Creative Charms Blog Hop

Yeah,  I'm so glad you made it here for the Creative Charms Fall Blog Hop!

This weekend we are hopping through the design team blogs. The blogs will feature special projects featuring Creative Charms products of course, but there are also a ton of giveaways to be discovered along your journey.

The grand prize giveaway is November's Kit of the Month & Deal of the Month.

Be sure to leave comments on all the blogs you visit, because you never know where the lucky winners' names will be drawn from. I even get to have my own giveaway right here on this blog. All prizes will be announced on Tuesday, November 1st.

 Also, through the end of this month Creative Charms is donating all net proceeds to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure foundation. Creative Charms is featuring a special pink kit as well this month.

I am also personally participating in the Komen Race for the Cure event going on in the Nashvhille area on Saturday. I'm heading up the Student Nurses' Association team from my school. If you would like to give a direct contribution to the Susan G. Komen for a Cure foundation you can do that HERE.

(Click on the image my favorite Creative Charms projects below if you'd like to see what products were used.)

And...

Here's the whole line up for today's blog hop:

Creative Charms - http://creative-charms.blogspot.com/

Lisa - http://lisadorsey.blogspot.com/

Kristal - http://www.gettingcricky.com/

Diane - http://www.capadiadesign.com/

Arlene - http://www.teenyterrors.blogspot.com/

You are here! --->  Laura - http://www.lauraevangeline.blogspot.com/  <--- You are here!

Amy - http://www.aimitup.blogspot.com/

Ellen - http://www.scrapstampnmama.blogspot.com/

Angi - http://www.cokiepopaper.blogspot.com/

Christine - http://scrappingwithchristine.blogspot.com/

Midori - http://www.scrapsforme.blogspot.com/

So, from here you should hop on over to sweet Amy's Blog...

Happy Hopping!

Susan G. Komen

I won't go into a long speech about the Susan G. Komen Race for a Cure event that's going on Saturday. I know most of my blog readers are just looking for crafty things, but I really do feel passionate about what this foundation does. Vince, Ethan, and I have all signed up to "Sleep-In for the Cure" for this race. I  don't want to drag Ethan all the way to Nashville at the butt-crack of dawn, so we'll be "racing" via satellite. If you'd like to sign up to race or would care to make a donation it would be greatly appreciated. The team I started is on behalf of the Student Nurses of Austin Peay State University. THIS LINK will take you to our site to sign up or donate. You'll see that my little team isn't doing so well. To sign up as a team member is $40 (including shipping) and you will receive a T-shirt and race number along with a few other goodies. You can also sign up your pets and children (for free) when you fill out the form. Thank you for taking the time to read this and consider this organization's mission toward women's health.

From the Inside

I saw this quote somewhere online, and I loved it so much that I made this little ditty for my desktop. It makes me think of my little Ethan. I love him SO MUCH!

Fall Clothes

I think I just found a new addiction to building clothing collections. I'm not a fashionable person by any means, so this is really random for me. I really do love fall clothing though. Layering, sweaters, boots, and scarves are just my thing. I also love that most of these clothes come from my beloved Old Navy. It makes me want to go shopping right now.

Inspirational Quote

CARDS Magazine - September 2011

This color combo came together like magic. I'm totally in love with it, and apparently they liked it over at CARDS magazine too. It was in last month's issue. I hope you think it's neat too! :-)

He has his daddy's feet

What I've been up to...

If you've been to nursing school, something similar, or lived with someone who has then maybe you know what I mean when I say, "I'm VERY busy!"

(...and VERY tired!)

Cheese & NaNa

Ethan's "cheese" face:

And...

Ethan's "NaNa MumMum!" face:

My Story

Ah..... what another beautiful color inspiration photo to work with this month. I know I went through a time when pink was not my favorite color, but I just can't help it any more. Pink is just a happy color. All the lovely things in the world come in shades of pink after all... bubblegum, cupcakes, cotton candy, flowers, hearts... Hey, even the only medicine that ever tasted good came in pink!

I'm not sure that I can remember the last time I put black on something I wanted to be pretty, but I think it works in this case. A dash of Caribbean blue thrown in there makes it all the more sweet and refreshing. Besides, it's another color of my favorite food: cotton candy. Heehee!

Since it's back to school time, I started to make a cover for my notebook, but during my supply scavenge, I came across a journal that I decided to make a cover for instead. Here's how it turned out...

I had so many shades of pink that didn't really match each other that I decided to just include them all. I think it ended up looking "matchy" in the end after all.

I wonder what I should write in my journal...

Perhaps I'll start writing letters to my little Ethan. I think it would be nice to have letters from my mother and grandmother written when I was a child. Maybe I'll have family members write him letters and put them in here too. What a great keepsake for when he's older!

Do you keep a journal? How often do you write in it?

Do you have any keepsakes that you've put together or started for your children?

Supply List:

The Sweetest Thing - Material Girls collection by Heather Tozzi

Girly Girl - Material Girls collection by Heather Tozzi

Petit Blossoms - Homespun Chic by Melody Ross

Fauna Stripe, Pink - Animal Crackers Girl Collection by Rob and Bob

Baker's Twine

Glitter Words – My Story - Soul Food Collection by Melody Ross

Chipboard Word Stickers - Soul Food Collection by Melody Ross



Ethan's First Haircut

I was dreading Ethan's first haircut, but it needed to be done. He was starting to look a little vagabond-ish. You know, Vince and I are in the military, so we don't do the Bieber look. I'll never give my Ethan a buzz cut, but he'll never look like he belongs in a band from any era. It gives me the jeebies! Haha!

While we were in Texas visiting our family last week, we stopped by a children's salon for the special occasion.

He didn't like the water squirted on him from the spray bottle very much, but he didn't make a peep.

He did so well letting the lady cut his hair. His only real issue was that he wanted to watch what the other kids were doing in the play area, so he sat backwards in his seat most of the time.

After the stylist cut the back and over the ears I thought he was done, but then she asked about the top. I wasn't so sure, but Vince said to cut it. I was afraid of loosing my baby curls, but his natural curls made for the perfect little up-front do that his daddy sports. It's so cute.

After we were done we headed for the cashier's desk where Ethan got to get a prize. It was a little dinosaur that he absolutely loved for the entire duration of the car ride. After that... I have no idea where that thing is. :-)

And that's the story of Ethan's first haircut.

Back 2 School

Although my little Ethan is only a year old, I felt like he had his first day of school this week when he moved from the infant's room at day care into the toddler room. They have cubbies, nap time, snacks, water play, lunch time, and even recess. I'm headed back to school on Monday myself. I finally finished my degree last month. I feel like I'm on a roll, so I'm going to keep on truckin' through the next one. I've been super obsessed with school supplies, so I just had to make a back to school card. I've never made one before, because it really didn't seem like a card-occasion to me. Now that I'm going back to school as an adult I really feel like a card is in order though! I'm so very excited, but terrified too.

Do you have anyone going back to school or any back to school stories?

I'd love to read them! :-)

Celebrate Card

This picture & the happy color palate that goes along with it just sang to me. It really makes me even consider changing my craft room colors to this scheme. I just feel good looking at it.

The card I made following the photo inspiration was super fun to put together. I used tons of scraps too. It'd be something that would be so easy to replicate for any scheme or scrap clean up of your stash. All the patterned paper pieces are 1" strips just pieced together like a quilt. I even used four different stitch designs from my machine on this one. Each time I went down a row to sew I clicked the button over to the next design. I love using new stitches. I bought the machine with all the fancy designs like I'm sure many of you have too, but I'm too often using the zigzag and straight stitch over and over.  This was much more fun.

I'd love to see what cards you make using up your scraps. Do share a link in the comment section so we can all see what you've created.

Supplies:

Born to Shop

Hugs & Kisses

Fauna Stripe, Aqua

Lovely Green

Petunia Card Stock

Brads

Busy Busy

I've been so busy getting ready for Vince to come home in addition to my to-do list that doesn't seem to ever dwindle down. I just wanted you to know that I'm still alive, but I may be in and out over the next couple of months. While I process out of the military and start nursing school full time. It's a crazy time right now. I hope I survive! :-)