Bad Blogger

It seems that I've become very lax with my blogging of late. I must have been so exhausted after the MS150 that I didn't have the energy to write. I really have been working on crafty projects since then, but haven't taken the time for pictures or posts. I made a Christmas ornament that I wanted to share with you tonight, though. The only thing from SU that I used on this ornament is the Dazzling Diamonds glitter and Crystal Effects. The stamp is a Great Impressions stamp that I bought last year to make Christmas cards with. Here I stamped the image on a transparency, using jet black StazOn ink. On the back of the transparency, I used a VersaMark pen and white embossing powder to create the snow (this was set using a heat gun). Next, I colored the image using Sharpie markers. Once the image was completely dry, I cut it out using a Coluzzle template (you should leave a little tab at the top that will extend through the "neck" of the ornament so the image will stay upright). I used a paintbrush to brush a thin coat of Crystal Effects on the back of the image and then added Dazzling Diamonds glitter while it was still wet. I let the Crystal Effects dry, rolled the image up and stuffed it inside the ornament. Once inside, it unrolled and... WAH-LAH... it turned out bee-you-tee-ful. Since this picture was taken, however, I managed to set a box down on top of my ornament, smashing it to smithereens. No worries... I have several more boxes of the clear ornaments and I think they're on sale at Michael's this week, anyway. When I make more of these, I think I'll cut the transparency just a little bit bigger to fill the ornament a little better. Also, I didn't have any fake snow, but once I get some, I'll pour a little in the bottom of the ornament to make it look a little like a snow globe. In that case, I guess you're being cheated since you aren't seeing the COMPLETETLY finished project! TTFN!

Bad Cat, Good Cat

What a traumatic morning... for me AND Wesson! It all started when I sat down at my desk to check e-mails this morning and noticed the reminder from our veterinarian. Ernie (the dog), Smith (cat), and Wesson (cat) were all due for shots. Since they take walk-ins on Saturdays, I decided that today would be just as good as any other day. Appointments don't work too well for me on Monday through Friday because Wesson has to be given a little something to help "relax" him before we head to the vet. The last time I tried this, the sedative had no effect whatsoever on him and he nearly took three people down in the vet's office. I really thought they'd refuse to ever see him again. I called ahead of time to warn them that I was bringing him in and told them that I still had three doses of the sedative left that I had used the last time. They said I could try giving that to him again. I gave him a dose of it, which he takes willingly when it's hidden in a little ball of cheese. I waited 15 minutes, following him around all over the house during that time, waiting to see if he showed any signs of grogginess. Nothing... So I gave him another dose (keep in mind that I've already checked to make sure I'm not going to OD the cat). I follow him around for another 15 minutes and still no signs of getting sleepy. So I gave him another dose (really... it's okay!!). Knowing that I just gave him the last dose in the house, I decided to just load them all up and make the trip to the vet's office. SURELY he'd start getting sleepy on the way over there. Smith and Wesson always share Ernie's crate on the way and then I take the little cat carrier so I can take each one of the cats into the exam room separately. Ernie rides in the front passenger seat. Neither of the cats mind the car ride. Wesson does just fine for the entire trip, except when he's actually in the vet's office. Springfield Veterinary Center was packed when I arrived, so I made sure to tell them how long it had been since I had last administered a dose of acepromazine to Wesson. The wait wasn't too bad, considering how busy they were. I asked to weigh the small cat carrier first so that when I brought Wesson in, we could just weigh him in the crate and then subtract the weight of the carrier. They agreed that it would be best to weigh him while he was confined. I decided to take Wesson in before Smith. I thought Smith might be a refreshing way to end my visit and maybe not leave such a grim memory with the staff at SVC. Wesson was AWFUL, to say the least. From the minute I walked in the front door with him, he started hissing, growling, yowling, and spitting. I warned Dr. Wiseman (Heath) about how bad he would be, but I really don't think he understood just HOW bad it was about to get. Dr. Wiseman removed the top from Wesson's carrier and the slapping began. Going to the vet, for Wesson, is nothing more than a boxing match and he's NOT going to be the one to lose. Lucky for ALL of us, Wesson has been declawed. After several attempts by all three of us (Me, Dr. Wiseman, and Lisa (vet's assistant)), it was finally decided that they would just put a towel over his front end and hold him down while the Dr. gave him his shots. Lisa got the elbow length gloves out and I think they wound up using two towels. Wesson was making the most awful sounds and it was about to bring me to tears (this is my child!!) by the time they got both shots in him. We put the top back on his carrier and I took him back out to the car where he climbed right into Ernie's crate, giving me a goodbye hiss (that's a hiss... NOT a kiss), and Smith climbed in the small carrier. Smith was an angel. He let Dr. Wiseman look in both ears, look at his teeth, feel his tummy, listen to his heartbeat, and took both shots without ever flinching. There was no yowling, howling, growling, hissing, spitting, slapping, or biting. (This is starting to sound like a Dr. Suess book.) I'm fairly certain that we earned the titles of "Worst Behaved Feline Client" and "Best Behaved Feline Client" at Springfield Veterinary Center today. I PROMISE that Wesson does not act like that at home. Oh sure, he has his moments (he's a cat, for goodness sake! Give him a break!), but he's never "out to kill" like that. I'm just glad it's over and that he doesn't have to go back for three years. I'm sure that everyone at SVC is just as glad if not more so. Sorry guys!! Anyway, I came home and made a card for Dr. Wiseman and Lisa. It's a combination "thank you" and "sorry" card. I thought I'd put the picture of Wesson looking sweet and innocent on the front to help erase those bitter memories of this morning. Here it is...

...and here's another picture of Wesson, who is so OBVIOUSLY NOT an evil kitty!!

Secret Goblin

Someone at work started a little "secret goblin" thingy for Halloween. The letter that was left with my gift stated that I had to make two photocopies of the letter and deliver two gifts to two people who hadn't been "tagged" yet within two days. I'm supposed to do this secretly so they won't know who their gift came from. I don't know who I'll be "tagging" tomorrow, but here is what I made. These are popcorn holders and I attached a gift card for a free movie rental from Movie Gallery.


To remove the popcorn and gift card, you simply pull up on the little bow and WAH-LAH!!



Here is the recipe for the popcorn holders: Start with a piece of DSP that measures 7 X 10. Score it at 2 1/4 and 6 3/4 inches. Use sticky strip to adhere the bottom and back of the pocket. I used the crimper to get a finished look on the bottom. I used Creepy Crawly DSP and the Booglie Eyes stamp set to decorate mine, but you can design them any way you like. I added two jumbo eyelets (one on the front and one on the back) to the top center. Run your ribbon through one eyelet from the outside of the pocket to the inside. It will go under your popcorn and come back up on the other side so it can be threaded through the other eyelet from the inside to the outside. Tie the ends in a bow and and WAH-LAH!! You can pull the popcorn out by just pulling up on the bow. Pretty neat, huh? OH... I almost forgot... I added Stickles (glitter glue) to my spider. I can never have too much glitter. It's all about the bling, baby!!

This next picture is one I wanted to throw in just because I think it's cute. This is Smith and he was helping me with a sewing project last weekend. If it isn't obvious, he works in the quality control department.



TTFN!!

The Haunted Corn Maze

I guess I haven't been in the mood to post lately. I've been working on some crafty projects, but can't post pictures because they're gifts that haven't been given. Once they're out of my hands and in the hands of the recipients, I'll post the pictures. Until then... it's TOP SECRET!!

We went to a haunted corn maze in Verona, MO this past weekend and had a screaming good time. I don't know who was more scared - me or the kids. They'd probably all say it was me, but I would have to argue. The corn maze was located on seven acres in the middle of nowhere. There were other activities, as well, including "pumkin chuckin" (see photos of kids with mini pumpkins in the slingshot) and a hay ride. We skipped on the hay ride since it would have been an additional $6 per person. Instead, we used our money wisely and paid someone to scare the pee-waddin' out of us in the middle of a cornfield in Verona, MO. Here is a link to some of the pictures we took.

http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=nos1qyw.246kvfeg&x=0&y=pa2nh1

I'll try to post more later. I haven't had time, lately, to work on any new cards. I'm hoping to be able to do so by the end of this coming weekend. TTFN!

Feelin' Crafty

Well, I've finished a few projects. This card was made using some leftover designer paper from last year's Christmas stock. The red snowflake was stamped using Versamark ink and then I heat embossed it with Heat & Stick Powder. I then added some Romantic Red Glitter from Stampin' Up! and heat embossed it again to set the glitter. This card, like most of them, is much prettier in person than it is in photos.


This card was made with Chocolate Chip and Pumpkin Pie cardstock and some designer paper that I had left from Thanksgiving last year. The designer paper is by American Crafts. I watercolored the pumpkins and the leaf (from the Autumn Harvest stamp set) using Pumpkin Pie, Old Olive, and Really Rust classic ink refills. The shadow under the pumpkins was watercolored using a Creamy Caramel classic ink refill.


This card was CASE'd directly from the October 2007 issue of Papercrafts Magazine, page 30. This card didn't require any stamping at all. I used Whisper White, Basic Black, Brocade Blue, Bashful Blue, and Yo-Yo Yellow cardstock. The star and 'wish' were cut using the Cricut. This was a VERY easy card and turned out super cute!


This next project is pretty neato-mosquito. This is a Pringles can turned Halloween treat container. I used the Creepy Crawly DSP from SU, along with Whisper White, Basic Black, and Pumpkin Pie CS. 'BOO' was stamped using the Best Friends Alphabet Upper stamp set. They were then punched out and mounted on larger circles. Each letter has an identical piece that lays back-to-back with a piece of black yarn through the center. That way, as the letters turn, it still spells 'BOO'. The frillies on the top are just very thin strips of CS that I ran through the crimper, folded in half, and stuck through a slit that I cut in the top of the Pringles lid. This can be filled with Halloween treats and given as a gift or just as a Halloween decoration.

This next project was an experiment more than anything. I used the Wondrous Gift and Many Merry Messages stamp sets to stamp a candle. This one didn't turn out perfect, but I'm sure the next one will be much better since this was my first one.

Thanks for Looking!! TTFN!

I'm BAAAAACK!!

Wow! I had a serious case of bronchitis and am finally feeling somewhat normal... whatever that is! I guess that's why I've been in a TERRIBLE creative funk and have actually had days when I wanted to pull my hair out because I couldn't come up with any new ideas. Everything I did looked all wrong. I made four cards tonight, though, (two each of the same design) and I think I'm back. If I'm not completely back I, at least, feel like I'm closer to being there. Here are the two cards I made tonight. They're both made using the same layout and I think I really like both of them. I added Dazzling Diamonds glitter to the blue and green card, although it doesn't show up very well in the pic.

These next two cards are two that I made during my creative slump. I'm not entirely happy with them, but don't know exactly what I should do to spice them up...

Most of you know, by now, that Curtis broke his ankle last night while playing softball. Well... he was "sliding into third" to be precise. He drove himself home after he did it and then we made a trip to urgent care where we spent the better (or was it the worst) part of our evening. The x-rays indicated that his tibia is fractured in two places, but the alignment is still good, so they may be able to cast it without having to set it or surgery. He's getting around really well and I'm TRYING to be sympathetic. If you know me very well, you know I'm not very good at that. I'm TRYING, though, to help him out. I think he's been laughing at me because it's such a struggle for me.

Well, that's what we've been up to lately... not much else. Oh yeah... I turned a year older on Sunday, so I'm FINALLY 29. TTFN!

Under the Weather

Well... I wound up with bronchitis after the weekend ride in the cold rain. I stayed home all day, yesterday, after going to the walk-in clinic since my doctor is out on Wednesday's. I went to work this morning, but left early since I'm still feeling pretty crummy. ...Just wanted to let you know why I'm not posting much this week.

I DID IT!!!!

Saturday morning turned out to be very chilly for the start of the MS ride. I think the temp was in the mid 40's as we crossed the start line around 7:20 am. There were about 1,000 riders who signed up for the ride and I think we wound up with about 900 people who actually rode. About the time my odometer rolled to 42 miles it started to sprinkle on me. By the time I hit mile 60, I was riding in a thunderstorm with steady rains. I think we had hit the high for the day, by that time, which was somewhere in the low to mid 50's. The National MS Society had mapped out two routes - one of which was for 85 miles for those who just wanted to ride the "short" route and another that was 100 miles for the overachievers. I don't know if I missed my turn because it was difficult to see with the rain and sweat in my eyes, or if I was traveling with a group who intended to ride the century route. Whatever the case may be, I wound up on the century route and logged just under 100 miles by the time I finished on Saturday. I crossed the finish line in Joplin on the first day around 3:10 pm, which was not too bad for me given the circumstances. I took my bike to the "lock-up" area where they were keeping bikes overnight and I headed for a warm room at the Holiday Inn. I got there around 4 pm and there were several other bikers standing in the lobby waiting for a room. We had all pre-registered, but housekeeping didn't have rooms ready for us. Finally, at 4:30 pm, they had a room ready for me. I checked in and took the longest hot shower/bath in history. By that time, I was having pretty bad upper respiratory problems which, I'm sure, was a combination of pollen, cold air, and being wet and cold most of the day. Curt met me in Joplin around 6:30 pm on Saturday and we made a trip to Wal-Mart for some allergy meds and a sweater since I had no idea I'd need to pack for arctic weather. By the time Sunday rolled around, I didn't feel too bad. I got up, got dressed, checked out of the hotel, and headed back to Joplin High School to pick up my bike. I got my tires aired up and was in the lineup by 6:50 am. We crossed the starting line in Joplin right on time at 7 am. Not too far into the ride I started questioning whether or not I could make it back to Willard, which was almost 84 miles away. When I made it to the first rest stop, I started telling myself that I just had to make it to the next rest stop, all of which were about 10 to 12 miles apart. Every time I stopped, I'd take at least 10 minutes to stretch, have a snack, and replenish my drink bottles. About 15 miles from the finish line I wound up in the middle of another thunderstorm. The rain wasn't too bad and wasn't nearly as miserable as it had been on Saturday since the temperature was about 20 degrees higher. The lightning was incredible. I saw a couple of bolts of cloud-to-ground lightning, one of which hit in a wooded area across a field to my right. The sound of the "crackle" was fierce and shortly afterward I saw smoke rising out of the trees where it had hit. Had I been in a car, I never would have experienced that the way I did riding cross-country on a bicycle. I don't know how I made it back. A lot of the time I prayed or I told myself that I might be hurting, but that it was nothing compared to having MS. With God's help and a lot of determination I crossed the finish line in Willard at 3:20 pm yesterday. The total on my odometer for the weekend was right at 185 miles. I'm not hurting too bad today and am taking Robitussin for my wicked cough. I scheduled the day off from work since I wasn't too sure how I'd be feeling after the weekend, so I can lay around and stretch all day if I need to. I have included a link to some pictures below. I'm hoping to get some photos that were taken by professional photographers who were stationed along the route both days. If (when) I get those, I'll post them, as well.

http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=nos1qyw.446j9kow&x=0&y=-4gor25

Thank you, again, to all of you for your prayers, encouragement, and for your donations to the National MS Society in sponsoring my ride. The funds will, most definitely, be used for a worthy cause. I hope to be writing about the MS150 again - about this time next year!

Sorry it's been so long...

...I've been busy worrying about the MS150, which is coming up TOMORROW MORNING!! I don't know why I'm in such a tizz, but I think I'm going 90 different directions in my brain. I have made lists of absolutely everything I need to do and what I need to pack for the one night stay in Joplin, but I'm still worried about it. I haven't decided exactly what time I need to get up tomorrow morning, but my cycling team is meeting at 6 AM for a group picture in Willard, which is about 20 minutes from home. The ride will actually start at 7 AM from the high school in Willard. I'll be sure to post by the first of next week, unless I keel over somewhere along the way, to let you all know how the ride went. Thank you for your thoughts, prayers, and encouragement over the last several months. I hope to have a good report for you next week!

How To Weigh Yourself

I can't believe I've been doing it wrong all these years. We must get the word out!

Things I Learned Today

The 70-ish mile ride that was to be held yesterday was postponed due to rain. It was postponed until this morning at 8 am. I toughed out the entire 74-point-something miles and I'm sure I'm a better person for it. I am also sure that I won't really believe that until the soreness and the tightness are worked out and I've had a good 8 hours of sleep. The ride today is, supposedly, much more hilly than the MS150. Now I know that I am quite capable of finishing at least half of the ride. With a good night's sleep and a hot meal at the end of the first day, I think I'll do okay on day two, as well.

Here is SOME of what I learned today...

• MOST grasshoppers are not fast enough to avoid a bicycle tire. Let me explain. I've had a fear of most buglike creatures, grasshoppers being one of those. I know it's a silly fear - grasshoppers won't hurt me. BUT... they have those rough, hairy legs and big, buggy eyes and they spit their chewing tobacco on you if given the chance. SSSSOOOO... I aimed at them, when I saw them on the road, with my bicycle tires today. They're rather crunchy.
• A dead skunk's scent FAR outlasts the flesh. I would have never believed it, but I smelled it before I saw it. There was nothing left but bones, fur, and stink.
• This isn't really something I learned, but something I experienced for the first time. At one point during our ride, we drove down a farm road that had corn fields growing right up next to the road on both sides. The stalks had all dried up and were brown. I had heard of the "rustling" sound when the wind blows through the corn stalks, but had never heard it with my own two ears. I LOVE that sound!
• Not all dogs are friendly. I didn't try to pet him, or anything, as he was running at breakneck speed with his fangs near my ankle, but I didn't know I was capable of accelerating that fast up a hill after I'd already ridden 50 miles. Think I'll get some pepper spray.

That's about all I can think of right now. I'm sure I learned other interesting things, too, but I'm too pooped to remember what they were. I made a new card last night that's pretty nifty, but I'm too tired to take any pictures and upload them. I'll try to remember to do that tomorrow. I'm planning on a short ride tomorrow - only 20 to 25 miles. That one should be a breath of fresh air after today's ride!! TTFN!

Old Stamps

I bought this stamp at least a year ago and have never used it. I think that's a sure sign that I'm addicted to stamping/card crafting. My goal tonight was to create a card using a stamp that I've never used before (this is not the only one... trust me). This is definitely not my favorite card ever, but since I do have a fondness for cats I think I like it okay. The stamp is from a company called Prickley Pear and I used Perfect Plum, Ruby Red, and Barely Banana cardstock and inks. The cat has a purple gem for his collar and the big paw print was stamped with craft ink and then heat embossed with irridescent ice embossing powder. The "sparkle" stamp was also embossed with irridescent ice, so it's glittery, too - just the way I like it. A person can never have too much sparkle!!

The Birds & The Bees

I know what you're thinking and that's just WRONG!! The birds and bees I'm referring to are the ones frequenting my hummingbird feeders. I've had lots of hummingbirds and butterflies all summer, but today was the first day I came home to a swarm of bees. Any of you who know me very well will know that it took a LOT of courage to get close enough to take this picture. I'm sure you all would have been laughing at the way I jumped back every time I saw something move out of the corner of my eye.

I just had to put a couple of shots of my sweet boys in here. Ernie is the one who seems to get all the press, so I thought I'd show off my other two boys. This is "Wesson" playing in a bag from Panera Bread. Who knew you got free kitty toys with a "Bagel Pack"?

...And this is "Smith" napping on the loveseat. "Wesson" is sweet when he wants to be, but "Smith" is my full-time sweetheart. He's VERY shy, but he loves his mama!!

...Okay... On to the other things I've been doing this week. I've only cycled about 50 miles this week, but am planning on a 70-ish mile ride this Saturday. It is an organized ride, so we'll have SAG (Support And Gear) support. That's always nice since the sponsors provide all the food and drinks at the rest stops. I always make sure to take drinks and snacks with me, though, just in case.

This first card is one I made for one of Curt's customers who was getting married last weekend. I used cardstock in Basic Black, Whisper White, Groovy Guava, and Soft Sky. The polka dots are stamped on with Whisper White craft ink and are heat embossed. The cake was stamped using black StazOn ink and then I watercolored it using re-inkers in Soft Sky and Groovy Guava.


I think this next card needs something else, but I can't decide what. If you have any suggestions, please feel free to leave a comment. I just think it needs something in the lower right-hand of the piece of cardstock that has the flowers stamped on it. I used Apple Cider DSP (Designer Series Paper) and the True Friend stamp set. Cardstock used was Close to Cocoa, River Rock, and Really Rust. Classic inks were used with the stamps and included Really Rust, Wild Wasabi, and Close to Cocoa.

This is probably one of my favorites, so far. I used some "cheapy" paper that I bought in a ginormous economy pack and I've hated it ever since. I REALLY, REALLY like it on this card, though. The only piece of the "cheapy" paper is the striped paper on the far left-hand side of the card. I used Brilliant Blue cardstock and stamped the circles (Polka Dots & Petals stamp set) in Whisper White craft ink and then heat embossed them. The base of the card is Real Red Cardstock. The letters were cut using my Cricut and the "Back To School" text was printed from my PC on Whisper White cardstock. The ribbon is from Hobby Lobby, but coordinates very nicely with my SU colors.

This next card is very unique. There are actually three parts to the card. There is a sleeve that the card slides into. The card is the Very Vanilla cardstock with the Baroque Motifs swirl stamped on it and the So Saffron tab at the top. The third piece is the band that goes around the sleeve for decoration. I used the Au Chocolat DSP for this card and cardstock in Chocolate Chip, Very Vanilla, and So Saffron. Inks used were classic SU inks in Rose Red and So Saffron. This is what it looks like when it's all put together...

...and this is what it looks like when you pull the card out. I'll write a note or a sentiment on the card before sending it. I made it so it will fit in a regular card envelope.

That's about all I know right now. I haven't heard from my brother, Tim, yet. I'm assuming that Tiffani and Peyton are doing just fine and that he's still in shock and awe over the presence of this precious new life in their home. If that's NOT the reason he hasn't called, then he'd better have a REALLY darned good reason!! :) TTFN!!

I'M AN AUNT!!!! (Again)

Peyton Elizabeth Rollins entered the world sometime around 6:00 P.M. Pacific Standard Time (I don't have exact info since I haven't talked to Tiffani (the new mommy) yet). She weighed 6 pounds 7 ounces and was 19 inches long. Peyton is absolutely beautiful and I can't wait to meet her! She's my very first niece on my side of the family and I'm SSSOOO excited (like that's not obvious)!! I also have two fabulous nieces on Curt's side of the family!

This is the proud daddy and my brother, Tim. I tried to call him, but he must be busy (go figure) because he didn't answer his cell phone.

TTFN!

My Latest Project

Okay... Here she is... my latest finished project (I have several in the works). This little girl is entirely crocheted and is 21 inches tall. I'm not perfectly happy with her facial features. The pattern said to sew the mouth and nose on using ribbon, which is what I did. I just think something needs to be different. Maybe I'll figure it out before I make the next one. You should be able to view a larger image by clicking on the picture.

I have some other great news!! My dad goes to his first day at Head Start on Tuesday of next week!! I'm SSSOOOO proud of him and happy for him. I'm sure he'll get along just fine with all the other kids. Seriously... Dad is the new cook for Head Start in Houston. I think he said there are 19 children who attend school there and they're all three to four years in age. I just know he'll like it. He's so good with kids and they absolutely adore him! Congratulations, Daddy!!

I cycled a couple of nights this week, but still haven't ridden as much as I need to. The weather is supposed to be fabulous for us tomorrow (sunny, slightly breezy, and a high of 84 degrees), so I'm going to try to ride somewhere between 60 and 80 miles tomorrow. There isn't an organized ride due to the holiday weekend, so I'll just be riding a 20 mile loop that I ride very frequently.

I'm going to close for now. I have a couple of cards that I need to get finished (I guess I need to start them before I can finish them) before I go to bed. TTFN!

I finally got a training ride in!! WOO-HOO!

I managed to get a 21 mile ride in this evening. It was a little more difficult than the last time I made that trip because I've been slacking the last several weeks. Time to crack down!!

I also made a card when I got home tonight. This is made using the "Booglie Eyes" stamp set with card stock in Basic Black, Pumpkin Pie, Perfect Plum, and Wild Wasabi. The characters are water-colored. Aren't they just adorable?

TTFN!!

Not Doin' Much...

I haven't posted in a while because I really haven't been doin' too much. I really need to be doing more cycling than I have been in the last several weeks, so I'm going to get REALLY serious about it again... tomorrow. I PROMISE!! I'm going to load up all my gear and my bike tonight so that I have no excuse when 5:00 PM rolls around tomorrow. The best places for training rides are on the farm roads outside of town. By riding those roads I eliminate all of the stops that have to be made in town and can really get some speed up.

I have really enjoyed the wildlife in our back yard this week. We have recently had several hummingbirds frequenting the feeders on the patio. I know there are at least two males and one female because all three of them were at the feeders at the same time yesterday afternoon. Despite the squirrels being a nuisance in my garden this year, I did enjoy watching one sneaking food from the bird feeders outside the dining room yesterday. I had just filled the feeders and the birds hadn't discovered the food yet. It doesn't take those squirrels long to find anything. The pictures didn't turn out very well, but I think they look fairly good for pictures that were taken through a tinted window with a screen in it.


These next pictures are some of the cards I've made recently. I can't take the time to list all the supplies used, right now, but will try to come back later and add that information.

I talked to my brother, David, who lives in Dekalb, IL (suburb of Chicago) on Friday morning. I had seen the severity of the storms that had moved through that area Thursday night in Friday mornings news. Unfortunately, they were one of many families evacuated Thursday night due to flooding. The water was waist high, at one point, inside their house. They are trying to salvage some of their belongings today. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers. They have friends to stay with, but I can't imagine how stressful and trying the whole situation must be for them.

Short (But Sweet) Trip

Well, I'm back from Chicago and we had an AWESOME time! Sue and I spent the weekend at David and Karie's. Eric and Alysia were there, too. I absolutely adore the two sisters-in-law, whom I've met, and I'm sure I'll love Tiffani when I have the opportunity to meet her, as well. Saturday afternoon we made a trip to Lisle, IL to visit my Uncle Len and Aunt Gail for a cookout. The hospitality and the food were fabulous and there was never a second when I didn't feel like family. I was also able to meet my cousin (second cousin, I believe), Bob and his wife, Lynn. After dinner, we all moved to the living room where David, Bob, and Uncle Len entertained us by playing the guitar and banjo and singing. I enjoyed talking to everyone SO much and really wasn't ready to leave when it was time to go. David cooked breakfast for us on Saturday and Sunday and he is an excellent cook. I also met my Nephew, Caleb, and he is SUCH a cutie! It was just a great weekend filled with fun and family. I am so blessed!

Here is a link to pictures from the weekend. Some of them were taken without a flash because I was trying to "sneak" them, so they're pretty grainy. Most of them turned out okay, though.

http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=nos1qyw.afsd4fxk&x=0&h=1&y=290e5t

If you would like copies of any of the photos, please e-mail me at jegoslee@sbcglobal.net and I'll print them and mail them to you. Please indicate which photos you'd like to have. You can also order them through my Kodak gallery. TTFN!

United Way Day Of Caring

I spent the day, yesterday, with two of my bestest friends - Christy and Joni. We volunteered to participate in the United Way Day Of Caring and were assigned to paint at the Family Violence Center here in Springfield. We painted one bedroom and then were assigned to apply Kilz to the front entrance area of the building. I was amazed by the number of volunteers who had donated their time for this cause. I had fun working with Joni and Christy, but I think we all had headaches from the paint by the time we finished.

Well, I'm off to Chicago. I will be meeting my uncle Len and his wife and spending time with my brothers, David and Eric. Sue and I are driving up together and will be leaving within the next half hour. I'll be sure to post pictures when I get back and let you know how things went.

Have a great weekend! TTFN!

Doin' What I Love Best

Sometime yesterday I decided that I wasn't going to do anything last night except what I love the most... being creative. I didn't cook, I didn't eat, I didn't cycle, I just created. ...And thoroughly enjoyed myself while doing it. I came up with three new cards. This first card was made using the "Pick A Petal" and "Hugs & Wishes" stamp sets. I really like the way it turned out.


These next two cards are a result of trying to come up with ideas for a class where we'll make halloween items only. This card was made using the "Home is Where the Haunt Is" and the "Party Punch" sets. The cat is the only image from "Party Punch".

...And this card was made using "Booglie Eyes", which is probably my favorite halloween stamp set. The "BOO" letters were cut using my Cricut (I LOVE that thing!!).

That's all I have for now, but will post more later. I will be out of town this weekend, so you may not hear from me until the first of next week. TTFN!

I'm Pooped!

We had a super exciting day today. Part of my family was here today for a cookout. It dawned on me, not long after everyone left, that I didn't take any pictures. No one else did, either, so I don't have any pictures to post. Actually, I've noticed a pattern to my picture taking and I'm going to have to make a conscious effort to change my ways. If the get-together is not at our house I ALWAYS take my camera and take pictures. If the get-together is at our house, I never even think about picking the camera up. HHHHHMMMM.... I'm going to have to work on that! We had 11 of us all together and would have had 13 but my brother, Philip, and his girlfriend, Jamie, were unable to be here. Our visitors included my mom and dad; my brother, Derek, his girlfriend, Tammy, and Tammy's daughter, Anna; and my Uncle Paul and Aunt Marie. I attempted to grill burgers outside, but we had a small grease fire incident and I moved it inside to the George Foreman grill. That slowed down the cooking process tremendously since it took about 5 minutes to cook a burger as opposed to the 30 seconds it took to cook skeet in the grease fire. Everyone brought something, which really helps out and I think it makes it more fun since we get to sample everyone's cooking. Mom and Dad brought potato salad, macaroni & cheese, and homemade pound cake with fresh peaches. Marie and Paul brought "Marie's Scrumdiliumptious Fruit Salad" (That's what I think I'll call it from now on... and YES... I made that word up) and homemade pies. I was so stuffed after dinner that I couldn't hold any pie, but I know it's good because I've had her pies before and loved them! Derek and Tammy brought chips, buns, and other hamburger and hot dog accessories. I made baked beans and sliced up all the veggies. It was a REALLY good meal, but I'm REALLY wishing I hadn't eaten so much!!

Other than our cookout today, the weekend was fairly quiet. The kids chose to stay with their mother this weekend, with the exception of a few hours today. I spent yesterday cleaning house and putting another 7 quarts of green beans and 5 quarts of squash up. Between that, cleaning, and grocery shopping, I really didn't have much time to do anything else. That really irks me, too, because I got a big Stampin' Up! order in last week and haven't had time to play with any of it yet. The anticipation is about to kill me. I just hope I can find sometime this week to play with it.

I was in the garden earlier today and it appears that the green beans are about to croak. That one seed packet produced over 14 quarts of green beans (I know we ate at least 3 quarts of fresh green beans in addition to the 14 quarts that I froze), so I'm happy with how my first gardening experience turned out. The squash, tomatoes, green peppers, cantalopes, and cucumbers are still producing and are still looking really healthy.

I hope you all had a good weekend and I'll try to post some new SU projects this week! TTFN!

My Profile Photo

My friend, Christy, keeps telling me to change my profile picture because she doesn't like the one I've had out there. Here you go, Christy!! Hope you like this one!! Tee-Hee!

Almost Halloween?

I've been trying to come up with some project ideas for Halloween and these are a couple of the items I've been playing with. I'm going to be doing a class where we'll make several 3-D projects and some cards. I may throw in a scrapbook page or mini-book, as well. My halloween paper from Stampin' Up! has not come in yet, so these items were made using some scraps I had laying around from my "pre-SU days". I'm sure they'll be MUCH better once I use SU products. I think I'm going to change the buckle on the shoe to gold since the black buckle doesn't show up very well against the black cardstock. Let me know what you think.

Stamps, Friends, & Chocolate... What More Could A Girl Want?

Well, today is the second Wednesday of the month, which means it's the crazy Stampin' Up! ladies night!! We all met at Vanessa's house tonight where Gwen had organized a couple of make and takes. One of the items was this cute little gift basket...

Here are some pictures of the girls. We had a great time, even though I was feeling a little puny. I donated blood this afternoon and it drained me!! :) I've just been extremely tired and a little light-headed ever since. Someone had provided chocolate for our little get-together, though, so it's all good!!

This is an anniversary card I made for our cousins, Tim & Lori. Their 25th wedding anniversary was on the 7th and I'm afraid I mailed the card a day late. Sorry, Tim & Lori!! I hope you enjoyed the card, anyway. We were thinking about you even though the card wasn't there on time. We went out for ice cream in your honor!! :) The background of the card is made using Soft Sky and Whisper White cardstock. I used the 'Baroque Motifs' stamp set to stamp the swirly background with Whisper White craft ink. The flower was made using the 'Doodle This' stamp set and markers in Pixie Pink and Pretty in Pink. I then used a glue pen to appy Dazzling Diamonds glitter. The center of the flower is a pink sequin and I applied three of those same sequins to the bottom of the card and used the 'Happy Anniversary' stamp from the 'Hugs & Wishes' set. Across the center of the card, I placed a piece of pale pink ribbon to finish it off.

I haven't cycled in over two weeks and will be participating in the annual Tour De Cox this weekend. It's a 60 mile route, so wish me luck. I don't think I'll have a chance to ride between now and then and really don't know if I want to unless it cools off and the humidity decreases.

Catching Up

Okay... I have a TON of catching up to do, but I'm going to keep this short and sweet. The 2007 Stampin' Up! Convention in Denver, CO was AWESOME!!! Gwen and I had a great time, which can be proved by almost 600 photos that I took and approximately 1,000 that Gwen took. I'm not going to share those photos just yet. Most of them are ideas for future classes/workshops, but as soon as I can get them sorted I'll try to post some of the other pictures. Unfortunately, convention didn't leave much free time for sight-seeing. Since we arrived the afternoon before convention started and left before it was over, we really didn't have time to explore. I saw just enough, though, to know that I want to go back to Colorado for a vacation sometime SOON!!

Curtis and I made a trip to Independence, MO yesterday to pick the kids up. They had been staying with their Ye-Ye (Grandfather in Chinese) and Nai-Nai (Grandmother in Chinese) in Iowa and we met up with them at our Uncle Jim and Aunt Helen's in Independence. Nicole and Tony (Curt's sister and her husband) were also there with their three kids (Rachel, Allison, and Jason) and traveled from Iowa with Ye-Ye and Nai-Nai. We had a "mini" family reunion at lunchtime today. The other attendees were Uncle Don and Aunt Rosalia; Crystal (Curt's cousin and Uncle Don and Aunt Rosalia's daughter) and her son, Christian; Mary Jane (Curt's cousin and Uncle Don and Aunt Rosalia's daughter-in-law) and her son, William. While sitting at the dinner table, I think I counted 12 adults and 7 children. It was a great time!! Uncle Jim and Aunt Helen are always SO gracious to allow us all to visit them - especially at the same time! I would say that they are, by far, the nicest people I have ever known, but I think I'd have to say that about Curt's entire family! I have included a link to the pictures I took this weekend below. If you would like copies of any of these, please let me know and I'll try to get them in the mail to you. The last three pictures are quite humorous. Ernie rode in the back seat with the kids and all three of them were snoozing. Ernie had his head resting on Lauren's leg and his other end was up against Branden's bottom side. Cute!! We got back home late this afternoon and I think I'm ready for a vacation from my vacation!

http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=nos1qyw.82jzwd0o&x=0&h=1&y=-kj1r4l

I almost forgot... my latest creations!! On Saturday, I was waiting for Curtis to get home from work so we could leave for Independence. It was the middle of the day and I was exhausted from my trip to Colorado, but I didn't want to take a nap for fear that I wouldn't want to get up when he got home. I had some memo pads left over from the swaps I made for convention, so I made one for each of my neices (Rachel and Allison) and my nephew (Jason). This is what they looked like...