Candy Dots (Pebbles Inc.), sponge, copic ciao markers (Imagination International Inc.)

(SSD023)

2010-05-04T05:26:00.006-07:00

Sun has been shining and I have been missing in action. Between feeding babies, soccer practices and trying to get some work done in the yard I have been one busy momma -- but I am finally making some progress and it really makes me happy! I have to get the yard up to par before the real Arizona heat arrives because it is WAY too hot to do anything then!

I am working on planting a small garden this year, and I still need to re-stain the playhouse/swing set. That said, you will probably only see me on Tuesdays for the month of May as I get the outside stuff done . . . but fear not, soccer is done in June and it is too hot to work outside then. I'll be back! *insert evil laugh here*

I was SO excited to hear that the sketches for the month of May are created by the one, the only Jen Del Muro! I have been a HUGE fan of her awesome work and sketches! Hope you will take a couple minutes to go check out her blog and say hello!

Okay, now I know you are thinking - WHAT? It's Mothers Day this weekend - why the heck is she doing a Fathers Day card -- but here is why 1) I know you are all super on top of things and already have your Mothers Day cards for your mom, sister, inlaws, etc. already prepared and 2) Fathers Day is really not that far away and I thought this could serve as a reminder. You can pick up this adorable set called "Tough Guy" at Skipping Stones Design and if you go order right now, I bet Heather would have it to you in plenty of time to make some cute cards for your dad, grandpa, son, uncle, brother, or even grandson (all of those words are included in this set -- go see, it is the perfect guy set!)

Here is the sketch:

Hope you have a lovely Tuesday and take a little time for yourself to stamp! You deserve it! And don't miss this -- back by popular demand

Starting Tuesday May 4th Ending Friday May 7th at midnight

SKIPPING STONES DESIGN P. M. S. sale!

P.M.S. stands for Purchase More Stamps: the more you buy the more you save

Buy 1 stamp sets save 5% enter Coupon code PMS1 at checkout
Buy 2 stamp sets save 10% enter Coupon code PMS2 at checkout
Buy 3 stamp sets save 15% enter Coupon Code PMS3 at checkout
Buy 4 stamp sets save 20% enter Coupon code PMS4 at checkout
Buy 5 stamp sets save 25% enter Coupon Code PMS5 at checkout

*****

Stamps: Tough Guy (Skipping Stones Design) Paper: Pale Green (Hobby Lobby), Really Rust (Stampin' Up!), Confetti Cream (Stampin' Up!), Sage Shadow (Stampin' Up!), Simply Plaid - Bella Bella (My Mind's Eye) Ink: Sage Shadow Classic (SU!), Really Rust Classic (SU!), Wild Wasabi Classic (SU!) Accessories: 1 3/8 and 1 1/4 circle punches (SU!), screw brads (Hobby Lobby), 5/8 inch teal grosgrain ribbon (May Arts), diamond plate cuttlebug folder (Provocraft), Cuttlebug machine (Provocraft), sponge.

Disney Give a Day Volunteers: Cards & Pictures for the Troops

2010-04-29T14:36:00.020-07:00

Our family had an opportunity to participate in the Disney - Give a Day, Get a Disney Day program. The kids school was making cooling ties to send to the troops, and by the time we signed up, that part was done, but they wanted to send a handwritten note or picture from a child with each tie that they had made, which is where we came in.

I was excited because I am a card maker and what a perfect opportunity to spend some time doing some good. I worked hard on the cards I made and I think they turned out cute. Then afterward my hubby and I wrote a personalized message in each one. I hope they bring some cheer.

If not, I KNOW the kids pictures are sure to! They made me laugh out loud. My favorite one is J's picture that says "Have fun" and has a dude with a sword fighting - like war is ever fun . . . lol - it made me smile!

(SSD022)

2010-04-27T05:13:00.014-07:00

Good morning and Happy Tuesday! Every TUESDAY is a happy one because it's sketch day at Skipping Stones Design, and it is always fun to play along with a sketch! I just love the sketch this week! It was easy peasy to work with! Enjoy! Oh, and be sure to stop by the Skipping Stones site and go see all the great cards the DT gals have created, and find out about the PMS sale going on NOW . . . finally it pays to have PMS!!!

Stamps: Birthday Donuts (Skipping Stones Design) Paper: Polka Dot Parade - Grande & Petite (Papertrey Ink), Gemstones - Tigers Eye (Core'dinations), Solar White Classic Crest (Neenah) Ink: Tuxedo Black Memento (Tsukineko), cameo coral classic ink (Stampin' Up!) Accessories: Lime Green Satin ribbon (May Arts), Spring Mix vintage button collection (Papertrey Ink), Copic ciao markers (Imagination International Inc.), sponge, clear embossing powder (Stampin' Up!)

Salsa Festival 2010

2010-04-24T20:17:00.010-07:00

Salsa Festival was fun, but kind of crazy this year -- I was just not digging the layout so much . . . and I WAY preferred the way they gave out chips in your own bag in previous years. So much more sanitary and no lines -- the lines were RIDICULOUS!! I also think the event as a whole was too spread out and awkward. Because of this, we did not end up staying as long as we have in the past. Still, we had fun and got to taste some yummy salsas while we were there.

I decided I would try and vote on the "Unusual" salsa entries this year, and Michael tasted and voted on mild salsas. (I think our favorites were M1 and U2) Michael says he would like to enter a salsa sometime. We will see in the coming years!

Teddy Bears Picnic

2010-04-23T16:04:00.006-07:00

If you go out in the woods today
You're sure of a big surprise.
If you go out in the woods today
You'd better go in disguise.

For every bear that ever there was
Will gather there for certain, because
Today's the day the teddy bears have their picnic.

Picnic time for teddy bears,
The little teddy bears are having a lovely time today.
Watch them, catch them unawares,
And see them picnic on their holiday.
See them gaily dance about.
They love to play and shout.
And never have any cares.
At six o'clock their mommies and daddies
Will take them home to bed
Because they're tired little teddy bears.

The school where my children attend put on an event called "Teddy Bears Picnic" and everyone was told to bring their favorite teddy bear. There was a picnic lunch, of course, and were activities such as bear target toss, bear in the air, bear sack race, bears over and under, bearsketball, bear relay, bear bowling, and a bear obstacle course, all of which the children could do with their bears. Parents were also invited to attend. My kids had a blast and we all got a little bit sunburned, but it was a fun way to spend a Friday afternoon.

Here are my two cute critters eating their lunches on our picnic blanket

Parachute - bear in the air activity where they all had to try and make the bear fly super high

Bear Relay - and how I finally figured out what was happening to the tops of their shoes to wreck them.

Sack Races . . . so cute to watch them all bouncing!

Target Toss

J in his teddy bear hat! SO cute!

Down Time . . . Life is SWEET!

2010-04-17T09:48:00.010-07:00

Life with four kids is sure busy busy! I decided that this weekend I just needed some down time (well, besides church and soccer for the kids). I tried not to make plans so we could just chill out, spring clean a bit, and rest!

Not sure why but I have had the most wicked sweets craving ever. I decided to bake some stuff this weekend, cause my bananas were going bad (funny enough, I never did end up using my bananas), and I came across this recipe and remembered I wanted to try it. Hope you are having a sweet weekend too (and if not, go try this recipe and you will be).

Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Bars

INGREDIENTS:

1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup coconut, if desired
1 roll (16.5 oz) Pillsbury® refrigerated chocolate chip cookies

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat oven to 350°F. In small bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar and egg until smooth. Stir in coconut.

2. In ungreased, 9- or 8-inch square pan, break up half of cookie dough. With floured fingers, press dough evenly in bottom of pan to form crust. Spread cream cheese mixture over dough. Crumble and sprinkle remaining half of dough over cream cheese mixture.

3. Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until golden brown and firm to the touch. Cool 30 minutes. Refrigerate at least 2 hours or until chilled. For bars, cut into 4 rows by 4 rows. Store in refrigerator.

(SSD020) & Blog HOP!

2010-04-13T07:00:00.043-07:00

If you just happened upon my blog today, you’ll want to go back to the beginning at Skipping Stones Design. You should have arrived from Michelle's blog (http://twisted-chick.blogspot.com/).

It's that time again, time for another sketch and another hop! I love blog hops with all my awesome Skipping Stones DT girlies as well as our Guest Sketch artist Kimberly Crawford and Guest designers Bev Rousch and Ashley Newell! They are always so inspiring! This time we are hoppin' because Skipping Stones is releasing the two new sets that I showed off to you last week TODAY (Whispering Wings and Birthday Donuts)!!!

*****

The following promotion is good from April the 13th at 8:00 a.m. till Thursday April 22nd at midnight OR while supplies last.

Buy 4 stamp sets get Bras Volume #2 OR Bras Volume #3 for FREE

Here's how it works: Buy ANY 4 stamp sets and you will receive either Bras vol#2 OR Bras vol#3 for Free. Due to limited supply the customer can not choose which Bras volume # they receive. The unreleased stamp sets will be available to view on the blog until the 22nd. Then they will be taken down. These stamp sets will not be available for purchase for another 6 months to 18 months.

*****

We'd love for you to play along with the sketch. Just remember to use the keywords SSD020 if you are uploading to any online galleries or link your card at the Skipping Stones Blog. We'll be looking soon for Guest Designers so you never know....

Your next stop on the hop is Angela Thomas (http://sparkleandbling.blogspot.com/)

(Just in case you get lost along the way . . . list of participants):

Skipping Stones Design  http://skippingstonesdesign.com/
Kimberly Crawford  http://kimberly-crawford.blogspot.com/
Erin Grotegut  http://www.inkysmiles.blogspot.com/
Kandi Phillips  http://kraftykandikrafts.blogspot.com/
Ashley Cannon Newell  http://ashleynewell.blogspot.com/
Mary Giemza  http://mycardz.wordpress.com/
Chelsea Van Wyk  http://www.scraptasticvoyage.blogspot.com/
Beverly Rousch  http://bevithia.blogspot.com/
Peggy Russell  http://beautifulgreetings.blogspot.com/
Michelle Giraud  http://twisted-chick.blogspot.com/
Amanda Sewell  http://www.inkspirations.blogspot.com/
Angela Thomas  http://sparkleandbling.blogspot.com/

Stamps: Whispering Wings Paper: Lemonade (Basic Grey), Baby Blue Medium (Prism Papers), Solar White Classic Crest (Neenah) Ink: Tuxedo Black Memento (Tsukineko) Accessories: Sewing machine (Singer), white thread (Gutermann), rhinestone stickers (Recollections - Michaels Stores Inc.), pink grosgrain (Stampin' Up!), Frosted Lace Stickles (Ranger), long scalloped rectangles nestabilities(Spellbinders), cuttlebug machine (Provocraft)

Phoenix Film Festival 2010 - April 8-15th

2010-04-10T21:57:00.030-07:00

Today we had the opportunity to go see the short film that E was in called "Copper" on the big screen at the Phoenix Film Festival (as part of the Arizona Short Film Showcase). It was so much fun! E was so funny to watch -- she totally loved every minute! She felt like a movie star and told everyone we met that she was, and because we were at the Film Festival, they all reacted excitedly which was cool. She got to see Kimber, and Diane and Bivas again, and was excited about that. Baby E was crazy out of control in the theater, so we left after E's short was finished.

We then went and participated in some of the Kids Day Activities. She gave out her first autograph to the girls running the Bookmans table there. She was so proud of that moment. We kept the Film Fest guide and also our tickets so she would have them to save forever. Maybe one day I will scrapbook them, who knows?

E's movie star attendee shots

At the theater with Dad and Baby E

Making sounds in the sound booth at Kids Day

Making a funny screenplay . . .

E's first autograph . . . she's famous now *grins*

(SSD019)

2010-04-06T09:10:00.005-07:00

Sorry I am a little late with this post this morning . . . my excuses are 1) I had to feed a baby 2) I am on the west coast, so it is actually only 9 am here, not so early for me and 3) I had leftover pancakes, strawberries, whipped cream and maple syrup in my fridge which caused me to create an overly indulgent breakfast for myself, but darn it was good! Anyway . . .

Stamps: Chick Chat (Skipping Stones Design) Paper: Red with Dots - (American Crafts- The Goods), Let's Pretend - Tea Party (Imaginisce), Real Red (SU!), Solar White Classic Crest (Neenah), Intense Yellow (Prism) Ink: Tuxedo Black Memento (Tsukineko) Accessories: Sewing machine (Singer), white thread (Gutermann), blue dotted organdy (Hobby Lobby), 1 1/4 circle punch (SU!), long rectangle scalloped nestabilities dies (Spellbinders), cuttlebug (Provocraft), copic ciao markers (Imagination International Inc.)

*****

I ~~cheated~~ varied a little on this sketch! The sentiment just would not fit at the bottom, so I made it work. I had fun playing with the chickies! I love the bright primary colors on this card, I think it would cheer anyone who was feeling sad! Hope you are out enjoying spring and then stamping at night (when you don't pass out from sheer exhaustion like I do). See you next week!

As always, be sure to go check out what the other SSD girls have been up to! They truly rock!!! Oh and I thought I would post the new release sets so you can see them in their entirety. These both go on sale next TUESDAY (the 13th) and I know you will want them both, so this is your early notice to start skipping the starbucks so you can afford them *wink* Gotta run, baby is calling . . .

Whispering Wings

Birthday Donuts

Hoppy Easter (for CPS)

2010-04-02T07:30:00.036-07:00

Last week I got a fun message from my friend Tami. She asked me if I would be interested in designing a card for the Facebook Featured Fan for Friday on the Card Positioning Systems facebook fan page (which if you aren't a member of this yet -- go over and join!)

Of course I agreed (*flattered*) and this is what I came up with for the sketch! Hope you like him. I adore this little bunny! He is just too sweet and perfect for Easter!

I am not sure if you can see it really, but I glittered up his ears, cheeks and pads of his feet! I think it really adds something in real life (darn cameras). LOL! Have a lovely springy day!

Stamps: Gray Hares (Skipping Stones Design) Paper: Pristine: Pretty Posies (Paper Salon), Frosted Teal (Prism Papers), Pink Diamond Gemstones (Core'dinations), Solar White Classic Crest (Neenah) Ink: Rich Cocoa Memento Ink (Tsukineko) Accessories: Pretty in Pink brads (Stampin' Up!), sewing machine (Singer), white thread (Gutermann), Green dotted grosgrain ribbon (Michaels Stores Inc.), scalloped and plain circle nestabilities dies (Spellbinders), cuttlebug machine (Provocraft), copic ciao markers (Imagination International Inc.), frosted lace stickles (Ranger).

(SSD018)

2010-03-30T07:15:00.019-07:00

Happy Tuesday! Sorry I have been sort of in hiding lately! 4 kids are SO much work -- who knew? It is also super fun though. We are all enjoying having Baby M around. I think Baby E is finally getting used to her, although he still cries a little if I give her a bottle and not him.

I had so much fun creating the card for this weeks sketch. The sketch really lends itself to any small image you have. Hope you have fun playing with it and be sure to stop by and visit some of the other design team gals blogs -- *Oh, and if you haven’t signed up for the Skipping Stones Design newsletter now is the time!!!*

This Thursday Heather will be sending out the first newsletter to subscribers. In this newsletter you can find out how to get BRAS Vol. #2 for free and see a sneak peek of the set. In the future subscribers will receive information on “Secret sales” and online “coupon codes” that will not be shown on the blog. As well as news on upcoming stamp sets, lots of sneak peeks that you won’t see anywhere else!!!

Stamps: Well Behaved - Special Edition (Skipping Stones Design) Paper: Textured Black (Hobby Lobby), Pheobe - Pier 39 (Basic Grey), Solar White Classic Crest (Neenah) Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black (Tsukineko) Accessories: Copic Ciao markers (Imagination International Inc.), 1 1/4 and 1 3/8 inch square punches (SU!), sewing machine (Singer), white thread (Sulky), green ribbon (May Arts), rhinestone (Kaiser Scrapbook)

Soccer Saturdays . . .

2010-03-29T16:11:00.004-07:00

and Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays! Soccer all week long! My kids both wanted to play soccer this spring, so we signed them up -- well, since they re-did the age groups, they can no longer be on the same team as E is playing on an older non co-ed team, and J is playing little kiddie hive ball. Anyway, that said, they both have two practices a week, which happen to fall on different nights luckily, but keep me busy pretty much everyday of the week. PHEWS!

They are enjoying it for the most part. The only bummer thing is that because they are both team #4 in their league level, they have the same schedule for games pretty much, but different locations, which means Michael and I have to divide and conquer. I wish that was different. We will know for next year though!

Here are some fun pictures from E's practice and a couple from J's first game! They are growing up so fast!

E running a drill . . . she looks so short compared to everyone!

J action shots during the first game!

J took this picture of my little guy during one of E's practices

How could you not just love this little man -- so good at practices!!!

He has the prettiest eyes!

Yummy & EASY Blueberry Muffins

2010-03-29T13:58:00.001-07:00

This weekend I decided to try this recipe out of Taste of Home magazine to make blueberry muffins. It used pancake mix as the base, and I was a little skeptical, but it turned out well and they were SO yummy! I have lots of pancake mix around as it is something I can buy at the LDS cannery here, so I was excited to find another use for it!!! I made a second batch this morning, and added some raspberries too. I also doubled the batch as the recipe as is only yields about a dozen full size muffins. Anyway, I thought I would share it! Give it a try and tell me what you think!

Kids' Favorite Blueberry Muffins

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups pancake mix
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
2/3 cup water
1/4 cup canola oil
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine pancake mix and sugar. In another bowl whisk the egg, water (I added about 1/4 cup water in addition to what the recipe calls for here because my batter seemed too thick) and oil. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in blueberries.

Fill paper lined muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake at 400F for 14-16 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan to wire rack.

Note: If using frozen blueberries, use without thawing to avoid discoloring the batter.

From Taste of Home Magazine, April/May 2010, page 45.

Growing Like Weeds

2010-03-24T14:35:00.001-07:00

I realized I had not posted any new baby pictures since Baby M was born! EEK! I have been a slacker on taking them too. So bad. She is 2 weeks old already! Anyway, here are a couple cute ones from her first couple weeks here on earth:

The kids holding their sister for the first time! J held her for a long time, he really likes her!

A BIG yawn for a tiny little girl

This one was snapped just a couple minutes ago! Her jaundice is WAY better now! YAY!

(SSD017)

2010-03-23T16:28:00.002-07:00

It rained here today, and instead of stamping while both the babies were napping, I just sat staring outside watching the rain. I just love the sound of the rain. Everyone else is praying for sunshine right now, but I really enjoyed the change of pace with rain here in the desert today! Spring is here already!

Anyway, I apologize for my lateness in posting! I can't believe it is Tuesday already again! YIKES!!! Today I played with a soon to be released set by Skipping Stones Design called Baby Feet. As you all know, I have been working on cards to thank some of my friends, and today is another one. I really like how this one turned out, so I think I might just make a bunch of multiples of it and send them off. Ooh, and I only cheated on the sketch once *YAY!* -- I used a circle as my main focal point instead of an oval! Hope Jami will forgive me *lol* Isn't that gemstones cardstock just so glittery and to die for too! *squeals*

As always, I hope you will take some time to visit the other Skipping Stones design team girls and see what they have been creating! We all love your visits and comments, so if you see something you like, be sure to tell. Thank you again to our awesome sketch designer this month - JAMI BOVA!!! *applause*

Stamps: Baby Feet (Skipping Stones Design), 3195 H ...Kindness... (Penny Black) Paper: PL-191 (Me & My Big Ideas), Pink Diamond - Gemstones (Core'dinations), Jade - Gemstones (Core'dinations), Solar White Classic Crest (Neenah) Ink: Tuxedo Black Memento (Tsukineko), Regal Rose Classic (SU!) Accessories: Candy Dots (Pebbles Inc.), sheer purple with polka dots ribbon (Michaels Stores Inc.)

And He's Off . . .

2010-03-19T20:59:00.009-07:00

FINALLY, my cute little 15 month old decided to walk! He had been walking along furniture and even taking a step or two here and there for the past few months - but apparently he finally got the confidence and went for it! YAY! Just had to share . . .

CPS 158 - Small Things With Great Love

2010-03-19T12:54:00.001-07:00

I have been working on some thank you cards for some friends. After we had the baby, people were super generous towards my family in bringing by dinners, helping with the kids, etc. It was so awesome and made life really simple for me. I decided that thank you cards for them takes top priority this week . . . I will get to sending out announcements soon.

The first one I made features a pre-printed vellum that I got in a package of fun stuff from a friend (it's by Creative Memories). I had been holding onto it, but I thought this would be a perfect use. I paired it up with some fun paper by Amy Butler (K & Company) and prima flowers. *love* The layout is from the Card Positioning Systems blog (CPS158) -- I just love their sketches!!! Go check them out! Hope you are have a wonderful weekend! *smiles*

Paper: Amy Butler Sola Mat Pad (K & Company), Black Textured CS (Hobby Lobby), Green Polka Dots - Penny Lane (My Minds Eye) Ink: Tuxedo Black Memento (Tsukineko) Accessories: black self adhesive rhinestones (Kaiser Scrapbook), black with white dots organdy (Hobby Lobby), turquoise grosgrain ribbon, vellum sentiment (Creative Memories), sewing machine (Singer), white thread (Gutermann), Sweet & Sassy Cinderella paper flowers (Prima Marketing)

(SSD015)

2010-03-09T07:14:00.003-07:00

Another Tuesday . . . another sketch! This month, Jami Bova designed all these wonderful sketches for us! Thanks Jami!!! I just LOVE this cake image from Skipping Stones - You Know You'e Gettin' Old set. The whole set is hilarious, but this cake alone would sell it to me. It's just so fun and funky! I decided to pair the dots on the cake with some bright and odd colored striped paper. I love how it turned out! I hope it will make someone smile on their birthday!

As usual, if/when you upload your card -- be sure to use keywords "SSD015" -- and also, be sure to check out what the other design team gals have been up to. I am sure you won't be disappointed!

Stamps: You Know You're Gettin' Old Birthday (Skipping Stones Design) Paper: Classic Magenta (Prism), Zinnia - Little Garden Stripe (Little Yellow Bicycle), Certainly Celery (SU!), Elegant Eggplant (SU!), Solar White Classic Crest (Neenah) Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black (Tsukineko) Accessories: Yellow Paper flower (Prima Marketing, Inc.), Frosted Lace Stickles (Ranger), gem brad (SU!), sewing machine (Singer), white thread (Gutermann), Copic ciao markers (Imagination International Inc.),swiss dots cuttlebug embossing folder (Provocraft), cuttlebug machine (Provocraft), nestabilities classic oval dies (Spellbinders)

She's HERE!

2010-03-06T17:35:00.003-07:00

Welcome Miss M to the world. Born today at 1:04 pm. Weighing in at 8 lbs even. 20 inches long. She has the most hair of any of my babies so far . . . dark brown. She also has really long fingers and toes.

Induction went smoothly but slowly - her heart rate was normal so they figured she was just not quite positioned right. Baby was out in only a few pushes. The cord was wrapped around her neck when she came out, but she quickly pinked up and looked good. She is a quiet baby. She took to feeding well. We're so excited to have this new member of the family!!!

The pediatrician said that based on the fact that she was full term and that we both are doing so well, we might be able to go home as early as tomorrow afternoon which would be AWESOME since I miss my cute kiddies already and I know how excited they are to meet their new sister!

Must go feed the princess now and put in my order for dinner! Hope you are having a great day and thanks for taking a moment to share in our joy!

First Bath

Cute Pictures With Mommy & Daddy

(SSD014) - Enjoy Everyday, Enjoy Life

2010-03-02T11:03:00.008-07:00

I apologize for my late posting today . . . the countdown to being 40 weeks preggo continues. This week has been crazy out of control already, and it's only Tuesday! YIKES!

Friday night Baby E was running a fever and really congested. We gave him tylenol/motrin, but he would not take in fluids, and I was worried about him, so I slept on he floor beside his bed (stupid thing to do at 39 weeks pregnant). Anyway, I cried a bit, and when I woke up in the morning, I had the most intense pain in my right ear ever! Seriously OW!

Saturday, Mic took the baby to the pediatrician, where he was diagnosed with double ear infections, and pneumonia -- he had a breathing treatment there, and an antibiotic shot . . . and his lungs were sounding much more clear when he left. Late Saturday night his fever broke, much to our relief.

Sunday was an okay day, mostly we just all rested -- an interesting thought occurred to me while I was on the couch -- in my kitchen I have block letters that say "Find joy in the journey" and I asked Mic what he thought the joy was in all this sickness we were dealing with? (Right before all this DD had a really bad cold and cough, and was super sick). The baby was not taking fluids so well still, so we worried about that. Then late Sunday night my ear started to REALLY hurt. Baby E had an appt. again Monday morning. She checked him out and said to keep going with the antibiotics and that he looked better. Monday afternoon he started to drink milk again! YAY! There was some joy in this journey afterall!!! The sentiment on my card relates to this idea too!

My ear was like death pain at this point though, so I went to the urgent care where she diagnosed me as having an ear infection (SERIOUSLY -- who gets an ear infection at age 31???) in both the canal and middle part of my ear. I was put on antibiotics too -- but with being pregnant, there are no drops approved for in the ear canal, so I am having to do vinegar/distilled water to clear out that part of the infection. My ear was killing me last night, so my genius hubby told me to ice it, and it helped SO much! I was finally able to sleep and this morning things are better! Yet another joy!

So all that said, I finally had time to stamp this weeks challenge! I hope you like it! Hope you will also take some time and visit the blogs of the other design team members and leave them some comments and love! And most importantly, hope you are having a better week than I am so far! Remember to *SMILE!* Oh, and special thanks to Jami Bova (our new sketch designer for the month of March - go visit her cool blog)!

Stamps: Dandelion Dreams (Skipping Stones Design), Handwritten Notes (Papertrey Ink) Paper: Basic Black (SU!), Wild Wasabi (SU!), Certainly Celery (SU!), Solar White Classic Crest (Neenah), Christmas Cheer Designer Mat Pad (K & Company) Ink: Tuxedo Black Memento (Tsukineko), Wild Wasabi Classic (SU!), Not Quite Navy Classic (SU!), Taken With Teal Classic (SU!), Certainly Celery Classic (SU!) Accessories: Circle nestabilities dies (Spellbinders), Cuttlebug machine (Provocraft), rhinestones (Kaiser Scrapbook), 1 3/8 circle punch (SU!), scalloped scissors, sewing machine (Singer), white thread (Gutermann), sponges

Fishing You . . . Happy Birthday (SC269)

2010-02-27T14:26:00.000-07:00

I am having so much fun playing with this set -- the tropical nature of the set, lends itself to bright summery fun colors and it has been serving to cheer me up lately! The card says "Happy Birthday" on the inside (also from the same set, in the same font). Layout was from this weeks sketch challenge over at Splitcoaststampers.

Stamps: Tropical Birthday (Skipping Stones Design) Paper: Check Him Out - Just Dreamy (My Minds Eye), Green Polka Dots - Penny Lane (My Minds Eye), Pumpkin Pie (SU!), Solar White Classic Crest (Neenah), Taken With Teal (SU!) Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black (Tsukineko) Accessories: Copic ciao markers (Imagination International Inc.), teal paper flowers (Prima Marketing, Inc.), Painterly Petals Hydrangeas (Prima Marketing, Inc.), white candy dots (Pebbles Inc.), sewing machine (Singer), white thread (Sulky), 1 3/8 and 1 1/4 circle punch (SU!), red grosgrain ribbon (SU!), Spots & Dots cuttlebug embossing folder (Provocraft), cuttlebug machine (Provocraft).

Tropical Birthday - Skipping Stones Design

2010-02-26T09:18:00.002-07:00

FINALLY -- I managed to get a little bit of time in the stamp office before the baby's due date . . . and this is what I came up with. I colored this image while looking at a tropical sunset picture, and then found colors of paper to match. It's a little bright, but at the same time, it just works.

Speaking of tropical vacations, if you are like me and stuck at home for a little while, pop into Bath & Body Works! The other day I picked up the most YUMMY smelling tarts (all pineapple-y and fruity goodness) -- they totally will make your house smell glorious and make you smile!!!

Stamps: Tropical Birthday (Skipping Stones Design) Paper: Classic Yellowgreen (Prism), Desert Coral Medium (Prism), Tawny Medium (Prism), Orcid Opulence (SU!), Solar White Classic Crest (Neenah) Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black (Tsukineko) Accessories: Circle nestabilities (Spellbinders), copic ciao markers and blender (Imagination International Inc.), glitter brads (The Paper Studio - Hobby Lobby), Stylized Flowers A2 Cuttlebug Embossing folder (Provocraft), cuttlebug machine (Provocraft), Painterly Petal Hydrangeas Orange (Prima Marketing, Inc.), pop dots, clear embossing powder (SU!)

(SSD013)

2010-02-25T16:15:00.019-07:00

I am delayed with posting my card for this sketch . . . seriously being pregnant, appointments, and sick kids have been getting the best of me, but it was such an awesome sketch, I knew I had to make time to play with it!

Have you ever tried this stamping "technique" before? I stamped my images on my designer paper, in a similar color to some of the images already on the paper. Easy -- and looks SUPERB! This was such a quick and simple card, and really would adapt to many different sentiments!

I cannot believe how fast February has flown by . . . already we are saying thank yous and goodbye to this months guest sketch artist - Belinda Chang (who has the most gorgeous blog ever which you SO need to visit!) Some good news though -- starting next week the design team will be working with some awesome sketches by Jami Bova (Srgt. Stamper).

As always, please go see what the design team has come up with for this sketch (links on the right sidebar under the Skipping Stones logo) and then get busy and show us what you can do (be sure to use keyword SSD013 when uploading on Splitcoast etc.) Happy hoppin' and happy stamping!!! Hopefully I will be back here soon with a birth announcement for our new baby girl!

Stamps: Garden Stamp Kiss Set (Skipping Stones Design), Dandelion Dreams (Skipping Stones Design) Paper: Birchtone Dark (Prism), Leaves of Love - Penny Lane (My Minds Eye), Solar White Classic Crest (Neenah) Ink: Memento - Rich Cocoa (Tsukineko) Accessories: Brown with white dots organdy (Hobby Lobby)

J's First Ever Field Trip - AZ Museum of Natural History

2010-02-25T15:43:00.037-07:00

I thought this field trip could be a fun daddy/son bonding time, so M scheduled the day off, and went with the group as a parent volunteer. He ended up driving himself and J, so that there would be more room on the buses and so that if I went into labor or whatever, he could leave if they needed to. On the way, one of the buses got a flat tire, so they had to transfer all the kids from that bus to the other bus -- crazy! They got to the museum about a half hour late . . . and M and J had time for a photo shoot before they arrived:

When they arrived, M was assigned one other boy to keep watch of while they were there. That seems like not a lot, but remember, these are kindergarten age boys running amok in a dinosaur museum . . . M said he had to keep up with them, like get one boy to go over where the other one was a lot. M said they were only at the museum for like 1.5 hours and then they loaded up again and headed to the park to have lunch.

J and his classmate Damon

Panning for gold (J's arm is in the bottom corner - good photography M)

J and T. eating lunch in the park together

M turns the BIG 3-0!!!!

2010-02-20T23:33:00.022-07:00

Yep, it's true, not only will we soon be the parents of 4 children (EEK, that makes me feel ANCIENT), but M and I are both now officially in our 30's! Hooray!

I had a small party (M picked some families that he wanted to invite over) and we had them over to play games, eat food and just hang out. I totally got busy and neglected to take lots of pictures, but here is my cute hubby . . . all old and grown up! *smiles* Hope all your wishes come true!!!

Happy 30th Birthday Michael!!!

Baby M's Blanket . . .

2010-02-11T05:34:00.001-07:00

If you are one of my friends on facebook, you have no doubt seen posts where I am crocheting Baby M's blanket . . . well, it is finally finished! YAY!!!

I have made this same pattern for each of my children (E has pink, J has red, Baby E has pale green). I think it is SO cute! I love the little hood on it. I used Caron Simply Soft Eco yarn in Lilac Bud for the blanket, and then edges are done with Caron Simply Soft white.

Anyway, I am excited for her to arrive and I hope she likes cuddling up in it like the others have.

I am sort of sad I won't be making any more of these for my kids since we are done at 4 kids. Hmmm, how much would you pay for a hand made crocheted blanket? Maybe I can keep making them and just sell them . . . would you buy this?

Playing With My Heart

2010-02-10T07:52:00.000-07:00

nestabilities that is . . . I created this card a few weeks ago. Clean and simple card really! Just punched, stitched and a little bit of dimension! I used no stamps on this card at all! CRAZY!

Paper: Textured Red (Hobby Lobby), Solar White Classic Crest (Neenah Papers), Scarlets Letter - Fare thee Well (Basic Grey) Accessories: Beetle Black Paper Frills (Doodlebug Design Inc.), oval punches (SU!), sewing machine (Singer), white thread (Sulky), black organdy ribbon (SU!), black rhinestones (Kaiser Scrapbook), "love" rub-on - Family Dreams Collection (One Heart, One Mind), heart nestabilities (Spellbinders)

(SSD011)

2010-02-09T09:34:00.005-07:00

Sorry I am so late in getting this post up today . . . but I am sure you will all let me off the hook -- I mean, after all, it is my birthday! I wish I could say the reason is because I slept in, or was finishing some AMAZING novel, but really, it was because I was getting kids ready for school, writing apology notes with a child to teach a lesson to them, reading a book, and getting babies ready for naps, searching frantically for my cord for my camera to upload. BUSY household this morning - but I am so thankful for all the fun I get to have with my cute family! I'm 31 today . . . YUCK!

Today's sketch was a fun, happy, easy one for me. I had stampers block all day yesterday and just could not produce ANYTHING, and then this card came to me late last night! I fudged a bit on the bottom, not completely enclosing my sentiment box inside the box with all the shoes, purses, etc, but it just looked happier that way! Hope you like how it turned out.

Go try this sketch, I know you will love it!!! Be sure to check out what the other DT girls have made (links on the sidebar to the right --->)

Stamps: Well Behaved (Skipping Stones Design) Paper: Hot Mama Damask (Glitz Design), Black (Prism Papers), Solar White Classic Crest (Neenah Papers) Ink: Tuxedo Black Memento (Tsukineko) Accessories: Small circle punch (SU!), copic ciao markers (Imagination International Inc.), black rhinestones (KaiserScrapbook)

E's Hannah Montana Birthday Party 2010

2010-02-06T17:56:00.008-07:00

Since last year I was in the hospital having my gallbladder removed on my DD's birthday, I felt like I really wanted to make this birthday special for E. She totally deserved a party with friends, and all kinds of fun, etc.

Here are the plans/ideas we used for her Hannah Montana Party:

Activities:

Hoedown Throwdown - This Hannah Montana dance is a great one for both boys and girls should you be hosting a co-ed birthday with this theme. Follow this online step-by-step guide hosted by Miley Cyrus in order to learn those funky moves from the movie! You could even have a dance contest or combine it with a musical "freeze" game.

Hannah Montana Spotlight World Tour for Wii - pretty self explanatory -- they danced and sung along. It was cuteness!

Freeze Dance - to Hannah Montana Music. For some reason kids just LOVE this game! We glittered them all up during this time with some spray on body glitter/hair glitter! They looked so sparkly and pretty!

Hot Potato - we used E's build a bear doll dressed up in her best Hannah Montana outfit and passed her. Soft and safe, but there was LOTS of giggling! They had lots of fun playing this.

Duck, Duck, Goose - *ahem* Miley, Miley, Hannah - the classic game worked over Hannah Montana style

Rock Star Charm Bracelets - I got these from oriental trading - only $7.99 for 12. The girls had fun making them, but we had a couple frustrated when beads fell off or they could not get a bead on the string . . . this was 6 and 7 year old girls though, so maybe for a year of so later, they would be perfect? Some kids had no problem making theirs.

Food:

Pizza, lemonade, sprite, cake, potato chips, skittles

Treat Bags:

I found these fun packs of body glitter, lip gloss, and lipstick (pink and purple of course) at Hobby Lobby, on clearance, for a little over a buck. It was perfect. I put one set of each of those in the bags. Other items: Hannah Montana stickers, pop rocks candy, gummy guitars/microphones (Hannah Montana), purple beads from Party City, Hannah Montana gelly bracelets, Hannah Montana hair barrettes/pony holders (I got both the bracelets and hair things at Party City for cheap cheap -- they were clearance - WOOT!) I put all the goodies in pink transparent bags with purple tied ribbon! They looked cute!

All in all, I think E had a really fun party! All the girls were crazy hyper and seemed to have fun! I am glad we took the time to plan it all out and give her this special celebration!

The gang - Aubrey, Gabbie, E, Ally, Ashlyn, Emma

Opening gifts from friends

Playing Hannah Montana - Spotlight World Tour

INKSPIRATIONS

Baby Cards Blowout . . . featuring Baby Button Bits

Wishing You a Fabulous 4th!

Patriotic Rag Wreath

Nutcracker - Ballet Arizona at the Symphony Hall

Gingerbread House Kits (Or Parent Torture Kits)

Happy 2nd Birthday Little Man!

SUNDAY - The Beach

SUNDAY - Character Breakfast at Goofy's Kitchen

SATURDAY - Disneyland

FRIDAY - Disneyland Hotel/Swimming

And the winners are *drum roll please* . . .

(SSD040) & Blog Hop

AFI/Greenday Show - Phoenix, AZ

Locks of Love Donation

(SSD039)

(SSD038)

First Day Back to School

(SSD037)

Look What I Made - Hair Bow Holder

Look What I Made - Button Trees Frame

(SSD035)

San Diego Weekend -- Balboa Park & San Diego Museum of Natural History

San Diego Weekend -- Sea World

San Diego Weekend -- Red Robin - YUM!!!!

(SSD034)

(SSD033)

E's 7 Year Old Pictures (Kiddie Kandids)

Happy 4th of July

J's 6th Birthday DAY of FUN

J's 6th Birthday Pictures - Kiddie Kandids

(SSD031) - Blog Hop and New Release PARTY!

Playing With Vinyl

Making Orange Berry Jam

Little E's Pictures - Kiddie Kandids

(SSD030) - NEW RELEASES

Hot Dog Eating Contest

Baby M's First Photos - Kiddie Kandids

(SSD029) - Do We Dare Take the Chance?

Zucchini Frittata (From FamilyFun Magazine)

(SSD028)

Shake 'n Make Ice Cream

(SSD027) and CC273

Kindergarten Graduation

Skipping Stones Sketch (SSD026)

Batterack

Field Trip - Phoenix Zoo

Skipping School . . .

(SSD025) & Blog Hop

Soccer Team and Individual Pictures 2010

(SSD024)

(SSD023)

Disney Give a Day Volunteers: Cards & Pictures for the Troops

(SSD022)

Salsa Festival 2010

Teddy Bears Picnic

Down Time . . . Life is SWEET!

(SSD020) & Blog HOP!

Phoenix Film Festival 2010 - April 8-15th

(SSD019)

Hoppy Easter (for CPS)

(SSD018)

Soccer Saturdays . . .

Yummy & EASY Blueberry Muffins

Growing Like Weeds

(SSD017)

And He's Off . . .

CPS 158 - Small Things With Great Love

(SSD015)

She's HERE!

(SSD014) - Enjoy Everyday, Enjoy Life

Fishing You . . . Happy Birthday (SC269)

Tropical Birthday - Skipping Stones Design

(SSD013)

J's First Ever Field Trip - AZ Museum of Natural History

M turns the BIG 3-0!!!!

Baby M's Blanket . . .

Playing With My Heart

(SSD011)

E's Hannah Montana Birthday Party 2010

And the winners are drum roll please . . .