Quick and Dirty IQ Test

We talked about IQs at work today for some reason. I've never taken a real IQ test and was amazed that I was the only one in the discussion that hadn't. I didn't know it was such a popular thing. So of course, I simply had to take this little Quick and Dirty IQ Test after seeing it on Elizabeth's blog today. As it turns out... I'm a total nerd!

Your IQ Is 125

Your Logical Intelligence is Exceptional Your Verbal Intelligence is Genius Your Mathematical Intelligence is Genius Your General Knowledge is Above Average

A Quick and Dirty IQ Test

Let's Play: Name That Paper!

Check out what I've been working on in my few spare minutes of a lunch break... One of my weird "talents" is being able to identify any piece of paper, solid or patterned, by collection, manufacturer and even the year it came out. I know that's a totally useless talent, but it was one I acquired without a real intent to. So....if you can tell me what manufacturer and collection this paper comes from then you're in for some yummy blog candy!!! The first person to with the correct answer wins the grand prize, but there's more! Leave a comment with your favorite paper collection, and I'll pick a few more winners at random. Let the games begin!

Adventures in Dating

I went on yet another date! I guess that's no surprise to those of you who actually read my posts. I know a lot of people just look at the pictures. I've been known to do that too. Some of the things people write about are boring or just way to freaky for me to read. My friend Debbie and I always joke about the "two tampons blog lady". We still say "EWWW!" whenever we recall that story. "EWWW!" Anyhow, I met this guy at a local place downtown that's kinda quaint and cute. Our waitress seemed in a real hurry to get us outta there, so we decided to go for ice cream at another place instead of having our desert where we weren't feeling so welcome. This is where the interesting part happened... We were driving along a two lane road that really should be much bigger considering the traffic. Anyhow, as we were chatting my entire SUV was showered in debris as a huge crash and gust blew us to the side. Firefighter Laura switched on, and I whipped the car around. I told him to jump into the driver's seat, and I took off running down the road. It was a three car pile up. Apparently car number one wanted to make a sudden turn into his drive way while the teenager in her mom's minivan was driving a little too close slammed into him, and thus causing car number three to hit the van. As I'm trained to do, I first made contact with each person to make sure I knew what sort of incident I had on my hands. Car number three was the first one I came to. She was okay, so I told her to sit still, turn off her engine, and call 911. Next was the minivan with the teenager. She was shaken quite a bit. Her airbags had deployed, and she was sitting way too close. I took a quick look at her eyes and wrists and told her to just breathe and turn off the engine. The first car in the line up was an old pick up and just a few feet from smashing into a pole. It was an older man. He looked like he had hit the steering wheel with his face. His son had come running up from their house followed by his hysterical wife, so I asked the son to take her back inside and gather his medications and insurance to take with them to the hospital. (You've got to find something distracting for hysterical people to get them under control.) It wasn't long before EMS arrived, but the cars were starting to leak all sorts of things, and the van was filling with smoke. I had no choice but to get the girl out of there with or without a c-collar and backboard. The guy in the truck was pinned in quite a bit though, so I had to pry his passenger door open to get in and talk to him after finding his glasses that had flown off his face under the passenger seat. Sometimes people just need those little things to be comforted when they've experienced something like that. They certainly don't need more stress. Anyhow, that's how my date went! Do you have any funky dating stories???

Wish Big!

I'm really frustrated that it's been cloudy the past couple of days, so my pictures are just icky. I've already given this card to "BB", so perhaps I'll have to borrow it on a sunnier day for a little photo shoot. I no longer have my fun little water mark anymore either since the computer crash. I'm hoping my dad can find it somewhere since he's the one who gave it to me. Any-who, here's the card... Here's what I did: Using a white A2 card base I trimmed two pieces of patterned paper (Scenic Route and Stampin' Up!) to 4"x5.25" (smaller than the card front to make a mat). I then took a ruler and traced identical lines out from the center of each. I cut them apart and pieced them together to get the sunburst background. (I was going for a comic book super cupcake vibe.) I then took a marker in Basic Black (Stampin' Up!) and traced all of the edges. Next, I drew a cupcake onto chipboard and trimmed it out with a craft blade. I adhered patterned paper (Stampin' Up!, Chatterbox, & Scenic Route) to each of the pieces and used files to smooth the edges. I used a few funky brads (Queen & Co) for the sprinkles and used my marker again to doodle a bit here and there. I pop-dotted the entire cupcake and double-popped the pink frosting. For the inside I trimmed matching patterned paper from the front to 4"x5.25" (the same as before) and then cut at .25" from each edge with my paper trimmer to create the frame. I used one of my Quickutz fonts for the word "wish" and a Cricut font for the word "BIG!". (I can't remember which fonts exactly, but let me know if you're experiencing a need-to-know situation.) And finally I added more doodles with my marker. And...that's it!

Crash!

Just when I thought I was getting back on the horse about posting my computer crashed! It's okay now (knock on wood), but I still have ton of things to download again. I lost ALL of my pictures and files of every sort that I had as well. It's really frustrating. Anyhow, I found my digital camera too, so at least I can take a new picture for my yummy post tomorrow.

Sunday Funnies

I feel like my family and friends learn more about my life through my blog than from first hand these days. Do you ever get that way?

You Made My Day!

I just wanted to thank LAURA ROTH for giving me the "You Make My Day Award!" She's a great inspiration and talent, so drop by and check out her blog. And as the rules state, here are my 10 nominations for the "You Make My Day Award!"

1. Debbie at StudioBeeCreations
2. Estivalia at Paper Leisure
3. Lorien at Stamps N More
4. Stephanie Earls
5. Melissa at Simply Pink
6. Sandy at It's a Colourful World
7. Leslie at Running With Scissors
8. Alexandra at California Stampin
9. Jayne at Cardznmore
10. Melanie at Stamp-A-Doodle-Doo

Award rules: Give the award to up to 10 people whose blogs bring you happiness and inspiration and make you feel so happy about blogland! Let them know by posting a comment on their blog so that they can pass it on.

Crazy Life

(I like to think of songs to go with my posts, so I added one to my playlist down on the side menu to the right. It's called Almost Lover by A Fine Frenzy. Turn on the volume and set the mood...) Man! Things have been crazy lately. Some days I wish I had more of a boring life. I've been home a couple times in the past month or so. Family is still dramatic. It always is. My love life is nuts as usual as well. As of the moment: I'm single. You'd think I was juggling half a dozen guys at once with all the emotions that are flying around though. My last boyfriend broke up with me right when another ex comes back into my life. Irony always finds a foot in the door, doesn't it? Anyhow, I feel like I'm in a love triangle now or something of a midnight talk show interest. I'm single, so I should be free of all blame and guilt and strings from either end, but instead I'm surrounded with everything but content. This last guy totally makes me feel guilty about everything I've ever done from the start. I'm not sure if it's a manipulative thing, or if I really am a total screw-up. You know, it's hard to see something beautiful looking at your own reflection, but he made me see it. He had me wrapped up in a dream. I was a star brighter than the moon itself. It wasn't long after though that every vessel and pore in my body exposed some sort of flaw. I was over-weight, someone who didn't care about my appearance, a domestic failure, not classy enough, a bad driver, and not to mention completely boring with a fake affection for babies. I'm sure glad he pointed out that I'm such a cruddy girlfriend. Wouldn't you want someone to tell you how sucky you are? I don't want to live in a bubble! (Babies do smell a bit musky now that I step back and look at the big picture.) I have to be a hero and a homemaker, a lover and a fighter, a woman and a warrior, and all the while wearing control top panty hose! I mean, he's the one who started getting back into the dating scene while we were still in a "committed relationship". Isn't that cheating??? Didn't he just get out of a relationship because his ex cheated on him??? There's good ol' irony knocking at the door again...

Sketch 3

My lovely friends Sheila and Debbie have pointed out to me that I haven't posted anything crafty in quite some time, so I decided to put up a Sketch Challenge once again to inspire both you and myself. I've decided to put myself up to challenge as well this time, but I'm exempt from claiming the blog candy. Shucks! Since this week is about over I'll give you until next weekend to email your entries. Happy Stamping!!!

Check out Estivalia's card:

That Was Fast

I guess all I can do at this point is laugh at myself. I'm SOOO single AGAIN! I told you I wasn't any good at this dating thing. I always find a way to screw things up. I'm amazed I've had a boyfriend at all in my short little lifetime. I just can't seem to pin-point where I go wrong. Surely though, "it's not me it's you!" That's what I'm telling myself anyhow. I've got to be me, the real me, 100% no matter what, and if that's my flaw then I just can't change it. It sure does suck though! I can't get overly mushy with my pity party here. You ladies know how laughing at yourself can easily turn into a sob-session especially with the absence of chocolate nearby. My next drug of choice would be to max out a credit card on ordering scrapbook supplies or tons of little doggie outfits online. Chocolate is FAAAAAAR better in comparison when I think about the aftermath. I'd really like to go on a super long run, but it's completely dark outside and it's raining. I guess the mood is set for me, but then again this mood makes me sloth-like at the same time. I'm trying to be as perky about this situation as I can be, but I'm sure I'm just overly sarcastic instead. Oh well! It's my blog and my rant and my crappy situation. I just need to go dump all my ribbons on the floor and roll around in them. That always makes you feel good, doesn't it!?

The Dating Scene

It's hard to tell sometimes without looking back at all my old entries which parts of my life I haven't yet shared with you through my blog. I do know that dating is one of those areas in which I have a difficult time writing about and have therefore neglected in blogging. My mother signed me up for one of those online dating sites a while back and as of lately I have been taking advantage of that "gift". I hadn't really noticed that I've been single for this long until the holidays crept up on me, and I actually looked at the calendar. I suppose it's a good thing that I was able to be distracted by dealing with my own life for a while, but I'm ready to get back into the dating scene. It's been almost a year since I went on a first date, so I was quite nervous not to mention the whole stigma that lies with online dating in itself, but really where am I supposed to meet a guy around here? I know what you're thinking... I'm in the Army, so I must be surrounded by guys. That is true, BUT they're all married! In Army time I am SOOOO an old maid already. Most Soldiers are married with two and a half kids before they're even old enough to drink. That's not an exaggeration. I also can't date anyone that out-ranks me or anyone that I out-rank myself. Those two things alone eliminate everyone that I know already. It's a tough gig! The first few guys that sent me messages online were either married, or just wanted a "good time", or lived a million miles away, so didn't even bother responding. Then there were the guys that I began correspondence with that found out I wasn't exactly a girly-girl, so they stopped responding to me. Finally I discovered one who I actually met in real life, but I ended up paying for the dinner and movie only to have him sneak off to answer the phone while I overheard him explaining to his WIFE where he was. Sheesh! The last thing I want is an angry wife after me. The last date I went on was last week, and this time I was the bum. It was during the week, so I had planned to get off around a decent time so I could make myself look a little less Soldier-like. Of course I ended up staying super late instead. I didn't even have time to wash my hair or put make up on! I looked horrible. I gave him the wrong directions. I was late. I can't believe he asked me out again!

The Last Thanksgiving

I didn't mean to keep you hanging after my last post. I'm okay! I'm just back down here in Texas with my family for the holidays. I'll be back up to my studio next week. Yesterday marked the official last Thanksgiving dinner for this year. I have several that I have to attend since my family is so large. My family is absolutely strange in every way possible. I've posted our family picture below so you can see what a funky group we are. (I'm rolling my eyes even as I type this.) We took this group photo after the "guests" left, so it's just my grandparents and all their kids and grand kids. Believe it or not though I can't wait to get back to work. I just don't like sitting around all day. Well... maybe one or two days, but then I can't take it anymore. I have to put my hands into something. I'd prefer to create something, but I don't have all of my creative gadgets here with me. Later this evening my step-mother and I are going to paint Christmas ornaments. I'm not a very accomplished painter though. Perhaps I can bury my creations in the boughs of the tree.

Where Oh Where...

has my camera gone??? I have made a couple of projects that I want to share with you, and I still have the swaps to post, but I just can't find my camera right now. I can't seem to find anything. Things have been disappearing lately and turning up in places I just know I didn't leave them. It's really weird. My make up bag was open in the front of my car seat when I went to work this morning, but I haven't even worn make up in weeks, so how did it get there!? It's a little creepy... Anyhow, I haven't gotten home when the sun is still up anyhow, so I don't think my pictures would turn out how I prefer them. I'm having a difficult time typing right now since Lilly is licking my neck. I'm so ticklish! She sits on the back of the couch behind me while I watch TV and surf the internet. Usually she leaves me alone, but not when I want to work of course. Anyhow, I got a package from Stampin' Up! today... it was a new stamp set from the upcoming Spring/Summer 2008 Catalog! I'll be sure to make a project with it right away. I found one of the pictures I took of Lilly sitting by the back step when I first moved to my new apartment that I had been looking for. It totally cracks me up for some reason.

Happy Veterans Day

Today is such an important day to so many different people. These days it's very unlikely that your life is not personally touched first hand by a Soldier, Airman, Marine, Seaman, or Guardsman. If you're reading this than perhaps I'm that Service Member! It's quite appropriate that this holiday falls so close to Thanksgiving. I know there are many veterans in my life that I'm extremely thankful for. My grandfather retired from the Air Force after 20 years of service. Several of the other firefighters that I know are also retired from various services, and of course I can't forget all of my battle buddies that I work with everyday. Today is for you! Happy Veterans Day!!!

Leave of Absence

I know a few of you have noticed that I haven't been posting for a little while. There are a lot of funky things going on in my life. That last trip to Washington didn't turn out so great, and for legal reasons I'm not allowed to talk about it quite yet. I also got the news that my sister is now engaged to a guy she has known for three weeks and wants to get married by December 1st. Woah! This isn't her first engagement by any means, but it's the scariest. Each new one was the scariest. I love my sister more than anything in the world. She's the only sibling I have. I grew up with her. Until her own kids live with her for 19 years there will be no one on this earth that has been with her longer or more than I have. Even parents aren't there for their children as much as siblings are. I was there for her in sleep, play, school, home, and EVERYTHING else. She does have a few faults though. She's never lived on her own for the first. Neither has this guy she wants to marry. She's not even responsible for her own finances yet. No car, no insurance, no money, no house... I could go on and on. Being engaged isn't the problem to me. It's the big rush that is baffling me. Why the hurry??? He still owes the military more time, so he's not going anywhere. Supposedly he's Mormon, so for his family it's appropriate for him to marry at 21 years old. (They're both 21.) If he's so in tune to his religion they why aren't they getting married in a church or in the presence of a minister/pastor?! They also say they want to get the military's medical insurance. If he's getting out then they'll have to pay for it anyhow. My sister already has insurance through the family, so that doesn't make sense either. My sister has been wanting to get outta the nest for quite a while. She's asked to move in with me a few times over the past three years that I've lived here. Every time I tell her that it's okay, but she'll have to pay half the bills, provide her own transportation and get a job. When I tell her this she flips and says I'm trying to control her, so she might as well live with Mom if I'm going to have so many rules! What??? I guess she thinks this guy is going to support her and she can continue to rack up debt and live like a princess. She doesn't even know what the generic brand of toilet paper feels like or the taste of the cheap cheese. I could go on and on about all this, but I've got to breathe after all. Okay. Okay. Here's a picture of Lilly I took yesterday. She lost five of her baby teeth last night. I didn't realize how big she's gotten until I started looking through old pictures of her. I have one of her sitting by the back door. She used to be shorter than the step. I had to pick her up just to get her in and out of the door. Yesterday she even jumped onto the couch all by herself. She's much more hairy than she used to be too. Her roots are even starting to show on her head. My baby is growing up! I need to get working on going through all the mail I've got piled up for me. It looks like there are some swaps waiting for me to discover! I'll be sure to post as much of them as I can. And...that's it!

Connection

Whew! I finally got a good enough connection to do a post. I only wish I had some pictures to share of this beautiful state. Washington looks very much like Kentucky, but still different in a more beautiful way. I never thought I could settle at Fort Campbell, but now I'd love to transfer to Fort Lewis. I think I'll put in for one! I've been sleeping and working most of the time that I've been here. My body's clock is way way way off at this point. I keep waking up in the middle of the night thinking it's time to get dressed for work, and of course there's no way to talk to my stomach about this new eating schedule. It just gets angry and growls when I try to explain it. I don't have a car either since only every other person who came here was authorized a rental car. I don't feel like paying for a taxi to drive me five blocks to the grocery store, but I don't want to walk that far in the rain with grocery bags either. LOL! A couple of us are planning to go into Seattle today though, so I'll be sure to take some pictures. I didn't bring my glamour shots camera, so I hope I get something decent to post and to hopefully make a real live scrapbook page! I haven't done that in a long while. Before I left, I did get a cute little picture of Lilly laying in the laundry basket. It's one of her newest favorite places to be. She loves snuggling up to a nice stinky Army sock.

Ode to the Funky Button

I've made a few things now with my current favorite paper collection. This card was actually made with some of the scraps that Lilly got a hold of. I've tried to preset a few of my posts since I will be gone for a week, but of course I haven't had time for much of anything. The construction company is supposed to be here in ten minutes to finally fix a couple things, Lilly has an appointment at the groomers at 1500, and I still have to pack for the trip to Fort Lewis, Washington tomorrow. I'll be leaving Lilly with Debbie for the first leg of the trip (I'm going twice). This is the first time I'll be away from her, so I'm quite nervous. I just don't want her to get lonely or forget me or make any messes or... on and on. It's that motherly side of me coming out that I don't like right now. I should be worrying about the dirty dishes in the sink before the repair people come or the fact that I still need to do a load of laundry before I can pack my uniforms, but of course my mind is always on something else. Here's on last card before I leave:Here's what I did:

I started with Whisper White card stock from SU! and cut it to 6"x12" and scored in in half for the card base. Then I took the kraft patterned paper cut to 6"x6" and the orange patterned paper cut to 4.5"x4.5" and used the mat set from SU! to pierce a border around the outside of each piece. I used a white Signo gel pen to do faux stitching around each piece as well before using my scissors and filer to distress the edges. After adhering these pieces to the card base I then attached the chipboard followed by the large blue blossom from Making Memories, then the pink flowers from Doodlebug Design Inc, and finally I threaded fiber through the button also from Doodlebug Design Inc. and adhered. Finally, I attached three brads from SU! And...that's it!

"hi"

This is the card some of you have been waiting for. I'm so glad it turned out cute. It's a matchbook card for Brad. I've already started to stock up on my creations for him when he finally gets his address. I'll be making more to send to the other guys too, but of course I am a bit biased when it comes to my favorite Soldier. ;-) He always gets the first card of the batch. I spoke with him on the phone a couple days ago, and you'll be happy to hear he's safe and sound. His only complaint right now is that he hasn't slept more than a couple hours at a time so far. He also doesn't have a mailing address yet since his group is still milling around over there. It usually takes a few weeks for new groups to settle in. Anyhow, how is everyone liking this new layout? It's fresh for the new month! I'm trying to get a grip on my life and it's lack of organization. I want things to be neat and clean even my blog. My studio is still being unpacked, but I think that will just take a while since I'm being picky about the organization. I want things to be perfect. I've been trying to put things away, but so far Lilly has claimed all of the bottom cubbies in my shelving system as her napping spots. She's also learned to lay down, but I think I jumped too fast from "sit" because she's seemed to have gotten the two confused. I'll have to start over I guess. We'll start puppy classes at the pet store after I get back from Fort Lewis, so I hope to have a perfect little baby very soon. (I'm rolling my eyes already.) Anyhow, here's the card:Here's what I did:

I started with 12x12 card stock and experimented with sizes until it eventually trimmed to 4.25"x9.25", (so I could have just stuck with 8.5"x11"). I then scored it at 1.25" and 5.75". (All of my patterned paper is from Autumn Leaves, Rhonna Farrer.) Next, I trimmed the bottom flap piece to 1.25"x4.25" and used my corner rounder to create the scallop before adhering with a glue stick. I then trimmed the blue/green background to 3.25"x4", and again adhered with a glue stick. At this point, I used a the black journaler from SU! to create the doodle borders along the edges of my patterned paper and on the paper flower. The next step is to attach the following in order from top to bottom: brad (Making Memories), ribbon (Autumn Leaves), flower (Making Memories), and chipboard (Autumn Leaves). I attached all of these with a combo of glue stick and glue dots since there is a lot of weight to this card. I stamped the word "hi" on white card stock using Technique Tuesday stamps and then trimmed them out leaving a thin white border for contrast and adhering with SU! dimensionals. Once again, I added doodles with my black journaler. I added an extra piece of paper to the inside of my matchbook and used SU! jumbo eyelets to secure the bottom flap and inner card. Finally, I knotted some ribbon (from an unknown source) through the eyelets. And...that's it!

Sunday Funnies

Don't forget:

• Today is the last day to get select Stampin' Up! fall stamps at 30% off!
• Today is the last day to join the Card Swap!
• Today is the last day to enter your cards for Sketch 2!

New Look

I've spent most of the day catching up on work here and there. I'm really trying still to get my studio put together, so I can actually get a few things done. Next week I'll be heading off to Fort Lewis, Washington for a couple weeks. If anyone knows any good scrapbook stores in the area please give me a heads up. I always schedule trips around stops like that. (Don't tell Uncle Sam!) Anyhow, Brad bought me a bunch of stuff from Archiver's before he left since it's close to his parents' place. He knows my favorite designer is Rhonna Farrer, so he got one of everything they had. HA! I just dug most of it out of the moving boxes and began to finally make something of it all. I always have a hard time cutting into my favorite stuff. I just want to hold onto it forever. You can get a sneak peek of the card I made by taking a good look at my new blog banner. So many people have tried to help me with it, but I'm not too computer savvy. I finally got a class in layouts today from a very patient pal. I only had to redo it four times! Whadda ya think?

Just a Reminder:

There are only two more days to sign up for the card swap and to get your entries in for Sketch 2.

RAK

I just want to let everyone know that I am still moving into my new studio. Things are beginning to come along more noticeably lately. I credit that to a recent pay day! I'm sure you all know how that feels. Anyhow, I finally got a bit of furniture into my room, so I've also started to unpack some boxes. I found my digital camera cables! Whoohoo! Now I can finally start posting some more photos. I just took this one of an adorable library pocket card sent to me all the way from Chile! She's also an amazing artist! (Yes, I'm very jealous!)

P.S. The Sketch 2 contest is still open for a few more days, and there are still a few more spots open for the card swap. Just scroll down, and post a comment on the corresponding entry to get in on the fun.

UPDATE: Since a few of you are asking, here's what Estivalia said about her card: "actually didn't use any stamping at all on that card! :p It's all that gorgeous Far East paper by DCWV! Both the brown butterfly one and the light blue/pink with small butterflies are from the 8x8 stack. Amazing, isn't it? I love that paper."

Sunday Funnies

Don't forget: when I do sketch challenges I post the new cards with the original post, so keep scrolling down to see some fun new stuff!

Here's your funny for the day. It's an excerpt from Porn for Women:

"Ooh, look, the NFL playoffs are today. I bet we'll have no trouble parking at the crafts fair."

Card Swap Anyone?

Well, it's about time for all of us to start thinking up our Christmas cards, so I thought it'd also be a great time for a small holiday card swap. If you're interested in participating just send me a comment with your email address. I'll contact everyone for addresses and get a list together to send out for our little card party. It's a great way to get new pen pals from all over the world and ideas for the upcoming holidays! Here's who's in so far:

• Ylita from California
• Mary from Kentucky
• Mary from Florida
• Lisa from Texas
• Debra from Australia
• Jayne from Michigan
• Penny from Michigan
• Melissa from New Jersey
• Maura from Ireland
• Julie from Illinois
• Flo from Florida
• Corie from Maryland
• Sandy from Washington
• Debbie from Tennessee
• Melissa from Washington
• Me (duh!)

Update

You all have been asking more and more about Miss Lilly Belle, so I just HAD to share this cute picture of her with you. She's nearly 100% potty trained now. Finally, she makes a bit of noise when she's sitting by the backdoor wanting to go out. She used to just sit there expecting me to eventually come, but I was rarely able to see her since it's in the other room and behind the kitchen table. She also has a newfound love for toilet paper. I just stick her in the tub and give her a square, and she's happy to make the confined mess. It also gives me a break for a minute or two. Thankfully she's still small enough that she can't reach the TP on her own or get out of the tub. It's like a little play pen! LOL! Brad also got her a squeaky toy before he left that she is in love with. He was really picky about not getting anything that made noise when we first took her home. I guess he changed his mind when he knew he wouldn't have to deal with it. :-)

Sketch 2

I'm so thankful to all of you who have been sending your prayers and well wishes to me. I just don't know what to say. It's amazing how many wonderful people I have as blogging buddies. We don't even know each other, but where still there for each other through whatever trials we might be having. I don't know what to say. THANK YOU! I'm so glad that I am beginning to come out of my funky phase. It's not a fun place to be. I miss Brad SOOOOO much, but I know time will only go by more slowly the more I just sit and sulk about it. I need to create! I'll just let him be my muse instead of the reason for the invention of Kleenex. That's a much better use for a man anyhow! I've got 15 months of cards to make, so I'd better not sit around too long. He'll have a mailing address in a couple of weeks, so I'll be sure to let you know when he and his battle buddies are ready for some fan mail. I've gotten lots of sweet comments on my last sketch challenge, so I thought I'd try my hand at another one. And...since I have so much stuff to clear out of my packed scrap room, I'm going to throw in a secret surprise to those who come up with the best creations based off of this sketch. I can't wait to see what you come up with!

Here's Estivalia's design:

Check out this card from Heather:

And this one by Kathy:

And last, but not least Leslie Miller's card: ***Update for all the ladies who entered: Please email me your snail mail addresses, so I can get your goodies out to you!***

In a Funk

As you can tell, I've been in quite a funk since Brad deployed a few days ago. I haven't really created anything. I've been going into work earlier since I can't sleep, and I've been staying later too. That part I don't seem to control though. Perhaps it's more subconscious. I know I'll get back into a routine, but for now I just need to bum it out. I still don't have my scanner and printer and all the other gadgets hooked up to my computer, so I found this picture on my hard drive of a card I made a while back. It's funky kinda like my mood, so it's goes well with the post. I don't have the measurements for this project since the real thing is buried somewhere in all my moving boxes, but I'll be sure to let you know as soon as I do.

Deployment

This was the day I've been dreading for ages. I've been pretty good at holding back the tears and diverting my thoughts to other things as the days grew closer, but today there was no avoiding it. I had to watch him walk away, and there was nothing he or I could do about it. I suppose it was as quick and as painless as it could get. It wasn't long and drawn out or anything, but going back to his apartment before handing in the keys caused it to start sinking in. He's gone. There's no longer any sign that he was there only the screaming sound of nothing. His shoes are no longer by the front door, his toothbrush no longer by the sink, and even his car has left it's parking spot permanently. Now that I'm back at my own apartment I face the same common tortures. A bar of soap, an empty water glass, the indention on the new carpet where his duffel bag was. You know, just little things that never mattered before. I was done before I realized that I perfectly lined up every can of soda in my fridge the exact way he had it in his own with all the labels facing out. V8 then Dr. Pepper then Coke and finally Sprite with one Coke Zero in the front. It's perfect. I don't even drink those things, but I suppose I thought maybe if he needed them everything would be ready and in it's place. Now I just need him to be in his place..... right here.

Candy

Who wants some blog candy!? I do! It's Debbie's birthday today and she's giving presents away! Click the link below to check it out.

Happy Birthday Debbie!!!!

Lilly Update

I just HAD to share this cute picture of little Miss Lilly Belle with you all. It's amazing how much she's changed in just a few weeks! She already sits, asks to go out for potty time, fetches... ....and now she's got half of her body in the ribbon jar!!!

Stampin' Up! Regionals

You know I just HAVE to talk a little about regionals last weekend. I went with my bud Debbie and all of the other girls in our group. You know, uplines, downlines, sidelines... EVERYONE! It had its boring moments, but it also had some great moments too. The boring parts revolved around the prize drawing announcements in which I didn't win a single thing! I just say "Booooo!" to that. I didn't realize how big of a deal this was. There were tons and tons of demonstrators there. I really wish they had more get-to-know-each-other type of things. I really only interacted with the other girls sitting at my table. There were lots of display boards to get some yummy ideas from, but it was a struggle to get around some of those girls who just did not know how to share. Anyhow, here's a picture of me cutting my rubber right after we checked in.

September 11th

It's hard to believe that so many years have passed by since "the attacks". I was a senior in high school. I had never even thought that I would even consider being a Soldier someday. It's strange how one second in my life changed everything. At the time I had no idea what the World Trade Center was or that there were people out there that hated America so badly. I don't know that I could even tell you the difference between Iraq and Iran back then. I'm sure most of you were the same. In just a few short months after September 11th, I became and EMT, a firefighter, and then enlisted in the United States Army. It's still the best decision I have ever made. I can't imagine not wearing this uniform. I used to stand at the microphone and rattle off The Star Spangled Banner at all of our high school foot ball games and pep rallies, but now that song brings tears to my eyes every time. I vowed to serve the past four years of my life to military service, and that commitment is now coming to an end. However, I don't know that I could survive with my life void of service. Last week, on the anniversary that I started Basic Training, I again rose my right hand and recited the oath to reenlistment.

Finally!

I have internet! I don't have my desk yet, so I have my computer sitting up on stacked boxes. The only room that I think is completely moved in at this point is the bathroom. After all, it only needed a shower curtain and a roll of toilet paper and VOILA! I have had so many problems since I moved in though. The cable not working, the leak, the hole in the wall, the cabinet coming down.... just all sorts of crazy things. I also went to the Stampin' Up! Regionals in Louisville, Kentucky this past weekend with Debbie. Oh, and Brad is deploying in less than a week. It's just CRAZY! I just want a little order in my life right now. I guess we all do. Anyhow, I'm back online, so I'm ready to start blogging again!!!!

{yum}

The movers will be here in about twenty minutes to haul it all off to the new place. I'm starting to get nervous that all my furniture won't fit! I don't know where all this STUFF came from!? Anyhow, I don't have much time to blab on and on like usual, so let's get to the point:

Here's what I did:

I started with Whisper White card stock and used one of the new PaperTreyInk sets to design my own patterned paper. I then cut two strips of 3"x6" and adhered them around the can. I used my corner rounder to create the scalloped edge around the top and bottom. It's cut from Bazzill card stock. Next, I stamped out "{yum}" with Technique Tuesday stamps and trimmed them keeping a small white edge. I then attached these to the green Bazzill card stock and trimmed it along the brackets. The small blue flowers are from Doodlebug Design Inc., and most of the ribbon on the handle is from May Arts. Don't ask where the rest is from... I have no idea! After that, I attached the black and white gingham around the center of the can before pop-dotting the label to the front. It didn't feel complete to me at this point, so I took my black journaler and added tons of lines and dots to the title and to the patterned paper as well. All that's left to do is add the candy. And...that's it!

Lovely

Tomorrow is the big moving day! I'm excited, but I feel like I'm not really ready. My mom will arrive in the late afternoon to help me. She hasn't been here in over two years. That's pretty normal for us military folks. Usually I'm the one to go home to see everyone. I don't get to go home often though. It's really difficult for me to make the trip. There's a long process to go through to request days off. My schedule doesn't always coordinate with my family's. They just don't seem to understand that. The mission comes first. When I do get to go home, it's often a secret to a lot of the extended family. I just don't have enough time to visit everyone with in the few days that I get off. I just end up hurting people's feelings no matter what I do. I also get fed WAAAAAY to much. Everyone seems to think I need to eat an entire Thanksgiving dinner every couple of hours that I'm home. I do love food, but I don't want to turn into a rollie-pollie. The Army wouldn't like that too much! Anyhow, this is today's creation:

Here's what I did:

I started with a mason jar and took the inner lid out. The patterned paper is cut to two sections of 4"x6". I used the red line tape to adhere this. Next, I adhered a 0.5" pink and green strip around the entire jar. On top of that went some funky white trim from Making Memories. The circle cut out on the front of the jar was a compliment to the patterned paper. It isn't very substantial, so I adhered it to the inner lid before attaching the whole thing to the jar with red line tape and liquid glue. Finally, I added the light blue polka dot ribbon around the neck of the jar. And...that's it!

Halloween

I have been so inspired by all of the Halloween cards I'm seeing out there that I just had to make my own. A trip to the scrapbook store provided just the right amount of inspiration. I picked out this stamp set since the pumpkin could be used all throughout fall. I also just received the SU! version. You can't say "no" to SU! I really wish I knew how to make my camera pick up the sparkly sheen that this paper has. It's also double sided! LOVE IT!!!

Here's what I did:

My card base is an unknown shade of green Bazzill card stock cut to A2. I then used VersaMark to randomly stamp the bat images on the upper half of the background. I then adhered the black and white gingham ribbon to the orange eyeball paper (cut to 5.5"x2") and glued it to the card front. I then stamped the pumpkin image onto white card stock and trimmed it to fit inside my tag ring. I used the Making Memories tag maker stuff to do all of this. The large purple scallop was punched out of the same double sided patterned paper and is adhered with glue dots. The pumpkin tag is adhered with leftover rubber from my stamp trimmings. The black photo corner from American Crafts went next. It came with adhesive already ready for sticking. Finally, I used my black journaling pen to draw doodles until I was content. And...that's it!

Crate Training

I've had little Lilly for a little over a week now. She drives me crazy, but I love her so much. I've been trying to crate train her since I brought her home. There are so many puppy training guidelines to follow. One behaviorist says this and another says that. It's difficult to know what I'm doing right versus wrong. I want to be the best dog mom I can be. Anyone who has crate trained knows that it is very difficult emotionally. I put her in the little kennel when it's time for bed, but the first few days she cried and yelped endlessly. I felt like crying too. Today, I realized all that work paid off. She played around for an hour or so and eventually tired herself out. Then she drug her little feet into the crate all by herself and plopped down. Good girl! I'm so proud of my little baby. I just had to take a picture. P.S. I'd like to ask for your prayers for my dear friend Sheila who lost her faithful companion, Jake, this past weekend. He was a much loved dog.

Sunday Funnies

Since I've blamed the new puppy for most of my lack of neglecting my blog, I'll pick a new blame... I'm moving! It's not really far. Less than two miles away, but it's a bigger place and they are much more animal friendly. I have lived here in this apartment for almost three years now. I haven't had too many problems, but the service here isn't great, my neighbors are totally rude and loud, plus the road leading to my apartment has more than doubled in size since my move. It's become a main thorough road with tons of traffic and noise. I finally got a chance this weekend to stop by the scrapbook store as well. I'm loaded up on new goodies to create with. I only hope I can pump out enough to satisfy myself before I have to pack it all away again. Ooo! And before I forget... here's a short little Sunday Funny: A Scrapbooker's Eulogy: Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the lord my soul to keep but if I should die before I wake, please Lord, let them scrap my funeral great!

Sketch 1

I'm frustrated that I haven't stamped in so long now. It's only been a week or so, but it feels like forever since I've done anything. I feel like such a weenie. I mean, I only have a puppy. It's not like I had triplets or anything. I'm in love with my new baby, but she's such a handful. Now I'm starting to realize why people want their kids to grow up, but stay babies all at the same time. Like I said, I haven't created anything, but I've been madly sketching in my journal, and more recently on my computer. I really prefer pencil and paper, but I thought I'd try my hand at digital sketches today. I just can't get the "feel" for what I want digitally, but I still think it's fun. I'm really interested to see if anyone actually gets any creative ideas from this little ditty. Here's my first card sketch: And here's a cute interpretation by Heather:

And another one by Kathy:

And an adorable bunny card by Estivalia:

And the winner is...

Whew! I don't know how you mothers do this whole baby thing. This puppy needs me ALL the time. I can't catch a break. I have to be at work again at 0215 this morning, so I'm stealing a minute while she's asleep. I have to be sneaky like this now I suppose. Picking out a name for her was MUCH MUCH MUCH harder than I thought. There were so many good ones. I thought I'd just pick out a cute name, but in the past couple days her personality has really started to show itself. So... here's the name...

Lilly Belle

A few of you guessed variations of Lilly and Belle, but Sheila R put the two together for me, so congratulations to Sheila!!! Be sure to stick around for more updates on my new little girl and hopefully some scrapin' and stampin' here and there!

Sunday Funnies

Here are some interesting definitions: Crop: 1.a. Cultivated agricultural plants as grain, vegetables, or fruit. b. the total yield of agricultural produce in a given season or place. 2. A group, quantity or supply appearing at one time (a crop of presidential candidates) 3. A short haircut 4. An earmark on an animal 5.a. A short whip with a loop serving as a lash, used in horseback riding b. The stock of a whip 6.a. A pouch-like enlargement of a birds' esophagus in which food is stored or partially digested. b. A similar organ in earthworms insects, and other intervertebrates. 1.v. To cut off stems or top of a plant 2. To cut very short 3. To clip 4. To reap, harvest 5. To cause to grow or yield a crop or crops 6. To plant or to grow. To Crop: 1. To cultivate an abundance of photos in such a way that it appears aesthetically pleasing to other croppers. 2.a. A recent addiction, in which the addict convinces their spouse that it is a necessity of life, which without it all domicile harmony will be jeopardized. 2b . a subconscious way by spouses to finally acquire more tools than their spouses. 3. A ploy by those companies whose sticker stands, formerly located at the end of card aisles, to sell more stickers and turn a small enterprise into a major section at department stores (i.e. Michaels) 4. An additional ploy by magazine owners to produce yet another line of magazines for another subculture. 5. Spousal stress reliever (as in "Honey, I'm going to crop") this in turn relieves stress in the spouse knowing the loved one will be occupied for at least 5-6 hours (min). P.S. Here's a little inspiration for you last minute voters:

Operation: Thank the Troops

It's about that time again for the Soldiers of the 101st Airborne Division to jump back into the sandbox. That means it's also time for Operation: Thank the Troops. Let me tell you a little bit about this program. It works just like most of the typical groups that send cards over, but this group is actually run by Soldiers unlike other organizations. We know where our comrades are and where help is needed. We also don't focus on one particular unit like other organizations do. We provide to ALL TROOPS, not just the ones we have personal connections with. The second part of this organization is to provide non-profit classes and crops for the spouses, children, and Soldiers that are left behind during a deployment. Can you imagine missing over a year of your family's life back home?! Our mission isn't just to let our Battle Buddies know that we're still here supporting them, but to record and scrapbook the memories back home that they would otherwise miss. We would love to put your no longer used scrapbook supplies to good use. Here is our address:

Operation: Thank the Troops

P.O. Box 323

Fort Campbell, KY 42223

Nice Matters Award

It makes me laugh to see all the blog awards that are out there lately. People have their blogs filled top to bottom with the silliest awards. There's worst blog, best blog, weird blog, stupid blog, crafty blog, gross blog, fun blog, pretty blog.... The list goes on and on. Some awards are just nice and sweet while others seem more than a bit narcissistic. Anyhow, the award that got me started on this ramble is the "Nice Matters Award". To me this award is one of the good ones out there. Since we can't pass real hugs around, how about this little ditty instead. I invite everyone to send this award to someone that's been especially nice to you in your blogging adventures. This one was given to me by Risa who is of course such a nice person as well. And the Nice Matters Award goes to....

• Debbie (DUH!)
• Marie
• Leslie
• Mary
• Melanie
• Wanda
• Estivalia
• Aime
• Sarah

Checkbook Cover

Tomorrow is another early day. It's foot march day, so that means I'll be at work before 0400. At least the weather has cooled off a bit. It has been absolutely miserable these past few weeks. I can't wait until the crisp fall air starts to blow in. The corn field out my window has finally turned into a golden husk, so it's about ready for plowing. I'm a farm girl from Texas if I haven't mentioned it before. The country is where I feel most at home. I really want to start making some Thanksgiving and Halloween cards soon. I don't have any Halloween stamp sets though, so I might have to pick some up soon. Today's little project is a checkbook cover. It was inspired by these fun brads I acquired over a year ago for sure. I hope you like it.

Here's what I did:

I started by cutting the K&Co background paper to fit in my checkbook cover(6.25"x6.75"). Next, I adhered the 1" striped piece and American Crafts ribbon after first running them through my Xyron. I pushed the K&Co brads through the Prima flowers first before attaching them with thick glue dots. And...that's it!

G.I. Goody

Okay, instead of doing the normal Sunday Funnies today, I've decided to offer up some more G.I. Goodies! There's a new Yorkie puppy on the way, so I need help picking out a name for her. Here's what the winner gets:

• 10 yards of ribbon
• Prima flowers
• Bazzill flowers
• Foofala buttons
• Rub-ons
• "Honk if you Scrapbook!" sign
• ...and more!!!

The rules of this contest are easy:

1. Puppy name suggestions must be made by leaving a comment to this post.
2. You may suggest as many names as you'd like.
3. You have one week to nominate.

I will pick my favorite name and announce the winner on my blog next week. Be creative!

Poppy Ink

OK, this post is purely a rant about Poppy Ink. They are supposed to have THE best kits available, but so far.... I am NOT HAPPY! First of all, it took FOREVER for my first kit to arrive. I was SO excited for it to come, but my paper was torn and wrinkled!!!! You do know that famous saying, don't you?! "Hell hath no fury like a scrapbooker whose paper is messed up!" That's a real saying! I'm totally serious. Anyhow, my rub-ons were partially rubbed off already, AND my buttons were missing! I figured this was a simple little mistake, so I called and emailed the company. They were on vacation! Grrr... Eventually I did get a reply email asking me to send PROOF of my damages! I have never heard of such a thing. I guess I could have understood a bit if I had gotten an apology and a polite request, but they were downright RUDE about it. At the time I didn't have a digital camera, so I had to scan in my damaged goods the best that I knew how. Again, I waited for a response. This time I was even more angry. Do you know what they said?! "(We) can refund you half the amount because of the damage(...) Also the rub-ons are a manufacturing issue and if you contact the manufacturer they will send you out a replacement." What!? I don't get reimbursed for the whole page? Wait! There's more! The rub-ons were not their fault so it was MY responsibility to contact the manufacturer! What crappy customer service. They also said they would send me buttons, but a week later... no buttons. Of course! I contacted them again, but alas that kit was no longer available, so I ended up having to just deal with it. Are you kidding me? Since then, none of my kits have been stellar and none of my kits have arrived even close to when I was told they would. I have spent a lot of money on these kits, but I haven't gotten the product I was promised. It seems like that company is always on vacation and always sluffing the blame of their product mistakes. I give Poppy Ink two big fat thumbs down and one kiss my butt! (Too bad I already paid for six months of subscriptions...)

Fun Fold Album

It is SO hot outside! Today it even reached over 100 degrees out, and we're not even close to hitting the highs for the year. I've really been thinking about how nice a fall breeze would be these past couple of days, so I thought this next project was quite appropriate. I just live for those few precious days in the fall and spring that are absolutely perfect. You know, those days when you can open all the windows in the house, drive around town with the windows down, and take naps in the sun. Those are my favorite kinds of days. I really wish we had more of them in the year to enjoy. This project is a 6"x6" expanding album. I've been making them for a while now, and I'm sure I'm not the only one to have folded paper this way, so I'm not claiming any genius on this origami invention. I call it the "Fun Fold Album". The inside of my book is not ready for show, so you'll only be able to see the cover for now. It's made from left over cardboard (chipboard) pieces that were used to stabilize the 12"x12" paper packs. Here's what I did: I started with two 6"x6" pieces of thin chipboard and covered them using a combination of red line and liquid adhesive. I like to trim my paper to at least an inch larger than my finished product, so this piece was trimmed to 7"x7". I martyred the corners to relieve some of the bulk. I then took two 3"x7" pieces of complimentary paper and tore both long sides of each piece followed by distressing in a brown ink. On these pieces, I only adhered the short ends to my book covers. Sometimes I end up sliding an embellishment or other doo-dad behind this piece, so I always leave it open just in case. The next step was to attach the wide grosgrain gold ribbon. It is cut to one yard in length in order to have enough excess for a bow. I only adhered it to the front cover, so that my book will still open. (If you attach the ribbon to the back cover, this book will not open.) At this point, you can decorate you book however you wish, but in this case, I attached two Prima flowers with a chipboard button and fiber on the left. On the right, I attached a mini clip and a tag with my title. I figured this could easily be replaced with a photo if I wanted later down the road. The title is made of stickers. I attached excess rubber from my stamp trimmings then used baby powder on the remaining portion of the exposed sticker back to relieve the stickiness. I then used a strong liquid glue to attach the rubber to the card stock tag. I ended up inking nearly everything in this project for a consistent theme. And...that's it!

Sunday Funnies

SALE

Stampin' Up! is having a promotional sale, and so am I! This one is actually pretty cute. For this month only, if you purchase the Three for You Punch Box at $49.95, you will receive an exclusive set of textured Love Notes for FREE! There's more...you'll also get matching ribbon and card stock for FREE as my personal added bonus!

Here's the whole kit-n-caboodle:

• Trio Flower punch
• 9-piece die-cut stamp set
• Basic Black Classic Stampin' Spot
• Purely Pomegranate Stampin' Spot
• Wild Wasabi Classic Stampin' Spot
• Keepsake tin
• 10 Wild Wasabi pre-scored textured 3″ x 3″ cards
• 10 Purely Pomegranate pre-scored textured 3″ x 3″ cards
• 10 So Saffron pre-scored textured 3″ x 3″ cards
• 30 Very Vanilla envelopes
• 6"x6" Very Vanilla card stock
• 6"x6" So Saffron card stock
• 1 yard Wild Wasabi Double-Stitched Ribbon
• 1 yard Purely Pomegranate Double-Stitched Ribbon

That's a lot of stuff! This set includes everything you'll need to make 30 completed Love Notes and more. This offer is only available until August 31st, so hurry while it's still here...

Reason to Smile

Today I finally got off early! I'm only doing a mild victory dance for this though. I have to be back at work at 0200. Usually the foot marches start around 0330, but since too many people are overheating, they've moved it up a bit more. I guess my situation is getting worse before it gets better. It will get better, right? I sure hope so. I have been able to do a lot of sketching lately. I'll have to share some of it with you soon. I'm a big time sketch girl. Most of my projects start out this way. I get random ideas in my head in the weirdest places, so I have a sketch journal at work, home, and in my purse for all the places in between. This card was inspired by some fun ribbon I found while cleaning my Arts & Craps Room. It ended up near true to the original drawing. I started it last night around 2300. I couldn't take it anymore. I just HAD to get some sort of crafting out of me. I can't imagine how bad of a crafty itch I would have gotten if I had done this 15-month deployment. My care packages would have to consist of patterned paper and ribbon. Forget the treats and snacks! LOL!

Here's what I did:

I used all Stampin' Up! card stock for this card. It started with Cool Caribbean as the A2 base, and was matted with Brilliant Blue and a Cuttlebug embossed layer of Old Olive. The square Cool Caribbean piece is cut to 3.25"x3.25". The 1.25"x4.25" piece of Brilliant Blue is also embossed with the Cuttlebug. I wrapped a funky piece of ribbon around this piece before adhering it. The white scalloped square was made with my Marvy punch and is matted on a 2.25"x2.25" piece of Pumpkin Pie. The sentiment is stamped in Brilliant Blue and is from the retired SU! hostess set, Reason to Smile. The blue frame stamp is from Paper Trey Ink. I then mounted after stamping the images, I mounted the joined pieces using left over rubber from my stamp sets. The three small orange brads are from Bazzill. And...that's it!

P.S. Check it out: I finally made it on the list for the Scrapbooking Top 50. (I'm number 1000! LOL!)