2 Sketches Bonus

Here is my take on the fabulous Rae's sketch! I am so excited to have gotten both the sketch of the week and the bonus sketch done this week!

I'm not in much of a talkative or "typative" mood tonight...sorry :(

God Bless You,
Mary

2 Sketches!

It is snowing here! I guess that is good for people who like snow, but I don't like it :( I have to teach a make up class tomorrow at the college, too and I dread having to get out in the snow to go! I am happy that I got my 2 Sketches card done this week! The whole card is made from...scraps! I cut the butterfly from felt and sponged with some blue ink and the white paper is run through the cuttlebug of course!

A week from Monday, Feb the 16th is Happy 2nd Birthday to my Blog! Make sure to stop by starting on Monday the 9th for a week long celebration! And what would a Birthday party be without presents? You never know what day might hold a goody!

God Bless You,
Mary

You've Got Mail...

Okay, maybe the title is pretty cheesy, but I had to use it to show off this project! I am making it for the Clinical Manager of the Diabetes Dept where I work (her name starts with a M, too)! We were talking the other day about liking Valentine's Day, making boxes at school, and giving out little Valentine's to friends. I remembered that I had this mailbox just waiting to be altered and thought that I would make her a little something! Here it is! I loved making it and think that I am going to do one for Abby...we'll see about that :)

Thanks for all the sweet comments about her picture yesterday! She really is cuter than the pic could ever show though!

God Bless You,
Mary

My Savior Loves...My Savior Lives

Have you ever heard that song? By Aaron Shust? If not, I totally recommend it. In fact, I am rockin out to it right now (hubby thinks I'm a teenager with music LOL)!

Anyways, here is my card for the CPS challenge this week! I was really excited when I saw this sketch, since I missed the 2 sketches last week! I made this LATE Sunday night after Gary and I failed at playing plumbers on both Saturday and Sunday evening... We are so not the Joe plumber being talked about during the elections....
I used brown cardstock. my minds eye paper, green ink, jute, and of course the heart prints stamp from PTI.... I think I deserve some endorsement from PTI LOL, has it not been the only stamp I have used this month...sure seems like it, doesn't it! Oh, the green paper in the background - that was the ugliest piece of paper you could imagine before I inked over it! I think it worked out good! Check out this little beauty at her Elmo's Restaurant! Now this is what makes my life worth smiling! Current trend - when you ask her who her best friend is - MOMMY is the answer and Oh yeah, mommy is cool because she knows the words to ABBA's Dancing Queen (I don't know about cool - maybe old.... but cool works for me)!

God Bless You,

Mary

No Scrappy Thoughts Tonight :(

UGH! As midnight tonight quickly approaches, I will be so glad to see this week go and thankful that the Lord gives us fresh starts!

Thanks to all who prayed for Josh - finger is intact now!!! He will have intensive PT for quiet a while to regain use - but we are very blessed!

Abby has a little cold - so not used to seeing my little one slow down...any!

Gary & I have played plumber tonight at the kitchen sink - we lost!

So, no 2 Sketches for me this week - :(

God Bless You,
Mary

Prayers Please...

I don't have anything new to share tonight - I am not sure if I have already posted the two cards that I am posting today or not. I didn't send these this year, but consider them a head start on my cards for next year!

My REAL reason for this post is to ask you to pray for my sweet, sweet brother (in-law) Josh. Joshie is not only my brother in law, but my buddy, too. Growing up without siblings has made me so much closer to him. Anyways - he got his hand hurt in a mining accident today and they think he may lose his ring finger. He is on his way to the hand surgeon now and I wish so much that I could be there with him. I called and talked to my MIL and sent him my love and prayers though! Please remember him in your thoughts and prayers!

God Bless You,

Mary

Love is in the Air

I love not working on weekends... Being at home with my loves and snuggling up inside when I know that it is oh, so cold outside. Today was filled with sleeping in, munching, taking down some more Christmas/Winter decorations and playing around! Tomorrow, well after church, tomorrow will be filled with homework!

So, have you started getting ready for Valentine's Day yet? I don't put out any special Valentine decorations, but Abby is enjoying playing with a box of Darby and Pooh Valentine's. She reminds me so much of myself, liking little things like that! I always loved Valentine's Day in grade school with all of the little cards from each other and the little valentine boxes we would make to hold them. How about you?

Here is my card for the 2 Sketches challenge this week! I used the whole love of Valentine's Day along with some Yellow Bicycle paper, American Crafts and Offray Ribbon, and Heart Prints stamp set from PaperTrey Ink. Enjoy!

God Bless You,
Mary

New Jammies Are the Bestest!

Oh my goodness, if you have not tried the velvety jammie pants from Vicky Secret - let me tell you they are wonderful! Come on, not everything earns the first line of your blog wonderfulness!

Here is my card for the 2 Sketches Challenge. Unfortunately I did not get my homework done today OR get another card made. I spent the WHOLE day looking for my book! When I printed my assignment off, the assignment does not use the text book I purchased for the class, but actually uses a book that I had for the VERY first class I had in this program! UGH! Now, I know that tomorrow I am going to clean out one of my Longaberger baskets just for these books!

I am not sure what papers I used on this card because they were scraps! The stamps are the new Heart Print from PTI - LOVE EM! The ribbon is Offray from Wal-Mart and that lovely little flower - why that is a Prima of course!

Oh and some blogger candy is up for grabs at Bev's blog, you can check it out here.

Thanks for looking and have a wonderful weekend!

God Bless You,
Mary

Happy Friday Night!

I have my 2 Sketches card finished for the week - it isn't that great, so I am still deciding if I want to post it. As I just sat here in bed and thought about making a new one tomorrow, I remembered that I have a TON of homework to do, so... Either the orig. one will get posted or none at all :(

But, wanna know something? I absolutely L-O-V-E my job! It makes me so happy :) Here is something I am working on for my desk. An artist trading card holder and of course the cards are of my little MVP (Most Valuable Person) - Abby!

In the morning, my mommy will be calling to try to get us tickets to see Toby Keith - keep your fingers crossed!

God Bless You,
Mary

Christmas Advent Calander

I know, I know, Christmas is over. But , I guess you can tell that I try to always have CHRISTmas in my heart. You never know when you will find Christmas in my blog. I made this with the Karen Foster box that was so coveted during Christmas time and covered with Basic Grey Figgy Pudding Papers, I do believe those are my favorite Christmas scrapbooking papers of all time!

I don't have any thrifty tips or life changing information to share today, but I am going to tell you that I will have to bend on my economic change a little. I did not include that I am going to have to buy basics - glue (don't need that for a while thanks to hubby though) and my cardstock in the basic neutrals...

God Bless You,

Mary

Economics & Scrapbooking

Hmm... The economy... Everyone is talking about it everywhere and it does have its toll on all of us in one way or another. One of my goals for 2009 is to reduce our debt. This is not an easy year to do something like that with the cost of everything going up and we still make the same amount of money. I have decided to cut back in 2 ways. 1.) Less trips to Wal-Mart - I don't even want to tell you how much we spend there a month and 2.) cutting down my scrapbooking budget!

Many people would think the 2nd is a major eek, but I think it is going to serve 2 purposes. Not only will I save money, but I will also be forced to use some of the things I already have. I can't tell you how many "kits" I have (including 2 cosmo cricut and another from QVC that I can't even remember the name of) that have barely been touched. To be honest, I think one of them is still in the unopened package from QVC! Granted some of them are Christmas, I can always start making Christmas albums to fill for gifts this Christmas coming... I don't think I ever tire of Christmas! I also have the Bind it All now that I can start making mini books on - and chipboard coasters....well, let's just say I have a couple hundred laying around waiting to be loved.

Does this mean I will quit blogging - by all means the answer is NO! You may not see the latest embellishment on the shelf when you come to blog, but I don't figure you visit for that anyways ;) It does mean that I am going to slack off on some of the swaps I participate in though :(

After all that, here is what I have for today - a Christmas page. And I truly am sorry to those of you who are sick of Christmas by now. I just love this paper though. The snowman, well he turned out a little dorky to me, but I love him all the same!

I used Cosmo Cricut papers, the Christmas Noel and Storybook Cricut cartridges, buttons, jute, a making memories journaling spot, and Martha Stewart snow glitter.

God Bless You,

Mary

Eyelid STILL Twitching

Ugh! Let me tell you... It's just aggravating as can be. So instead of creating something to share, I am going to show you some goodies... The first is my absolute favorite glue ever. I mean, this stuff holds! Mono Multi by Tombo and I get mine here. They seriously have the best price I have found and free shipping if you order over $25.00. My wonderful hubby had this delivered to me a little over a week ago. What a great surprise, to receive and unexpected package and then to find this:

He says that I am not hard to please ;)

Next, is my Christmas present from my Mommy and Daddy which I am almost ashamed to tell you that I have not used yet! It is the PINK Bind It All! I am so excited! I wanted to play with it this weekend, but you know my eye issues...hopefully next Saturday I will be binding everything coming and going!

That's all for today - sorry! Any eyelid twitching prayers and remedies are welcome!!

God Bless You,
Mary

First Monogram Card

I didn't think I was going to get my 2 Sketches card finished this week. You see, we got a Wii for Christmas and I think that I overplayed it... I have been noticing that my right eye is bothering me and the eyelid has been twitching. I believe that I strained it playing the Wii, so I have been trying to slack off - the last time I played was 01-01....so sad... However, I know the computer and other things I do are not easy on my eyes either...

Anyways, here is my card for this week. My stamps from Just Rite FINALLY arrived.... Super SLOW shipping, but hopefully the stamps will be worth it... I love the idea of monogrammed cards and think little stationary thank yous go a long way, even in the world now where e-mail is the norm...

Wanna know something interesting about this card, the white paper you see was not what I intended to use. On the back is a cute little pattern of flowers, but once I started on the card, I liked the look of the crisp white instead. Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

God Bless You,

Mary

Happy New Year 2009!

The first day of 2009 has come and is almost gone already. I can tell you that this year will probably be like every other and go by quickly, just judging by today.

Before today, I had been contemplating what to do on Jan 1 since many people say that what you do on that day is what you will be doing the rest of the year... I wondered if I wanted to clean my house, so that I would have a clean home, scrapbook and make the un-keepable resolution of "a page a day" (kudos to all those who can and DO keep it), or what ever else... As the day came though, I found myself having the blahs... So instead I did something that, as I look back on the day, realize it is what made em truly happy...spent it with my darling little girl and husband.

Today, I did anything Abby wanted - we bundled up and played outside, went to McDonald's and had french fries, had a milkshake, took a nap on the couch snuggled together, and played guitar hero together! Yes, I truly think that would be a wonderful way to spend the rest of the year!

Here is what I have to share today. It is a bit of my 25 days of Christmas album. It really did make scrapbooking Christmas so much easier. I made the book in November and it was so easy to just pop the pictures in there later! Almost all the supplies used were Cosmo Cricket.

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Abby in front of the fireplace at the hotel in Tennessee and Abby asleep in my dad's arms during church...

Abby seeing the tree decorated for the first time and snuggling with me in my old bedroom at my mom and dads house
Opening a gift early and helping hand out gifts at Gary Joe's Granny's house...

Riding her Princess 4 wheeler and seeing the gifts Santa left her

and here is my wonderful little one today - the first day of the year!
God Bless You,
Mary