HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!

Wow....So, much to be thankful for! I have an amazing life, wonderful family, great friends, and blessings everyday of the year! This year has brought many trials and tribulations, losses, and lessons but I've tried to find the good in it all.
My hubby and my amazing kids are what I'm most thankful for. Although they may not always get along with each other, or they may not always behave, I'm still thankful for every one of them and couldn't imagine my life without them. My step-daughter is currently in England (her mom is in the military) and so being away from here this year has been hard, but we wanted to give her the opportunity to see parts of the world that most adults don't get to see. I'm so, so thankful for Skype. Without it, we would only be able to have a phone conversation but, with Skype we are able to have a video conversation. I'm so thankful for being loved. Not only is it awesome to be in love with such an amazing person who treats me like a princess but he is my best friend. I can tell him anything. I can be funny, serious, or goofy and he still loves me unconditionally.
I'm so thankful for crafting...and having the ability to be able to. I've met many, unforgettable people along the way...and hope to meet a lot more :). I've learned so many techniques, and ideas from so many!
So...for those of you who celebrate Thanksgiving...HAPPY THANKSGIVING. For those that don't...Happy Thursday :) No matter what we celebrate, we all have something to be thankful for...everyday!!

Gearing up for Christmas...Bugaboo Challenge!

This week  our challenge is going to help us all  get ready for Christmas!  It is all about making our own Christmas presents, whether it just a little something to go with the main event or if it is the main event. As crafters we have so many choices to choose from....So, here are my entry's.
The kids and I made these adorable little bags. They want to give them to their teachers and/or classmates.

This Reindeer Noses is a image by Dustin Pike...The Candies are Red Hots.

This is Reindeer "Poo". The Reindeer was colored with Copics. The Candy is Milk Duds. The Reindeer image was purchased form Digital Delights by Louby Lou.

Don't Eat Yellow Snow...Image by Dustin Pike...Candy is Lemon-heads and Skittles.

Elf Pillows...Image by Dustin Pike. Candy is Mints (Can also use Marshmellows)

OoOoPpPsss.....I got behind.

With all the hustle and justle of the holidays, I've got way behind on this blog :( I've been busy working, spending time with the kiddo's, making cards and Christmas presents. I love it that my kids (and my nieces) get so involved with making cards and such with me! I just wish I had a bigger scrappin' place. I am so grateful that I have the corner of my bedroom to use, but it would be much nicer to have something a little bigger so that the kids could be involved more too.
I've also been a bit discouraged about this whole blog thing. There are some blogs that I visit religiously..multiple times a day...and when I get on here I feel I'm talking to myself. I know that there probably aren't people that are even going to read most the blogs...so what's the point? Well, I try and remind myself that one day, I will have more than 1 follower lol.
So, for now I am going to get going. Got shopping, card making, Christmas presents and cleaning to get done.
Happy Monday!!

Anything Goes Challenge~Bugaboo Stamps

This is my 1st attempt at a "challenge".
I used the Stella digi stamp from Bugaboo. I colored her with Copic Markers. I sent this out as a birthday card!
Enjoy...

30 days of Thanksgiving...Day 4&5

Today and Yesterday I am super thankful for family and true friends...
I experienced a death in the family that was not only very unexpected but also very hard to deal with. No death is easy to handle, especially when it's a family member but this one was especially hard. My mom's youngest brother is mentally and physically handicapped. Growing up my mama always instilled in me that although he struggled with these different abilities, he was still my uncle and I needed to love him just as I would any other family member. So, that is what I have done my whole life. Uncle LeRoy never spoke a word to me, and never sat next to me for more than 10 minutes at a time (unless his head was being rubbed just like you would a small child). However, whenever I would show up at his house (he lived in a group home) you could see the happiness in his face and he would come grab my hand and place it on his head (for you to rub his head). My grandpa and my mom were the only members of the family that would visit him (as most didn't understand him) and after both of them passed, I made it more of a point to be there to visit with him more often. Some say that mentally handicap people don't understand you and don't know that your there to visit "them" but, I would have to disagree. I learned A LOT from my visits with Uncle LeRoy. He didn't have to worry about what bills would or wouldn't be paid with a paycheck, he didn't care if you were white, black, or hispanic. He didn't care how much you weighed or if you were pretty or not...however, Uncle LeRoy did have unconditional love. He always had a hug for you, and would smile so big when Wheel of Fortune or Jeopardy was on. If there was a show that he didn't like you would know...If you asked him what his favorite sport was, he would take you to his room and show you his plush football and baseball. Could he communicate like you and I? Nope, he sure couldn't, but that didn't make him less important...at least not to me.
After Grandpa passed in 2004, "guardianship" of my Uncle was "given" to another Uncle. That Uncle thought so little of Uncle LeRoy and obviously others in the family that we were not notified of his passing until almost 2 weeks later. I could get into all the details but quite honestly it just brings out anger and hurt that I am trying so hard to deal with. Why not give me the chance to say goodbye? There was plenty of time. Why not give Uncle LeRoy the chance to pass with some family by his side? I could care less about will's, money and anything else that went along with Grandpa's passing...I just loved Uncle LeRoy unconditionally just like he loved me. To me he was NOT an animal that belonged in a cage as you said! I have to remember that he is no longer in pain and he is with the 2 people that loved and adored him the most...his mama (my grandma) and his sister (my mama).
So, you are probably wondering how in the world I can be thankful for family right now...but I am. My family has helped me grieve all this. They have reminded me that LeRoy is so happy right now. They are helping me try and understand how someone can be so selfish to do this to someone...especially their own family members. That part I may never understand because I can't be so heartless...My mama and daddy raised me better than that.
I am also thankful to my hubby and my friends for letting me cry, and then yell, and then cry some more. I wish this pain would go away but it truly helps to have those that will listen. And lastly, but certainly not least, I'm thankful for Uncle LeRoy. Although some didn't understand you...I did. Thank you for showing me how to appreciate the simple things in life. Thank you for loving me unconditionally and I'm so sorry I couldn't be with you on your last days. I'm so thankful for your nurses that were there, rubbing your head till the very end.

Wedding Scrapbook

I made this wedding scrapbook for two co-workers of mine. My manager asked me if I would make a scrapbook for her to give to them as a gift. Although, I wish I would of had more time to work on it, but I do have to admit that I really like the way it turned out. This is only my 2nd scrapbook that I have made out of chip-board. It was lots of fun to make for them :)

30 days of Thanksgiving....Day3

So, I was inspired to do this challenge through another blogger :) Some are changing their facebook status' each day to share what they are thankful for, and others are doing their blogs (or both).
I have many things in my life to be thankful for, and I am hoping after this, I will take some time at the end of each day to remind myself of all these things. Too often, in our busy, crazy lives we don't stop to reflect. I've had too many reminders in the past months that life is too short, there aren't enough days... it's important to be thankful for what you've got and to celebrate each day and live in the moment!
So to start this off...Here are just some of what I'm thankful for:
                                                          My hubby
                                                          My children
                                                          My family (most of them)
                                                          My faith
                                                          Real friends
                                                          Crafting
                                                          My animals

                                                            
So, there's a start! I will continue to blog everyday about something (or many things) that I'm thankful for in that day. I encourage each of you to slow down and remember what all your thankful for :)

                        My handsome boys (with the sun in their faces):
                                                                     

My beautiful daughter

My beautiful step-daughter

                                                                           

It's November already??

Although I am very excited that Christmas is just around the corner, I still can't believe how fast this year has flown by. I've been working hard on my Christmas cards for this year, and can't wait to be able to send them all out :)
I'm currently trying to finish up a wedding scrapbook that I've been working on for co-workers, calendar pages for a friend of mine's family calendar, my kids' scrapbook pages, and cards for birthday's, anniversary's, holidays etc. I will post these pictures as I get things finished up :)
Here is a birthday card I just sent for a family friend (front and inside):

Here is one of the many Christmas cards for this year. I'm only going to post 1 picture as it would ruin the fun of getting it in the mail right??

Happy Halloween

Well here it is....October 31st! Halloween has never really been a favorite holiday of mine, but for the sake of my kids, I celebrate it :) This has been a busy couple of weeks for us. I was super excited to get all my Halloween cards made and sent out. 2 weeks ago our nieces came to stay with us "temporarly". One night turned into "just another night"...and before you knew it, we were almost 2 weeks into it. Our youngest niece (from this family) has autism pretty severely and requires a lot of attention. I don't mind that one bit; infact having them with us was such a joy to our family. We grew from 5 kids to 7!! Needless to say, I didn't have a lot of time to work on my Halloween cards. On Thursday (the 28th) my oldest niece asked me if I would help her make Halloween cards for her 23 classmates. AWWWWWWW was what I thought. How in the world can I pull this one off? We managed to get about 6 of them done, plus the 4 my daughter decided to make for her friends :) Thank goodness for the Dustin Pike and Bugaboo sites cause I was quickly able to find something for them to color! So, not everyone got Halloween cards from me this year but I am not too upset as Halloween is not my fav holiday, and the kids had fun making their's....
Here are a few that I got done and the ones I helped the kids make:

Here is one I made:

Here are one's the kids made:

Here is another I made:

Elmo Chore Chart

My best friend of mine asked if I could make a chore chart for her son. He is trying to earn a Elmo Jack in the Box...So, this is what the end result looks like. At the end of each row of boxes/diamonds she can write his chores and then he can use the push pin's to mark what has been done.

Some cards recently made...

Here are a few more cards I recently made...

                                                                       Birthday Card

                                                                   Halloween Card

                                                               Birthday Card

                               I made this for my Step-Daughter                                   

Here we go...

Well, this "blog" thing is all so new to me. I bounce around and look at other scrapbooker's and card maker's blog's and have decided to make my own. I am shy about adding my work to something like this because I am my own worst critic, but yet I send out my cards so I figured I'd add some stuff here as I go.
Here are a few recent cards I have made. I am making Halloween/Fall and Christmas ones right now so, hopefully soon I'll get those on here as well...

                                                   This card was for my niece who turned 4.

                                            This was a birthday card for a good friend.