Calendars Galore!

I'm cruising calendars for Christmas gifts. They are big bang gifts, as in people love them, and they are not hard to do at all! Check out this one by Beth Rimmer at Digitals. It fits right on the Ethan chipboard album by Cosmo Cricket, also available there. Easy and convenient!



CottageArts.net has a delicious selection of calendars in all sizes from CD cases to 11x17 that you can print out and put in an acrylic frame! I'm working on one of those right now and plan to make this terrific CD calendar that I'm showing you here!



And, Tangie Baxter Designs is having a one year BASH with lots of FREEBIES, new releases, and sales starting Oct.1-3. So mark your calendars and pop over. I've been a lucky dog and gotten to see all the stuff that is coming. You know how talented Tangie and her crew are so save your $$ and c'mon over and join in the fun!

Big news on my laptop home page this morning: Clay Aiken is gay. Are they kidding me? Like no one knew? Yeah, he just came out, but pu-leeez, it's not headliner news.

Beth Rimmer and Tangie and Stuff

digi credits HERE

digi credits HERE

I finally got to scrap with some of Beth Rimmer's stuff again! I love her designs. You can click on her blinkie and go right to Digitals to check it out!

I hope that you enjoy my new blog header. I'm giving you a preview. I will post it Oct. 1st. There is a blinking part that says, "Happy Halloween". I made this using some new stamps that Tangie Baxter has at her fab site. Click on that blinkie if you want to check it out!

I keep thinking of things to blog about and then when I get here, I've forgotten! I did have fun this morning chatting with a girl I met several years ago at a scrapping site. We did a bunch of swaps together and hit it off. I even got to visit her on a trip to my brother's once! Anyway, we have alot in common and are currently suffering together as our girls are in the throws of friendship drama.

Spent a whole day with dh this weekend as the kiddies were off at work or with friends. We went to a college game and everything. It was alot of fun. We drank a few beers and ate our little sandwhiches and watched the game. I watched all the fans in the stands, the cheerleaders from both sides and the goings on around me. DH was soooo into the game. I tried. I really did for his sake. I enjoy going. I just enjoy different aspects than he does and am easily distracted by goings on around me! Especially the fish wife behind me who kept yelling with her shrew voice after every play. I have no idea what she looked like, but she was so common and loud. It was really "trashy" as dd would say!

Weekend Layouts

I have two lo's to share with you. One features Beth Rimmers "Every Now and Then Add On" available at Digitals. Credits: HERE The other features Rasberry Roads "Too Cool For School Girls". Credits: HEREBoth lo's use templates by NadlM! And photos of my Mom. I'm nearly done the heritage photos I had scanned a while back so I will have to go scan some more.




I decided not to blog or blog train over the weekend...thereby freeing up the time that I normally do that! LOL! Anyway, I had to work early Saturday and then on Sunday, I spent the day pruning some tea olive bushes and pulling weeds.

Since I have shared my garden ailments before, I will share the horror of the splinter. I ran my hands through my hair and felt a sting on my ring finger. That action must have pushed on the splinter that had lodged itself between the nail and my skin. ACK! My dh had to get the tweezers because I couldn't get it out. After I yelled out, "HOLY MOTHER OF GAWD!", he said, "That was it." Whew. I'm not sure my weakened condition could have taken any more pain! LOL!

"Deadliest Catch" starts on Tuesday. Is anyone else excited? We are. I've been watching the marathon on and off over the weekend. And I discovered that Discovery is HD, too, so I have the most excellent, sharpest picture.

My ds is spending his spring break earning money by picking up extra hours at his golf grunt job. I'm so proud of him. He is excited to have extra cash and to have the car as dd is at the beach with her friend's family. No sharing! I told him he had to pay for the gas he used, and he is so happy, he doesn't even care.

My tax accountant called and didn't get our tax electronic filing form to file our taxes, but I mailed it. I expect they will get it tomorrow. If not, I am going to lay an egg.

CRD Revealed

Okay, the lo I made on my previous post was using products from a Future Authentic Artist at Christina Renee Designs. Now how do you accidentally fall into a lucky spot like that? Just being on Tangie Baxter's Design Team. This future Authentic Artist is collaborating with Tangie on some kits and through that relationship we get to be her CT for CRD products. So the spot she will be selling is revealed, but the mystery as to who she is still remains...


Click here for credits This terrific kit comes from the multi-talented Beth Rimmer at Digitals. If you haven't seen her spread in Somerset Magazine this month, you are missing an incredable altered art mini album made from digi! Pages 24-26 if I remember correctly. I went to BooksaMillion and checked it out because any time one of my designers is featured, I'm excited!

I really like altered art. I like doing it, too. I haven't been doing it so much just since I've been addicted to my computer and doing the digital scrapping thing. I am doing a little digital altered art type project with making that little ID Badge mini album for my son to celebrate his DL. The only thing holding me back on finishing it is finding my card for my computer because the pics are in my phone so I have to use one of those cards that takes the mini card from my phone.

Prom was last night in our town. All three high schools had prom on the same night. I was working my pt job, and you would not believe how many mothers and daughters were in there buying last minute prom jewelry. I would not be taking my dd to the store the day of her prom to buy last minute jewelry. Now her wedding, maybe, but prom..no way. That is so nuts. They were all stressed out trying to squeeze this in as if they hadn't known about it for a month. INSANE! Of course, one lady I know whas there with her older daughter and was upset because she had landscaped her whole backyard for prom photos, and we had 4" of rain all day yesterday.

My mother planted colorful flowers in her beds for our wedding reception, but she didn't relandscape the whole yard for my wedding, and I certainly doubt that she would have relanscaped the whole yard for my prom pictures. I think sometimes people lose perspective.

I remember thinking I would DIE as a senior if I didn't go to prom. I mean what kind of life would there be if I was ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE who didn't go to prom? I went, of course! Only to find out as you go to college and go through life, how many terrific people you know just didn't go to their prom. And they are terrific, and their life wasn't over by being labeled a NON PROM ATTENDING PERSON.

So relandscaping NO. And I'm sure I will take my own prom photos as I know what I'm doing, and I will pay for ds to get his photos done at the prom because you have to have that pic, too. I'm not relandscaping for DS to attend the prom. His date's mother can do that! LOL!

Actually, my worst fear is the apres prom parties which involve hitting the beach about 1 1/2 hours away. That just sounds like a recipe for disaster if you are a parent, doesn't it?

DH was so funny lecturing dd that there would be parties on prom night, and if she went to any and there was alcohol, that the police were out and about. They were going to try and find probable cause to enter homes and arrest everyone who was in the home attending the party of liquor was found for underage drinking. So he suggested she just leave if she got to a party and there was alcohol. Ds was working so it wasn't an issue for him. And it wasn't an issue for dd. She wasn't attending any parties...as if we would let her attend prom parties because we would suspect there would be alcohol there, and she doesn't need to be in that environment. But I just thought it was cute that dh was giving his fatherly warning!

OK. I've chatted long enough about that! LOL! I've got some kits to play with and lo's to create. Happy scrapping to ya!

A Mystery, to be sure...

Digi credits: HERE. There's a new designer coming out, and she's debuting at an exciting store. Due to her affiliation with Tangie Baxter Designs, we get to create for her, too, which is a HUGE honor, trust me on that! Anyway, all I can say is that she is a "Future Authentic Artist". I'm using her stuff, and I love it!


Digi credits: HERE
This is the cover of a mini ID badge book that I am making for my ds who got his license as I mentioned on yesterday's blog post. I'm just going to have a few quotes in it, and his pics from the DMV that I took with my trusty EnV phone! I got this fabulous idea for the mini ID badge book from Beth Rimmer who is hosting a challenge at Digitals with these dandy little things. She even has a set of 4 templates to download to get you started!!! Details here.

Ds drove himself to work today. I think he is rather pleased about it. DD was miffed, but her friend got her dad's car this afternoon, so they were able to make the rounds in another vehicle. I do believe that took some of the edge off of having to share a car! LOL!

I believe I spent the day making that first lo, and taking dd to get her athletic physical and to another appointment.

May I rant for a moment? Sure I can because it is my blog. I have been taking my family to the same doctor for 13 years. My dh went to college with his partner. They are a very nice practice, and I like going there as I trust them to handle any emergencies if we had them. They had a new lady working their check out area. Apparently she is just a bitch. I was so mad when I left that I was considering calling the office manager. I'll just wait until the next time I have to go to the dr.'s office, and I am going to tell him about her. I've only complained to him about an employee once before, and he left the examining room to handle the situation immediately. Therefore, I don't like to do it lightly or abuse it. But this lady was arguing with me over my insurance and how it was handled by their office. How the freak does she know if she is brand spankin' new? And she is the type that has to look things up and try and prove it to you. WHAT? And she wasn't letting me go until she made her point. Lovely. Even my dd commented, "What is wrong with her?" Attitude. Bad attitude.

Ok. I'm done. Off my soap box. That wasn't so bad was it? I try not to be completely insane!

My girlfriend told me a joke yesterday so I will part with that. A blonde lady was robbed. They took all her valuables. The police dispatched their K-9 unit to her home. She was distraught, sitting on her front porch crying when the officer stepped out of his car with his dog. Her friend was there and asked her why she was so upset. "After all, the police are here."

The blonde lady replied, "Well, it's bad enough I was robbed and they took all my valuables, but they sent a blind policemen to my house with his seeing eye dog."

NadlM, Faith Sisters and Friday Challenge

Digi credits here.

This is my catch up card for my Faith Sisters Scripture Challenge. It's for week #3. The word was BEAUTY. I was drawn to this scripture immediately!

Beth Rimmer at Digitals is featured in Somerset magazine available now! I'm so excited for her. Her hybrid book is on pages 24-26. It's called "An Accidental Childhood". I hope you will check it out and also pop over to Digitals to check out Beth Rimmer's designs. I'm so lucky to be on this creative lady's CT!

Tangie Baxter's Creative Team Loft is sponsoring another Friday Challenge. I'm hosting this one, and you have a chance to win a $10 GC to Tangie's fabulous store! Check it out here: Desktop Challenge. I hope you will spread the word for me so we get lots of participants!!! I'm posting about it on DST, too!

It's a Desktop Challenge! Create a desktop for April. Rules and samples are featured on the blog!

Finally, wahoooooooo! It's Friday! Wahoooooo! I did spend some time yesterday painting my bathroom trim. I'm getting low on paint. I should finish up the trim tomorrow...I think. If not then, on Sunday cuz I'm working on Saturday, and I can't be covered in paint! LOL! Then it will be wallpaper stripping time. Oh la la! And I have been taking some pictures.

I also took some pics of some clothes I need to list on e-bay. That was on my list of things to do today, but I guess that 2 hour nap I took kind of interrupted my day!

Beth Rimmer, NadlM and MONEY!

Digi credits: here.


Digi credits: here

I had to work yesterday, which is fine! Gotta keep my discount! LOL! We just marked all our clearance stuff down again so I found 4 things that I will be getting tomorrow when I get paid. Three are sterling silver...originally $35.00 each for $3.50 each, plus add my additional employee discount! And one is $1.20! Imagine. Those are a cute pair of earrings for me. The others are two necklaces and one has a matching set of earrings. Those are for gifts. You can't beat it. They were all 90% off! Now that is my kind of deal!

I finished painting the cabinet in the kids' bathroom and their bathroom door. I don't know what they do in there, but it does look so much better now. I do have pics, but I just haven't posted them yet. Probably on tomorrow's blog.

I am now off to our master bathroom. I painted our shower/toilet area about six years ago. But I never painted the sink area. Mainly because it needs to be painted and the wallpaper stripped. Well, that is my next project. I'm doing the trim white just because I like white trim in the bathroom. It looks so clean. I'm not sure what color I will paint the walls, but I have to get all that paper off first.

Tomorrow is yard day because it is supposed to be around 80! Wahoo! Finally. A day of warmth, although the high on Sunday is supposed to be around 56. Bleh!

I'm sad to say that I am having to give up my gym membership. I'm still going to exercise because I do enjoy it. But these gas prices, food prices, and the fact that I have two teenage drivers (insurance) is killing us. I can save almost $100 month by giving that up and also changing my cell bill to a lower minute plan. All the kids do is text anyway so that will not be a big deal! I'm running out of areas to cut.

I mean, I have seen on Dr. Phil a while ago about getting rid of the cell phones, cutting the cable, blah blah blah. This is real life here. My husband would die if I cut off his cable. We don't have movie channels and how miserable do you have to be? Anyway, we are not living high on the hog as they saying goes. So there isn't alot to cut! I don't know what we will do if gas hits $4.00 per gallon like they are saying. Give up leaving our house, period! LOL!

That is my rant for today! Oh, I guess I could not by that jewelry, but $1.20 is worth it and also, I have to get a gift for the lady who is taking my daughter on Spring Break with her family. So $6.00 for sterling silver necklace and earrings is quite a nice deal!

Woodland Wonders at Digitals. Fonts: CK Becky & Monika

A little lo about my two crazy friends that I go to crops with. This was a recent weekend and we were trying to take pictures of ourselves the way my dd does. How they get it right, we can't figure it out. But I figured these pictures would be so fun to scrap!


Timeless Masters by Tangie Baxter Designs
font: Just Me Again Down Here

Totally love this outrageous kit by Tangie Baxter. So funky, grungy and cool!

That's basically all I've done recently because I had to put in so many ridiculous hours at my p/t (?) job! What is going on? It's cutting into my scrapping time. That is not cool!

But I did get an awesome e-mail today from Scrapstreet.com requesting a lo of mine for their April mag. Wahoo!

A little something different

This is my new blog blinkie that I will be adding to my siggies. Of course, if you want to visit my blog, you can always add it to your blog links and make it clickable! I used Beth Rimmer's ATC VAlentines kit available at Digitals. I wish I had saved it larger, but it is actually 3 ATC's all together in a row. I'd give a direct link to Beth's kit, but Digital's store is temporarily down!


Credits HERE

What's a woman to do with three giggly teenagers and an eager young man, but put on her iPod and scrap. So that's what I did while dd had her friends over after school. Girls can be so loud, and they were all stirred up. Ds had his headphones on in his room. He didn't hear a thing either.

I hope you like my lo. It's a little different for me. I'm always trying to learn new things, and I wanted to try out this style. The color part isn't out of my ordinary, but all the other things going on are. I layered two papers to get the effect I wanted and the color I wanted.

Ds starts his new job Wednesday. That should be interesting in a positive way!

I just want to say regarding my CT's that it is 2/18 and I only have one more obligation to fulfill and I'll be done for the month. Not that it's a burden or anything. I'm just the type person that when I have something to do I like to get it done!

Thanks to everyone who visits and leaves me a comment or a message in my chat box. It's always appreciated, and I'm going to try to make an extra point of visiting your blog if you leave me a comment!

If you have read my blog, you know I have been working with a "coach" at our Y to lose weight. Well, I lost five pounds until I met the Godiva chocolates I got for Valentine's Day. I ate all but two. He said I should have eaten a few and given the rest away. That's INSANE. I say eat them all at once, and then they are gone. He didn't buy that philosophy, but they weren't his favorite either! So I put on 2 lbs., which I still find hard to imagine. I think it is water from PMS. We will see next week. I need to be extra good as that is the last week of my free "coaching".

Favicon Frustration

So I made this favicon using an element from Beth Rimmer's ATC Valentine's at Digitals and the L from Jane Austen font. Much to my displeasure, I have not been able to get my favicon to show up. I tried finding an ico host to no avail. So I found instructions for uploading a gif file as my favicon. But nothing. I mean, honestly, I've managed to make hot links on my blog with blinkies and words as well as make my own header. You would think a stinking favicon would be easy as pie. And part of my personality is obsessive. In other words, I can't give up until I figure it out. It will drive me nuts.

Worse than this is I wasted my evening trying to do this and not creating scrapbook layouts! OH the trauma of it all!

Susan Darter left a comment on my blog yesterday, which was so kind and a compliment of the highest order imo! So if she reads this post, much thanks to you, dahlin'!!!

Tangie Baxter has made some great felt creations which I was going to play with tonight along with Rasberry Road's Legacy kit. There is, after all tomorrow!

So if you read my blog. I hope you like the favicon that will never be. I would rather play with my digi stuff than mess with that thing anymore!

One little stinky thing that happened was a fellow employee hit my car and broke my hubcap without leaving a message. stay tuned for updates on that as I go to work and ask whose car that was and explain to them that they hit my car and damaged my hubcap. I just want a new hubcap instead of a cracked one with a big hole in it as my car is only 2 years old.

Anyway, I will scrap my heart out tomorrow so look for some new lo's to be posted tomorrow night.

New Layouts and the Birthday Cake

Credits here

Credits here

Okay, I had fun today making these lo's. It feels so good to not be working and be at home doing some things I love. That includes unzipping and playing with all the new things that the designers I create for have been making. I've gone crazy!

I tried something new today as well. I made that white background lo, which I usually do not do white! And I did the cartoony-handdrawn look that so many are doing. I like it when I have time to do things that I have been wanting to try, and I like stepping out of my comfort zone and trying new things.

I also finished dh's black birthday cake. I guess I should have bought the large black powdered food coloring because my cake and icing are gray, but that still works! I didn't make regular cake icing. Instead I made cream cheese icing and then used the cake icing (made with crisco) to decorate. It's so fun having someone turn fifty and getting to mess with them a little bit. Wait til he sees his black candles! I'm so bad!

Ds has been so helpful today. He's excited that it's a birthday. He's like me. He loves a good celebration. Dd is in a bad mood. But then she helped me get presents yesterday so I can't really complain, although it is chapping my hide! Mainly she is mad because I wouldn't let her drive to the mall to get an ice cream and meet her two friends. But she hand't done her chores at home and exactly where was she getting $$$ to pay for ice cream??? Anyway, she's going to be having cake later with us so she doesn't need ice cream.

ATC's again, Tangie Baxter Designs

Digi credits: here.

Tangie Baxter's My Little Sweetheart {Girl} kit was perfect for this Valentine ATC. I'm either going to put this in a pocket on the front of a card or I might make a little ATC Valentine mini book.

I'm having so much fun making ATC's! I'll be making some more today!

Right now Tangie has a great Myster Kit no. 2! If any of you remember Mystery Kit no. 1, it was jam packed full of goodies! I'll be playing with these treats over the weekend!!!

Work was so busy last night. I'm not really sure what people even bought. I just know I was exhausted when I got home and fell asleep and slept really hard! DH met me at work and we had a dinner for two at our favorite restaurant. It was so nice just to sit and chat.

Do you know my DH will be 50 tomorrow? I am making him a black cake with black icing! He doesn't know it. I'm off to the cake store to get the black powder to color my icing. I will definitely have pictures of it!

I tell you a mother's heart really does get a tug when dd starts driving. That is freedom for a kid, and they are gone like a rocket shot. I've hardly seen her all week. I miss my baby!

DS went to his friend's house. The run dogs in fox hunts or something like that. Anyway, they have a gob of beagles and a fenced area with 3 foxes for training. Last time I was there, they put the puppy in to chase the foxes. That dog just ran round and round. There are also some mini machines out there like a bulldozer as the dad is clearing some land so he got to operate heavy machinery. No wonder he never wants to come home! LOL!

Catching UP!

Credits: here plus I forgot to add that the fuzzy stitch is by Amy Teets Sun Porch!

Credits: here
My laptop is back so I am mega catching up on all my CT assignments. I was at our beach house this weekend thinking I would get alot done! Nada! Even as cold as it was. The pull of the beach is irresistable! I made this lo in the car on the way home!

I've also started the six week fitness thing at my gym. We have a "coach", and I'm meeting with him this week on Thursday. I better have lost some weight. We did not pig out at the beach and hopefully walking will have made a difference while I was there!

I entered CK's HOF many years ago when you had to send in photos of your lo's! It was just a fun challenge for me, but apparently some chicks think otherwise. Check out this article in Newsweek: A Scrap Over Scrapbooks

While it appears all work was not original, and the lady signed a statement saying it was, I think getting your panties in a wad over that, which I do agree is cheating, also means that people have too much free time on their hands. Why take someone else's joy, even if they didn't follow the rules? Just let it ride! It's not like your name was next on the list! I don't even read CK anymore because they kept publishing the same people who even re-scrapped the same photos and it was just more of the same ole same ole. Plus you can find lots of ideas online for free!!!

Beth Rimmer

Beth Rimmer at Digitals Miracle on Main Street & It's Raining Men (brad); fonts: Monika and Dear Teacher

Oh, the joy of having my laptop back and scrapping away and chatting with my scrapping friends! Happy, happy, happy!

As I sit here blogging, my cat is next to me on the top of the sofa making many tiny little sleeping noises.