Acknowledge and Move On

The Big Purge....

I have spent the day cleaning out my Scrap Space...and I am no where near finished..it truthfully doesn't even look like I made a dent...but I did..I swear I did....I was able to reduce my stash by quite a bit...only to head to Pleasanton later this week so I can possibly purchase more supplies...I definitely have a sickness....However I am hoping with the great purge of March 2013 I will find my mojo as it is has been missing in action for about two weeks now...

I have been taking some photos however...some for fun, some not so much for fun...

Chase was in her first Car accident on Thursday..WORST DAY EVER as a parent so far....She was not hurt nor was she at fault.  There were four cars involved and no one was hurt thankfully.  We should have our car back within a month...over $6,000 in damage..yikes!  I am happy to report however that we have a SWEET Cherry Red 4 Wheel Drive Jeep Wrangler as a rental car...my kids are very excited however Chase is sad she can't drive it...

I had Cooking Club on Friday night...we made a great Turkey Pasta, Monte Cristo Puffs and Biscoff Cupcakes...The entire menu was AMAZING...as well as the company.  I have been with the Cooking Club gals for over three years and it gets better every month!

 

 

In Like A Lion...even here in Florida

words that describe the month of March.  Welcome to my Birthday month!  I Have never really celebrated all month long, but as I age and life becomes busier I think it is necessary to celebrate all month long.  I started with a trip to Tampa with my husband without children..woohoo..we went to the Casino and I had fun playing Black Jack...and I won!! So I took my winnings to Best Buy and bought myself a Kindle Fire...which I am loving so far.  I have also been spending a few nights a week taking in some BHS Lacrosse Games...

I am so proud of Chase who has been working very hard and has scored three goals so far this season (hopefully many more to come as well!)..

The girls are currently 5-1 and having a great season playing together...although we have had our share of injuries as well..currently two girls are out with concussions...

I have not had too much free time to scrapbook but what time I have had I have been enjoying my Citrus Twist Monthly kit..

It is a great monthly kit and I am already looking forward to getting next months as well...

I have two trips this month, I am headed to Pleasanton California next week and then the following week I am headed to Portland Oregon...Two West Coast trips in a two week period...looking forward to all the airline miles..woohoo...and I love those two destinations...there is also the added benefit of seeing my coworkers...That means this weekend is the only one I have at home this month so I am planning on getting some creative time in while I can.

Baby it's Cold Outside

33 Degrees when I woke up this morning....frost on the cars and the front lawn...not what one would expect to find in Florida..looking forward to the warm up that will hopefullly happen soon.

We had a very busy weekend..

Friday Evening started with a 75th Birthday Party for a close friend...

I made a quick card using Farmhouse Paper Company's Market Square papers and chipboards..Rhyan had plans of her own as well..

The Middle School Sweetheart Dance was Friday.  I cannot even believe how quickly time is passing..Rhyan is growing into a beautiful kind young adult.  She is growing so fast and according to the pediatrician will be taller than Chase..which is not a surprise since she ALREADY wears the same size shoe that I do (and I can't wait to wear these turquoise flats!)

Saturday started SUPER EARLY with the 5th Annual Reservation Run...a 5k that raises money for the High School that Chase attends..it was a great morning although a little cool.  Chuck and Chase both ran the race while I stayed behind and took photos..200 photos to be exact.  Chuck achieved his best time even after a late Friday night out..

Then the girls and I ran errands in the afternoon getting some much needed shopping done.  Chuck went to work, I dropped Rhyan off at a birthday party/sleep over and just as I was settling in for a quiet Saturday night at home...

Rhyan ran into a mirrored wall while at the sleepover and cut herself...luckily she didn't have to get stitches..but she did get Derma Glued...We were also lucky to only be there a little over an hour..and like a champ, Rhyan returned to her Sleep over. 

Sunday was spent preparing food for the week as I am trying to get back on the Weight Watcher Wagon.  I bought lots of fresh fruit, vegetables..cooked and portioned pasta..made Jar Salads for the week..roasted vegetables..a full Four hours of food preparation which will hopefully save me some time this week since there are three Lacrosse Games and I have a trip this week..

Of course, even though it was a very busy weekend, I did manage to relax and unwind a little in my scrap room..

 

Thank you Anaheim

What a great show last weekend!  The people were amazing and it was super busy...a three day show and I didn't even get to walk the show floor (again!).  I did bring home some NEW Maggie Holmes Crate Paper though..and I can't wait to create with it.  I also came home with some NEW My Mind's Eye paper as well.  Not bad for not walking the show floor.  I also brought home a CutterPillar...

It is a lighted Rotary Cutter...They were next to us at CHA and then again at the consumer show this past weekend..I was going to wait but I couldn't..it is AMAZING!!!  I am also happy to say I promptly came home and found it a home on my desk so it will be used.

While I was in California I found out that my daughter made the Varsity Lacrosse team at her High School..I am very proud of her as she has worked very hard over the last few months getting in shape for the season...I LOVE going to watch the kids play.   Not just Lacrosse either, we go to every football game and we are hoping to make it to some baseball games this year as well.  The High School had Two Football Players sign with pretty big schools today..SO COOL!!!

Finally, I will share another layout done with the Citrus Twist Kit...I have finally used all the pieces and I was able to make 8 layouts!!  Just in time to get the next kit...

This layout was done using a sketch that was posted.  There is a new sketch posted every Sunday on the Citrus Twist Blog...

I have had these photos FOREVER...waiting for the perfect papers...finally I found them.  I added some items from my stash to each layout.

Deja Vu

is what I will be experiencing today as I am leaving on a plane headed back to Anaheim California for the Scrapbook Expo.  I won't be teaching this weekend although I will be in the Scrap-Mart/Button Farm booth selling Farmhouse Papers and Embellishments (along with lots of other fun goodies!).  The Expo is in exactly the same location where I was two weeks ago for CHA, at the Anaheim Convention Center which is right next to Disneyland.  Hopefully this time I will get a chance to visit the park and see some fireworks.  I am also hoping to get some new scrapping supplies, in particular New Teresa Collins Designs Far and Away and some Glitz Design as well.  I will also be bringing home some My Mind's Eye to create with..I am LOVING the new Washi Tape sets..but I have mentioned all of this before.

While I am looking forward to the Expo this weekend, these events always make me want to create..luckily I have had time recently to play.  When I first started Scrapbooking, I received a monthly kit from Scrapbook Obsessions which was an AMAZING kit club.  The kits were full of product and always included a staple item that could be used over and over again.  Since the club ended years ago, I have stayed away from kit clubs as none of them even compared (in my opinion at least) until now that is.  I have taken the plunge again and signed up for a six month subscription to the Citrus Twist Kit Club and I am eagerly awaiting my first main kit which ships very soon.  I tried to sign up last month but the main kit was sold out however I was able to purchase a few of the add ons to tide me over..Here are a few layouts that I was able to make using the add on kits (and of course a few items from my stash!)

The pictures on the above layout are the only ones I have from the parade as my camera malfunctioned :(  At least I have these though!

The picture in this layout is from 17 years ago....wow we were some young kids...lol. I am blessed to say I love him more today than I did then.

And one more for you....

Another layout with Homecoming pictures :) 

There are a few more layouts to come...but for now I must get ready to get on a jet plane...If you happen to be in Anaheim for the Scrapbook Expo please stop by the Scrap-Mart/Button Farm booth and say hello!

 

Winner(s) and why can't weekends be 5 days instead of 2?

especially when they are as great as this past weekend was.   I did exactly what I planned to do, I cooked a couple of great meals (one of which was Dijon Parmesan Chicken from Pinterest which was amazing!), I read the Sunday Paper and I scrapbooked.  I also washed the cars with my husband and we went to a UCF Basketball game, phew..we were very busy which explains why it went by so fast.

The game was super fun.  We were given tickets to attend the game and it was the first NCAA Basketball game that I have been to since being out of college and we are big UCF Fans and they won BIG.   Thank you Michelle, Mark and Noah!

I spent a lot of time in my Scrap Room as well getting 5 layouts and three cards completed (I will be sharing those later this week!) using a kit I received from Citrus Twist Kits.  I was unable to get the Main kit (I start getting that this month!) but I was able to get add on kits and I have used almost every single thing that I received. Here is one Layout I made:

And finally, there were six comments on the give away post...I asked Chuck and Chase to each pick a number and they picked 3 (Chase) and 4 (Chuck)...So Amy and Christine send your mailing address to my email address ([email protected]) and I will get some Fresh Farmhouse Goodies in the mail to you both!

 

Reading, Scrapbooking, and Cooking....

These are things that I LOVE to do, and things I hope to do this weekend.  It has been non stop since returning from CHA and we are sooo Excited!  I am hoping to get a project or two done this weekend with the new Country Kitchen line (shipping to stores in March) and also with the new CitrusTwist Monthly Kit that I received last week.  I also have a list of Pinterest Recipes that I would like to try (including Crash Hot Sweet Potatoes..they look delish!) and a visit to the library is also on the schedule (I welcome any reading suggestions).   During my trip to California, I finished two books and it was the first time in a LONG time that I have read for pleasure and I didn't realize how much I missed it.  

I was so busy while I was at CHA that I didn't really have time to walk the floor and see any of the new goodies that are coming out so I have spent some time each night surfing the web...I can't wait to get my hands on many lines coming out..

Far and Away from Teresa Collins...love love love the pop of red...

Uncharted Waters from Glitz Design....

There are many more and I am hoping when I am at the Scrapbook Expo next week that I will be able to add some of these wanted items to my stash!

I would like to congratulate The Spotted Cow in California and Chico Scrapbooks also in California who were the winners of the two give aways that Farmhouse Paper Company had at CHA.   Also, I am going to keep my own give away open until Sunday 1/27...look here to get entered to win some FarmHouse Paper Company goodies!

CHA Recap and a Giveaway....

I think I have finally recovered to what my friend Angela refers to as "Show Coma".  While at CHA we work really long days and when you combine that with the three hour time difference it really takes a toll on me when I return to the east coast.  Farmhouse Paper Company had an AMAZING Show!  For me, it was great to see so many familiar faces and meet new ones.  Here is what our booth looked like

We released two new paper lines and several new Albums and the hit of the show for us was the Trinket Box which is a box full of all sorts of fun metals.  I was even lucky enough to return home with bits and pieces of our new Country Kitchen line (which I can't wait to start creating with!).  Here is a sneak peek of that line...

 The embellishments are great as well...

How about a little Farmhouse Give Away..Tell me what you think of the new Country Kitchen line and I will pick a random comment to send some goodies to...maybe there will be more than one lucky winner!

 

 

Sunny California

isn't so sunny when one is sick...I arrived in California today and went straight to the drug store to get cold medicine...I will NOT BE SICK..I WILL NOT BE SICK...that is what I have been telling my body but it doesn't seem to be listening..I am here for the Winter CHA show where I will be working in the Farmhouse Paper Company Booth...We are releasing Two new Paper Lines: Country Kitchen and 302. 

Here are some pictures of a project done by the FABULOUS Angela Moen using 302

The show is in Anaheim, right next to Disneyland so I think we will spend some time there as tourists...and I brought gifts for my coworkers :)

Looking forward to a fun weekend of work, Feeling Great (I WILL NOT BE SICK, I WILL NOT BE SICK) and being inspired by all of the crafting goodness.

Throw Back Thursday

According to my daughter, this is huge on Instagram...so today on my blog I am going to share a few "Throw Back" layouts..These are from March of 2010...

and one more...

Can you name any of the papers used on these layouts?  How about the chipboard letters on the first layout....they are some of my FAVORITES of all time..