Finalement Friday! Birthdays Galore... and MORE!!

And yes! It's Finally Friday!!! Not that it means much, as summer has started here... but... here goes!

 

I've decided to catch ya'll up on our goings-on... since it has been 6 months... It's a bit of jumping around, as it's hard to move things (I'm not familiar with a finger-type mouse) and I've just spent tons of time making these "simple" collages... lol! Supposed to be easy, right? Not...

 

Here... you'll see some of the cards I've created for various birthday parties.  Each of these were for kiddos, so... I have Marissa (she's now 8) color 2 "coloring pages" that I've whittled down, then cut them and mount with my fave... Silicon molding gel. I still believe this stuff is great. It's so much cheaper and easier to manage than pop-dots.

 

Some, I distress... others I simply embellish. All have a personalized message on the inside, whether it be poetry or just a cool comical sentiment. Each and every one of them has inked edges or features.

I had some issues recently... the hubs decided to tell me (after all these years...) that "nobody cares and it doesn't matter that I make or wrap things... homemade cards are just going to get thrown away... and nobody reads them anyway... it's time wasted..." Well, hmmmph!

 

These two beautiful productions were asked about right in front of him! The asking party did not know about the "issue".  My daughter came to me, asking for a custom card, which is here (on the right), and asked if I'd do one of my fancy wraps for the gift for a baby shower. Of course I would! I even wrote a custom insert in the card, specifically from my daughter to the new baby.

One MAJOR thing that has happened... my picky, picky daughter (yes... the 8-year-old) finally, FINALLY decided to start wearing denim. You have no clue how excited we all were. She previously would only wear t-shirt type knits (leggings, skorts, etc.), as she found "everything" else to be itchy and irritating.  Ugh... We all think she looks cuter than a button.

We still go to Sea World San Diego at least once or twice a month (gotta get the best use out of those passes, ya know?). And below... you'll see a bit of what we've been up to. Once of her favorite rides is Manta... Usually, it's so quick to finish and disembark, I can't whip out my camera phone.  But... on Easter weekend, it was a little behind, and so I did just that. And snap, snap... fun photos to share.

Baby Shamu (who still has yet to be named... btw... if you'd like to help name the latest edition to the Shamu family, there's a contest going on at: https://www.facebook.com/seaworldsandiego?v=app_317836181596979) is a HUGE attraction since he was born on Valentine's Day. Hurry! It closes today!

She also has gotten to pet the tail of a beaver (see photo), follow around a porcupine (not pictured... as it preferred to hide in the shrubbery), and visit with many other animals.

And of course... what theme-park visit wouldn't be complete without photo opps with "characters"? And so... Walking, talking Shamu... Where are YOU?

This weekend, we'll have some AWESOME pics and maybe even some video, as Miss Mo got straight A's, Perfect Attendance, and the Principal's Award so... she earned the reward of swimming with the dolphins at her favorite place. So back to Sea World we go... 10:45 am Saturday morning, with a high expected of 68 degrees F, there... Brrr... (and it's SUMMER-TIME!!!!).

Way back in January (yes... it's been that long ago...), our little 7-year-old and my last child turned 8.  I had stuff to do at my mom's and had her with me.  When we arrived back home, my oldest daughter (and her accomplices) had filled up Marissa's netted bedroom tent with 250 balloons. Some had confetti... some had glow sticks and looked AWESOME in the dark... some were clear... and there was LOTS of color.  She claimed it was, "the best birthday EVER!" and so...

almost 6 months later... some of those balloons are still in there... still blown up (although I have to admit the Leprechaun popped quite a bit of them when he made his appearance, but more on that later...). She's taken to popping a couple here and there, because... well... Mom's just sick of the mess.

 

There's so much more, but... I can't figure out how to access my dang external hard drive on the network where all the rest of the pics are. Oh well... another day.

 

So for now... enjoy your Friday. I'll enjoy mine!

6 Months Ago...

... I started writing again. Briefly. Only to stop again.

It's not that "life" got in the way.

It's not that so many things happened.

It's not that I was so overwhelmed.

It's not that I didn't have anything to write about.

It's about...

Me.

I lost it.

I felt lost.

I lost some "friends", not in the passed-away version, but in the they-didn't-want-to-be-my-friends-anymore version.

And so I felt I wasn't worthy. That I was a bad person.

I tried and tried to get away from that.

As it turns out. It was them. They may have been liars, users, and manipulators... all of what I'm not, and they didn't like it when I called them on it. And so... they ended the friendships, without letting me know... without letting me know why... leaving me to wonder and feel bad.

And I may have misinterpreted some or all... But when you don't let someone know, they can only guess. And so I felt bad... In a bad way. 

I'm a good person.

I'm a great friend.

I'm better off now. I'm ready to write.

I'm ready to craft and write about it.

I'm ready to cook and write about it.

I'm ready to go through life and write about it.

With all that said... I'd like to thank the true friends I still have, my family, and everyone else who really stood by me and supported me. You all made me feel worthy and told me about the person I really am.  Thank you.

Now let's get busy!!!!

Another Lapse in Time... A Brief Re-cap of a Little Bit of September (and August, too!)

Whenever there aren't challenges on a DT, I usually lapse... totally. And I know it. I need a challenge. I need motivation. I need to "have to" do something. Yeah, sure... there are tons of challenges out there that I "can" do... but none that I "have to". And so... I tell myself, "Self... you are going to do some challenges and post them. Or post something you've been doing already." And I promise My Self, and My Self gets disappointed  AGAIN...

So, this morning, instead of playing games on my phone (oh... Songpop, how I adore thee... and WWF and WordFeud, and Scrabble, and...), I'll take a couple of minutes to quickly blurb about projects I've been working on since August, and even some during the month of August (besides the last post... lol!). I have been quite busy and quite lazy, all at the same time... as you'll see...

First up... I WON A SILHOUETTE CAMEO!!!! (I want to thank Kim Dennon at Today's Creative Blog and Silhouette America. You guys rock!) I won this back in August, but... haven't put it to use yet. Don't get your panties in a bunch... Yes, you heard that right. I was SOOOO excited, I didn't read anything and popped the program cd into my laptop (acause that was what I was going to hook it up to, right?) and it didn't work (the program). So... I read the instructions/requirements, and yeah. My laptop is a dinosaur. It is NOT compatible with the software (runs Windows Me, not XP or higher...), and my pc is WAY too far from the craftroom, and I cannot put a cutting machine (even for one use... because we all "know" it would stay there... I mean... who are we kidding here...) out in the family room where the pc is. And so... I'm now saving up for a newer laptop. I could've gotten it on credit... but... I'm still subbing (READ: not stable) and I just got laid off my regular house-cleaning job (READ: hardly any income), so, I'm SOOO glad I didn't do that. In time, people... and I will be sure to post what I create and make when I do. In the meantime, it sits prettily in its box, in the craftroom, and I drool over all those blogs that use true fonts and svgs...

Onward and upward. ****Oh! Hold that thought... I'm just going to post a little bit of September (because it's a whole lotta something) and then peel my way away from here.

September. First off, since we got Sea World San Diego passes, we've been there every weekend that I didn't have a meet or something else. Marissa LOVES it, and so do I... (Juan... not so sure. He doesn't get enthusiastic about much... he's getting o.l.d.!)

Then... we went to a wedding. Anyone who knows me (do you?) knows that I rarely give "just" a gift. I usually make some portion of it, and ALWAYS the card... Here's what I did... (please note that I didn't rotate the pics... blogger stuff was acting stupid, and I lost my patience and didn't want to take the time... ugh!)

Get it? Good. I left the wrapping on the frame and just did temporary adhesive (in case they wanted to return it...). But... each frame set is good for the frame, and they could replace them as they wanted to with pics of their own.

I'd give more details but... the pics I took on the phone apparently aren't compatible now that iPhone did the upgrade thingy... pics that loaded before will not load now. Go figure. Anything to make our lives more difficult instead of easier... ugh.

And here's the pics of the card:

And the inside (I just L-O-V-E all vellum, especially the pretty printed stuff!):

*if you can't read it... it says:

On this special day,

You walked down the aisle;

You did it with grace;

You did it with style.

You shared your love

With everyone;

You bound your souls

In front of the Son.

You did it together

For all to see;

To share and enjoy

An event so happy.

Congratulations!!!!

We love you!

Awww... isn't that special? Lol! (btw... that sentiment/poem/whatever you want to call it IS copyrighted. Please do not use it. It was custom-made for Efren and Diana Ramirez by ME!

And moving on to the packaging, because I just love pretty wrappings (and wired ribbon!!!):

What? You want pics of the WEDDING, too? See? I can read minds... Here ya go!

and Marissa was a flower girl... her first ever. She was so excited (and nervous, too!)

(ah... the Mass was in Spanish, so she was also a little confused... hee, hee...)

and here we all are... (I was SOOO not ready for photo opps... oh well...) and dang! look at that bubble butt! gotta get working out again... ack!

I will be back on sometime this week to play a little more catchup. (no... not the red stuff made from tomatoes, sugar and vinegar...). But, leave me a little little love and tell me what you think! Thanks for stopping by...

Mama Kat's Losing It Writing Prompts: 2.) Write a poem inspired by a picture you took last week. Share both! (and SOS Challenge 5)

um... In my busy-ness these days, I barely remembered to take a photo of a card I made. Scratch that. I didn't remember, so I asked the receiver if I could "borrow" the card back to take a photo. She understood. She's my friend, and she knows me well.

Here's the card:

But of course! I went to a baptism.

This is more of a close-up... There are two foil layers, and OMG! Those were hard as heck to get. A full sheet of 8-1/2 x 11, and only those two came out all right. The others were bent, crinkled, or puckering. Ugh!

I seriously believe this was the hardest card I've ever done in my life. I couldn't think of what to do, what to say... without it sounding like a heavenly-joining-God-type of sympathy card. And it was for a kid. So... I spent more time on the poem. And then I dashed to my Gypsy, and got the card pumped out. Martha (my favorite friend... you know, the one with the last name Stewart?) helped me out a tad with the awesome butterfly punch. This is a wonderful tool that was STILL in the packaging. EEK! And so... I decided to put it to some good use and loved the intricate wings it gave me. Vellum is my friend, too, as it makes those little flutterbies (yes... I did that intentionally...!) look delicate and kinda real, no? Just stick glue on the "body" and fold them up a bit, and they look like they're flying into Heaven, itself! and it just wouldn't've (like that conjugation? hahaha, thought so!) been complete without a little bit of Stickles down the body, to make them golden.

Anywho... part of this prompt is a poem, too. Um... gonna cheat a little here, as I actually wrote a poem for the card. Seriously, it took me FOREVER, sitting in front of the computer and changing words and fonts, and such, but... I got it done, and I don't believe it sounds like "death", so I went with it. (Since the card is in cream, white, and gold... the font was in a chocolate script.)

And here goes...

Welcome, Loreli

To Jesus’ world

With your bright smile

And your hair all curled

Now you are blessed

As blessed as can be

We watched you be baptized

We came to see

We watched you anointed

And welcomed you to the fold

Becoming a part of

The Greatest Story Ever Told

Where the butterflies fly

In the Heavenly Land

And you walk by God

As he holds your hand

There are many folks who thought I might've found this on the internet. Uh, nope. I did it all by my lonesome. I always do. And these same-type folks believe I should sell this kind of stuff. Truth is, folks, I'm not that confident in what I do. In "my" world... the world of bloggers (writers and crafters and paper people makers, etc.), everyone can do this. And many do it much better than me. *sigh* It's a competitive world out there, and I really can't handle rejection. I simply do it for my friends and family, so that I can share a part of myself with them.

Now... if I knew I could make it... I'd take a chance and do it... Yeah... I'm fickle like that.

And yeah, I'm trying to get back into my blogging, my writing, my crafting, etc. Part of how I plan to do this is... CHALLENGES! and here... I fit in two birds! (um... I mean BUTTERFLIES!) Woohoo! If you're into making cards and have lots of stash (or don't...), check out S.O.S. (Shopping Our Stash) to enter into the weekly challenges and USE some of the hoarding we all do...  If you're into writing, check out Mama Kat's Losing It for her writing prompts each week, and join in! Maybe, just maybe... you'll wanna do BOTH!

Wordless Wednesday: Got Gold?

My daughter in Kindergarten class, St. Patrick's Day 2011 (last week!).

**Note: I made this for the kindergarten teachers to keep. Got the idea from Women's World. My friend (Mindy) bought the science projectboard, and I did the rest freehand... a little paint, a little construction paper and LOTS of glitter... If you want the instructions, lemme know in the comment section (with an email!) and I'll be glad to get it to you.

The After-Christmas Cookie Affair

Today... was a good day. I did those things that I put off yesterday. And it was good.

I had Rey bake sugar cookies from a Krusteaz bag...

The "Un-Dipped" Truffle Balls

And I made cookies, too! These cookies (Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Truffles) just sounded divine, and I couldn't do without them! And so... they ended up in my cookie lineup. (Please note: I did not use Wilton Candy Melts, but instead melted Nestle Toll House Morsels in a double-boiler, dipped chilled dough balls, then drizzled melted white chocolate [Nestle] and refrigerated.) Yum-O and a total keeper!

The Cookie Dough Truffle Bowl...

Another note about those Cookie Dough Truffles - If you haven't checked out the link for the recipe, because you are afraid... Don't be! They may taste like raw cookie dough (inside), but they have NO EGGS included and are absolutely safe (and super duper easy, too!). This is definitely a recipe to put in your repertoire for holidays in the future! It was SO good... see the bowl? Licked clean!

And I also made one of my faves... Butter Spritz. Classic Recipe. Something similar can be found HERE. I did a simple poinsettia-style flower and sprinkled with red colored sugar before baking. Simple, because... you know... I procrastinated and was running out of time AND forgot that I had to allow time for the dough to chill... oops!

And so... I had the older girls help set up tables, chairs, food ware, and crafts. Overall, I think it was a success. It was a little unorderly, but the kids appeared to be having fun.

They decorated cookies with homemade butter cream (made with real butter) icing and sprinkles, made a snowman craft, put Nativity stickers on paper and ate pizza (YES! I made that!) and salad... And then they played Just Dance Kids on the Wii and fought over the remote. (Note to self: You seriously need to purchase another Wii remote, so there is more than just ONE!)

The "Blue" Cookie

The "Perfect" Cookie

The Overly Sprinkled Cookie

Thank you ladies for a big success!

Us ladies chatted and ignored the screaming meemies in the other room. We swapped cookies... And it was good.

So, as I sit down and snuggle with my coffee (and cookies, too!) before I go to bed, I think to myself... "Yes... I think we might do it again next year, only not so "after" Christmas... Because it was good..."

One of My Favorite Ornaments - A Snowman

One of my favorite projects from my early days of crafting on my own...

I love snowmen and snowflakes. The first one is the only type of man that you can totally create to your liking and won't talk back (don't ya'll just l.o.v.e. that!). The second? The only type of flake that I like (besides corn of course!). 

Years and years ago... (over 18 years ago), I got a wonderful idea for an ornament. It was based on these top hats I saw in the Bridal section of a craft store (I believe the store was in Reno, Nevada). It was an a-ha moment for me, but I made a couple with fervor, after finding all of the supplies I needed, both from the craft store and my local grocery store.

What you see here is a Sugar Ice Cream Cone. It has been basted approximately 10 times with Modge Podge (and is still sturdy and good after all these years!). It gets really soft when you first apply, just don't add pressure, and all will be good. Also... let it dry thoroughly between each coat to build up a good tough hardness.

A larger styrofoam ball was whittled down do fit in the cone, then another smaller one glued on top. I then covered both balls, and made a "drip" effect with SnoEffects (glittered) down the edges of the cone. (btw... the SnoEffects still hasn't discolored, either!)

I quickly stuck in a small portion of an orange pipe cleaner and black beads (eyes, mouth and buttons) and snatched off a little glittered twigs for the arms. I glued the top hat and let it all dry... and still... to this day, he sits in my branches of my Christmas tree every year. I love him. He will always be with me. (Ok, so maybe there are a couple of things I'd do different with my current knowledge and experience, but hey! Don't judge... I still love my man, and he won't melt away!)

Yudu, You Do? I Can Do! I Wanna Du!

Oh my gosh! I am so absolutely excited.

First of all... I'm all about F-U-N. Now, when you add creativity and do-it-yourself kind of stuff to it, I'm even more there. And so... I have been wanting this awesome machine by Provocraft for a llllooonnnnnggg... time. It is called a Yudu (you do).  It is a personal silk-screener. And I've wanted it for SO long, that when I designed "our" craft room, I designed a spot for one to sit in... a nice little nook, reserved solely for this baby.

Yes, the silk-screener allows you (or me!) to make your (mine) own shirts, but So. Much. More. It'll allow the operator to do fun creative things like invitations, stationary, pillow cases, cards, onesies (think BABY SHOWERS!), capes, shorts, sweats... You get the picture.

Anyway, a LONG time ago, I saw the awesome Mark Montano on an infomercial about it. I'd love to share that with you... but bummer. I couldn't find it anywhere.  And so... I found this other super awesome introduction to the Yudu from the Impatient Crafter (she rocks, too!)

Now do you see why I'm so SUPER excited? No? Well... hmmm... OH! I forgot to tell you! I am getting one! YAY! A super duper great friend of mine is getting me one! Yep. Picked it up today at Michael's. My friend ROCKS! (Thank you, Mikie!!! The girls and I are SO excited!!!)

While he goes to Turkey (not the gobble, gobble one... silly! the COUNTRY one!) on a tour, I will be watching his beloved dog and home. And so... since Cricut carts weren't THAT much on sale this year (because he usually swaps me cartridges for dogsitting...), and Michael's had a pretty great sale, and he just knew I really truly honest-to-goodness wanted one (and seriously couldn't afford to buy myself one) and it's a little pricey to ask for as a gift... he offered me the exchange - 3 months of home/dog-sitting for a YUDU!

So now... I'll be able to CAN DO a YUDU, too! Woohoo!

Decisions... Decisions...

YAY! Juan (my hubby... for those of you new...) has finally decided to "let" me have the extra room. I mean... HECK! It's about time! I mean... his son has only stayed one night in a whole year, and has never actually seriously lived here... SO... what the HECK were we saving it for?

Got everything moved out and the son's stuff packed up (was a mess!). Walls are dusted and inside the closet painted. Juan did most of it (almost all of it). I opted to take the closet doors off.

You see... until just the other day... he had "ideas" about what he wanted to do with my new room. Then at various times, he asked me what I had thought about what would go where. And when I visualized it to him... he said he had changed his mind, stating he was planning some other arrangement. WHATEVER! So I boldly told him, "When you have a final decision in what YOU are planning to do, then you can ask me. I have based everything I've decided on what you've told me previously. When you keep changing it, it confuses me... and PISSES me off!" Like the graceful adult that I am... I stomped out of the room. (I was pretty pissed...)

On his way to work the following day, he called me and told me to figure out what I wanted to do. Afterall, he pointed out, it is my room. He knows what I'm going to use it for, but didn't know how it would be best suited for me. And so I've been surfing the internet for ideas.

I've asked my Twitter peeps to help, and they have delivered. I've got lots of ideas and have a basic format in my brain for my 10 x 10 ft room (with a closet).

Tomorrow, the guy will show up (hopefully) to clean the carpet [much cheaper than renting a machine!]. After that, construction will ensue. Yippee!

My items will disappear from their disarray on the dining room table and all over the coffee table on the living room floor and will reappear in an organized state in my new room. I am SO excited!

Along with this revolutionary experience, I've decided to re-combine my many blogs. SO... Lisa's Little Bits will once again include my creative items. I've already started earlier this week by posting the rice recipe. There is more to come. I have crafts (cards, mostly) and other dishes just waiting for my lazy blogging butt to write, download, and hit the button. Wait for it! It. Is. Coming.

STILL Not Done...

With my car. SO... starting Friday, I will be hounding the brake shop and the dealership. They won't know I'm coming... watch out boys!

The kids are doing great. Water Polo is over and swim season has started; it's only practices, now. Stacy's grades have gone up (YAY!) and hopefully, she'll actually be able to participate in a sport this school year. Rey is definitely a teenager... really going full boat with the attitude, following in her sister's footsteps (I hope not). Marissa is following, too. lol! She is a card and comes up with the biggest words and even uses them correctly. I am always amazed, as are the other two, when she talks. I love them all.

It's hard to say about Juan's kids, as we rarely hear from them. Usually only when... okay I won't go there.

Juan is alright, too. He's a little po'ed about the car, as am I. We are so tired of it. But on another topic, he actually kept everything I made him for Valentine's Day. He loved the "I LOVE YOU" card and the peanut jar I made him. He thought I bought the covered jar from someone else who had made it.

The girls' shirt turned out really cute for Valentine's Day. I'll have to post pictures of all the girls in them, so you can see the shirts and see how they are growing, as well.

I am doing okay, tired a lot, but still okay. With so much to do... I don't know how these super moms do it without being tired.

If you are visiting here, looking for crafty stuff, you need to know I have moved that blog to i Created It!. I know you don't want to read about my personal life and such, but this blog has now been adapted for catching up with family, friends, and a couple of other helpful hints and rants. Just about everything. I will occasionally post things of a crafty nature, just not totally scrappy. Thanks for visiting and I hope to see you on my other blog.

Anywho... that's all I got for now. I'll post pictures by the end of the week. Today is Ash Wednesday, so I still gotta figure out what's for dinner! Toodles for now! lisa

HUGE Give-A-Way for Scrappers (and Card Makers, too!)

Heck! For any type of crafter!

Danielle is an awesome paper crafter (scrapper and everything inclusive). She is... (get ready for the drum roll...) giving away a CRICUT EXPRESSSION!!!!! Can you believe it? But, there is a catch! She wants to get to 600 comments. (We are below 200 on 02/03/09.) So... let's help her (and us!). Please go to her blog and leave a comment. AND do me a favor (por favor!)... I have another friend who is trying to win the other prize, so... please let Danielle know (in the same comment) that "Captain Scrappy" (my friend, Jenn!) sent you.

Good luck to you all! Go back everyday!!! The more comments, the closer one of us gets to getting the Big Bug! Woohoo! Toodles for now! lisa

BLOG CANDY ALERT!!!

Thanks to Christina (Been There, Done That, Have the Layout!), more blog candy is up for grabs. She has a whole boatload of stuff to celebrate!

First of all, her work is excellent. Secondly, her self-portrait is pretty hot (so all you fellas out there need to take a look, too!). She had her 6-month blogaversary, has had over 3,000 hits (much more than mine! lol!), and has hit the over 200 comment mark (again... much more than mine! lol!). What does she do to be so great? Whelp folks, go on over there and check it out. You will find a great card maker, scrapper, crafter, and friend (also a member of Scrapbook BINGO!).

Leave a comment for her and you will be entered into a drawing for a wonderful package (includes glitter stacks, ribbon, stamps, etc.)! But you gotta go see to enter... So... just click the link next to her name, and you will be taken there. Toodles for now! lisa

Whew! The Days Go By So FAST!

Yikes! It's already past two of my kids' birthdays for 2009! OMGosh! Rey turned the big 1-5 on January 1st (she froze along with me), and Stacy turned Sweet 16 today (she shares this date with my bro - HAPPY BIRTHDAY JOSH!). I still have one more kid and two steps to go through, but they will all be done by mid-February. Yes, it's a lot to go through, especially right after Christmas.

Still working on the weight issue (been exercising everyday!). But... I have got to focus on my cards, crafts, and layouts right now. So... since I've actually been working a lot on my house and my kitchen is already cleaned up... I'm gonna go get some things done! Toodles for now! lisa

AND HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU!

First off... HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU!!!

Secondly, I wish all of you all of the best for the new year to come, and all there is afterwards.

Yeah... I know... It's been a while... since last year, in fact! LOL! So, we did the Rose Parade (very cold!) and Rey's birthday, and took down Christmas... I've been working so hard on doing a slide show for the Rose Parade for all of you, that I haven't had much other computer time.

Oh! I know it's not hard... the problem is, there are lots of pics, and my computer keeps freezing, doesn't save it, and I have to start ALL over again! I will now be working on my 6th attempt, and boy is it time-consuming.

Also, I've been exercising. I finally started another blog yesterday called Losing a Little Lisa? so that I can actually track my efforts and journal it without boring you (for those of you who just "don't want to know"). Otherwise, if you do, feel free to click on it. The link is also to the right on the sidebar.

I will still be doing crafty things, too. I've just been doing the usual "New Year" re-organization. I seriously need to get rid of all these boxes! I have to "move" too much stuff to get to what I want, and it takes too much crafting/scrapping time. What a waste.

Anywho... I will try one more time to do the slideshow, probably later today. Otherwise, I may just have to go a different venue (I'm currently trying Smilebox). Blogger has one, which goes into a side bar or gadget spot, but I was trying for a spot within a post. Anyone have any other ideas (I don't want to do PowerPoint, though... haven't done it in years and am really kind of afraid of trying it again... lol!)? Comments are always welcome!

Off to skoot my butt, now! Toodles for now! lisa

Santa Pop-Up Card

In keeping with the spirit of the season, I'm sharing the activities we are doing... I have a great paper-backed book called My Christmas Craft Book for Kids by Anna Murray & Lynda Watts. I used it when my older girls were little and am using it again... but this time with an adult (or more "knowledgeable") flair. After all, our techniques have advanced quite a bit since 1993...

POP-UP SANTA CARD
Cards that have a pop-up section are expensive to buy, but not that hard to make. Try making several cards, so that you can give one to each friend. Make sure you use construction paper that is firm, not floppy.

YOU WILL NEED:
Blue poster board *
Tracing paper and pencil
Scissors and ruler
Red, green, white, brown, and pink construction

paper *
All-purpose glue *
Black felt-tip pen *

1. On the blue poster board, draw a rectangle 11 inches by 7 inches. Draw a line down the center to divide it in two. Cut out the card and fold it in half.

2. Trace the patterns on page 55 (attached). Turn the tracings over and lay the body pattern on red paper, the beard on white paper, the sack on brown paper, and the chimney on green. Rub over the outlines with a pencil. The images will appear on the construction paper. Cut out the patterns and the slot in the chimney.

3. Using the body pattern as a guide, cut 2 cuffs and a pompom from white paper and a face from pink paper. Glue all the shapes on the body shape. Draw on the eyes with a black felt-tip pen and add a red nose cut from construction paper.

4. To make the roof, draw a rectangle 5½ inches by 7 inches on green paper and cut it out. Stick it to one half of the inside of the card. Cut some extra white paper to look like snow, and glue one piece to the front of the chimney and one to the edge of the green roof.

5. Fold the chimney into shape (at the flat line of the “snow”), and slip the Santa into the slot. Fold a little of Santa’s body down and stick it to the inside of the chimney.

6. Position the chimney and Santa inside the card, as seen in picture. This is how it will look when the card is open. Dab glue on the chimney tabs, then stick in place.

*Notes: I used googly eyes for my Santa's eyes. I also used cardstock and patterned paper for the pieces. My ATG gun was used for adhesive.

If you would like the patterns, please e-mail me and I will forward them to you. Or! If you are interested in the book, please click on the book's link and it will send you to Half.com.

I will post another item a little later...

A Little Shake-Up Goes a Long Way!

So... after the earthquake, I decided to de-clutter.

I gave away approximately 70 children's books that Marissa had no interest in... Don't worry, she still has twice that!

I have been going through my craft and scrapbooking stuff, too. I sorted through the craft and scrapbooking things (that I had nearby) and categorized/organized them. I think I need bigger boxes! I also don't know what I was thinking way back when... I had all kinds of large cross-stitch projects to do. Yikes! So I gave away some of those, too...

Scrapbooking pretty much just got organized. This was actually my motivation, as I've signed up for some swaps and have got to get going! I took a semi-inventory and am doing some serious creative thinking. I've got some ideas, now should just sketch them through... I've already ordered some things I might need, to go along with the thoughts in my brain and what I've already got. A total of 52 cards (various groupings, 8 groups are of same item), 10 Christmas tags (to and from - all the same), and 6 Recipe Layouts for beverages (all the same) are needed by September 1st! (Please forgive me if you've participated in a swap and this sounds redundant to you... I've never done something like this.) Gotta get my groove on! I'm super excited!

I did stitch up a couple of mending projects that were sitting by my machine. I have got to get some navy thread in order to finish up two pairs of shorts (turning Dickies pants into shorts for hubby)!

Anyways... you can finally see my craft table... I mean dining room table, as the stuff is cleared off and put where it should be (for the most part). Don't worry, we don't usually eat there, we prefer the kitchen table. This took a whole 3 days (off and on)! I had a lot of stuff, and still do.

I get the girls back tomorrow, and next week will be totally hectic with registration, doctors, appointments, ortho appointments, and swimming. Ugh! What did I get myself into? Well, there's nothing like business to keep me from eating... here I go (lost 5 pounds this week!). Toodles for now! lisa

CHA - Didn't Win! But Learned a Lot!

Maybe I didn't win any of Making Memories' fun give-a-ways this weekend, but I came back from my virtual tour of CHA (Craft & Hobby Association) this summer with a lot more knowledge, an imaginery bank account (like I'd have the money to buy everything I saw...), and a child's impatience, knowing I have to wait for the new products to show up at my local store.

(Sigh) Waiting is not something I am good at.

There are so many new lines going out... it's gonna be a great year! The neatest thing I've seen so far is the Slice by Making Memories. Yes... all of you... I already have the Cricut, but the Slice is Nice, too! This is a hand-held, WIRELESS digital cutter. It's only 5 inches and weighs under 2 pounds! The problem is... I don't know how much it costs just yet. Plus, you have to get the design cards for it... this could interfere with the purchase of Cricut Cartridges??? NOT! I'll wait and see how the prices go. In the meantime, they (Making Memories) is currently taking entries for a free Slice. They are giving away 8 of them on 08-08-08! Isn't that a hoot? Four 8's? LOL! Here's the site to register to win your own. http://whyslice.com/. I know it takes away from me winning, but I gotta share! Who knows... maybe since I don't have much luck, one of you will! That would be great.

I'm still exploring what other new treats there were. It's really hard when you are on the outside looking in. Maybe one day... I'll have the "validation" to be able to get in there, myself. At these conventions, only the trades people are allowed, not a simple someone like myself. Sales are not allowed on site; orders must be shipped. How boring! See it here: http://www.chashow.org/eweb/StartPage.aspx.

HOWever, this is one of the lucky ladies I've recently discovered. She has a great blog, designs really well, and was of the select group that got to attend CHA. How fun to make scrapbooking your life! Check her out (Laura McCollough) at http://akissonthechic.typepad.com. She's also from the Inland Empire, so check her out, post a comment, and scrap away! Anyway... Toodles for now! lisa

Here Comes the Rain Again...

That may be so, but it is sunny inside! I feel great. I feel wonderful. I'm probably annoying you. Oh well, such is life!

Tuesday's water polo game was a gripper! It was actually the most exciting game I've been to all season. The other team was extremely aggressive and totally tried to overpower our players. However, our girls took it in stride! It was a hairy game, with lots of "dirty" things being done by the opposite team (like face slaps), but our girls lost. They did play an awesome game, though!

Monday night was an all-nighter. I have a "bug." In the scrapbooking world, that's what it is called. In the general public's world, it is called a "personal die cutter." It is way too cool! Anyway, I used my bug (called a bug because of its name -Cricut [pronounced like cricket]) to create lettering for one of Rey's book reports that was due. It turned out fairly cute. The book was about hockey, so I input letters and numbers for section titles, her name, date & the period into a "ticket" form. Cute, if I don't say so myself. She said everybody liked it, but she had not yet received a grade on it. She doesn't strive for perfectionism, but at least she did a better job than last time. (I had a cow last time! It was handwritten and SLOPPY!... not a good thing for a child with crafts in her genes!)

I made a new friend yesterday. We met online via a job center and have much of the same likes, even the same television shows! This will be a good relationship, both business and personal. Please wish us well together, as I will be writing for her about something I love to do... SCRAP! My kids are excited for me, as well.

Yeah! I am finally beginning work as a freelancer! How can it be "working" when it is so much fun! I am doing what I love to do... writing, researching, etc. and about topics that are near and dear to my heart! Hopefully, we will get my name out there and all will be well with the world, at least in our part of it!

Today is a Sylvan day with practice for both girls. So... while I have lots of spare time sitting in the car, I will be reading and learning knew info. It is always fun! Toodles for now! lisa

Another Day with Calliou

"Who's 'Calliou' (pronounced Kie[like pie]-you)?" you ask? He's a bratty little four-year-old on the PBS stations who whines all of the time to his parents and learns good lessons. I can get through his whiny-ness, since he does learn to respect and share, laugh and learn, etc. Otherwise, he is really annoying! But Marissa loves it and laughs and plays well (well, sometimes).

She likes to listen to the show as she plays, like now. At this very moment, she is playing with her new Little Tikes kitchen, a gift to her from her friend, Ashley. How it came to be in our house is a cute story... Ashley's mom had asked Ashley if it was time to "move" the kitchen to another area (she hardly ever played with it anymore - she's 8!) or was she done with it... much to Ashley's mom's surprise, Ashley announced, "Mommy! I only keep it so Marissa can play with it!" And so, they asked if we would like it for Marissa, and we all know what I said... "YES!!!" It is quite a little gem, and Marissa loves it.

Today will be another busy day. I think all people's days are really busy, even though they don't think so. There are lots of people who felt they haven't accomplished much during a particular day or any other time... I say to them, write down each and every thing you did, even your normal routine things, like making lunch, making breakfast, putting away the dishes, getting ready (even in that there are a whole bunch of little itemizations...). Do you see how much you truly do? It is a lot! So, if you are feeling blue and having "one of those days," do this. It is sure to make you feel a little bit better.

As for my day... I've just finished making Juan's lunch/our dinner and putting it away for further packing/consumption. Other than that, I've been playing with Miss Marissa, doing dishes, reading a couple of articles, getting ideas, and have so much more to do. I keep going back and forth to this entry! Don't think it all gets done in one shot! Sometimes, it does, but today isn't one of those times. I still have yet to pick up Rey (I cancelled Sylvan for today-sitting on the west side of town for over almost 5 hours just really does not appeal to me...), then go pick up Stacy/take Rey to practice. Thank goodness I've gotten my menu planning together and am on the ball with dinners! Yeah!

I actually have everything until my menu is up on Friday! I'm on a goal to budget better and am actually putting a dent in my frozen food stash. I am gradually getting to the bottom of my freezer, I hope... But we all know that I will still put stuff in, but I am using up what I already have and am only buying what I truly need. Not bad, if I do say so myself! This has been in effect since last Tuesday. ...and I'm still hangin' in there.

As for other things, yeesh! Okay, I started fairly early last year (July) with my making of Christmas presents. I went through moods where I got nothing done towards that, and didn't get everything done that I had planned... Whelp, folks... as soon as I get another project done that I'm currently working on, I'll be off on this year's presents, much earlier. I figure this should give me time to go through my "moods." I have so much in my brain with things I want to do, it's hard to get them all done. I mean well, and maybe I'm just dreaming, but I hope to at least partially succeed with that goal.

But... on another note, I'm currently looking for inexpensive Valentine's Day-type crafts to do, so send me your ideas and/or links! Thanks!

Stacy's game was pretty good. The other team was way aggressive. One player from the visiting team even head-butted one of our players, in an effort to get the ball. It wasn't necessarily "legal" but she was only called foul, not ejected from the game. I thought it was pretty dirty, but hey... those are our kids out there...

Rey didn't anticipate going from school to game to swimming and so was not prepared with swim bag in tow. Bottom line: she didn't swim. But! She will swim tonight. We are back in the water, people!

As the first day back, both of the girls were happy. They didn't get much homework assigned and got to see all of their friends. I sure hope the "happiness" with school will last! Here's hoping. Toodles for now - lisa

All About Halloween 2007

Halloween prep started early this year during the summer. (We are trying to overcome procrastination... Yeah, right!) Costumes were decided on, fabric was purchased, and the construction of the garments was undertaken. At the beginning of October, we put up the decorations, but not all of them... As always, some stuff just never got done. But hey! At least I got the costumes made! Yay me! Stacy and Rey were "vampire fairies" and Marissa and Jake (my nephew, Josh's son) were Raggedy-Anne & Raggedy-Andy. I think they all turned out really good... (I'm gonna pat myself on the back, now... check it out for yourself in the scrapbook below.)

Make your own slide shows and scrapbooks

The house (we only did the entry way and a couple of things tacked on the garage doors, and not much on the inside) looked eery, with all of the smoke from the fires. The moon was really weird, but beautiful. (This photo was taken on 10/26/07, courtesy of Mike Reid.) The fires smoked and lit up the sky, making everything take on an orange-y glow.

I actually got some other things made, this year! The ghosts in the scrapbook are at my mom's house... I didn't make mine... yet...

And these cute mummy hands (were a pain in the butt) are awaiting to be brushed with a brown-colored ink, to add a burn-ished look and grave-liness to them. So I accidentally gave my mummy two right hands! Ok, I'll fix them for next year. You can find this project in the "free projects" section of www.tallmouse.com (Halloween).

I've certainly got a lot of ideas for next year. If you have ideas or patterns, feel free to e-mail them (or a link) to me! I really like looking at other stuff. (The same goes for Christmas ideas... it is coming... SOON!) I hope to put everything up next time... I don't think I'm purchasing anything at the after Halloween sales (Joann's and Michaels already have 70% off!!!), as I didn't use it all this year. Bummer!

But Halloween, itself, was slower than most. There weren't as many trick-or-treaters this year... Everyone I've talked to had much more candy left than last year and purchased about the same amount... There weren't as many houses giving out candy, either! Last year, there were more than a dozen houses participating around my mom's neighborhood. This year... 4!!! On the whole block! Including my mom's! Wow, what a change. But then again, there were lots of kids we saw who were skateboarding (and trick-or-treating) but not dressed up. Oh well...

I'll play more catch up later... Toodles for now! lisa